The director of SERC Chile was featured in a recent issue of Beauchef Magazine, where he authored the column “Chile: A Global Solar Energy Powerhouse,” analyzing the exceptional conditions that allow our country to become a hub for renewable energy development.

Interested parties can access the full text by clicking here.

Chile has the potential to become a global solar energy powerhouse. This is not merely a statement of intent or a proposal driven by an environmental trend; it is a scientific assertion based on the exceptional conditions of the Norte Grande for this type of energy: radiation and clear skies. This, combined with land availability, synergies with other local activities and products, regional energy demand, and a central geographical location within South America, provides our country with significant potential. The aforementioned factors present an opportunity to address several gaps and realize this vision.

The proposal from SERC Chile – a FONDAP project involving the Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Tarapacá, Universidad de Antofagasta, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Universidad de Concepción, and Fundación Chile – is to address the challenge, through knowledge creation, of establishing energy corridors across the Pacific coast, Brazil, and Argentina. This would enable an installed solar energy capacity of approximately 200,000 MW, equivalent to 30 percent of South America’s projected electricity consumption by 2030. This capacity would require a 6,000 km² surface area, based on an average of 3 ha/MW (a figure representing the average land use in solar projects submitted for Environmental Impact Assessment, which is higher than the average reported in the literature) in spaces consisting, for example, of 15 20×20 km²  sites. This represents only a small fraction of the vast Atacama Desert (105,000 km²). For reference, the total surface area of vineyards in Chile is 2,000 km², meaning this development would allow for the production of approximately three times Chile’s current energy consumption.

Establishing this solar energy development pole requires not only the necessary resources and physical space for plant sites, but also backup systems, power system coordination, and storage solutions to save energy during the day for use at night or during periods of low radiation. Furthermore, Chile has the opportunity to develop and manufacture generation plants, modules, and specific technologies tailored to the local context. It also necessitates addressing geopolitical, social, and human capital development challenges across various fields. These include the need for cooperation agreements between the countries involved and associated commercial models, alongside the sophisticated technologies required for the operation and control of power systems and an adequate service network to build, operate, and maintain solar plants.

Simultaneously, it is necessary to create a systematic human capital development plan to provide the country with the professionals required to advance this energy sector. This should foster scientific excellence in this field, the training of innovators and specialized technicians, the creation of associated services, and engagement with schools and the community at large. In this way, solar energy would become “common knowledge,” facilitating its expansion in both large-scale projects and at the community level in urban and rural areas.

The adoption of this energy in homes, neighborhoods, and districts will contribute to creating the necessary infrastructure for Chile to become a true global solar power.

Currently, our country possesses comparative advantages in renewable energies, offering an opportunity for energy development and independence. Naturally, a proposal of this scale involves implementing structural changes in technology, public policy, and the economy that will be challenging to address. However, several factors support an optimistic outlook regarding the country’s potential to become a global power in this field. Among these is public opinion: a critical view of polluting or risky sources, such as coal or nuclear energy, contrasted with a more positive appreciation of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE). Another factor is economic: the rising cost of conventional energy sources versus the decreasing cost of alternative technologies, such as photovoltaics and concentrated solar power.

This proposal is strengthened by the potential to promote the creation of a solar cluster, in addition to other development projects by SERC Chile’s partner institutions, such as specialized laboratories like Fundación Chile’s RedSolLac, CREO Antofagasta, Abengoa’s CSP solar plant, solar water treatment in Arica, and microgrids in Huatacondo, among others.

SERC Chile seeks to contribute to the implementation of efficient public policies based on detailed scenario studies to explore solar energy development potential, particularly in the Norte Grande. The favorable conditions for its promotion are also framed within a new local and global context, where successful and sustainable reforms occur only if solutions are based on social needs, with citizen participation and the social appropriation of new technologies. Fortunately, these technologies are uniquely suited to incorporate community participation at a transnational level from the outset, reinforcing optimism that Chile can become a benchmark for solar energy research exports in Latin America.