SimpliPhi Power and Sunbelt Bring Renewable Power to Remote Chile Region for ENEL Green Power
Utility determined distributed solar + energy storage systems more cost effective to displace diesel generators than expanding transmission lines
SimpliPhi Power energy storage solutions were installed in 90 homes in the village of Toconce, Chile, to replace diesel generators.
OJAI, Calif. — SimpliPhi Power’s rugged, efficient and non-toxic batteries are being installed in combination with solar PV systems in 90 homes in the village of Toconce, Chile, to replace diesel generators. Solar solutions provider Sunbelt installed the systems on behalf of ENEL Green Power as part of the utility’s social and environmental commitment to inhabitants near its groundbreaking Cerro Pabelloìn geothermal plant. The project includes a total of 111 kWs of solar PV and energy storage systems for Toconce residents who are not connected to the centralized grid. The off-grid systems were deemed more cost effective than building new transmission infrastructure at the grid edge and effectively transitions the village to clean renewable power 24 hours a day.
“Forward-thinking utilities that shift to a greater percentage of renewables in their portfolio see the benefits of distributed assets in their financial models. At the fringes of the grid, modern energy technology like solar and storage proves to be more cost effective to install and more reliable compared to transmission lines, especially in challenging terrain like the high elevation deserts of Chile,” said SimpliPhi CEO Catherine Von Burg. “We commend Sunbelt for their ability to design and execute on these efficient solar and storage systems for Toconce, showing their commitment to projects with real social impact. The fact that the medical clinic is able to extend their service hours because they can count on electricity supply is a direct result of the transformation clean, continuous energy can bring to off-grid communities all over the world.”
Sunbelt is a leading solar solutions provider in Chile and surrounding countries that earned its B Corp certification for meeting rigorous social and environmental standards in their business. They approached the challenge of creating reliable off-grid systems in the harsh environmental conditions of the Atacama region in Northern Chile by creating a streamlined cabinet that houses a Studer off-grid inverter and one SimpliPhi Power PHI 3.4 battery powered by four 72 cell solar modules for each resident in the village.
Besides the fuel savings achieved by the solar systems, this project enables the village and its inhabitants to develop commercial activities, like tourism, accommodation and food provision, all this keeping the air of the Chilean Altiplano clean and avoiding additional greenhouse gas emissions.
“We know that in the mountainous territories of Chile with extreme temperature swings and altitudes of up to 5,000 meters above sea level, off-grid renewable energy systems must be proven, robust and highly efficient. This is why we used high-quality products in our systems like those from SimpliPhi Power. Their stable and safe lithium ferrous phosphate chemistry require little to zero maintenance and no thermal controls to keep the lights on at night. The safety aspect means we could also implement a training program for locals to perform simple maintenance on their own systems,” said Jörg Schroerlücke, commercial and operations manager for Sunbelt.
For more information about the Toconce project, please visit the case study.
About SimpliPhi Power
SimpliPhi Power designs and manufactures efficient, non-toxic and enduring energy storage and management systems that utilize cobalt-free, non-toxic lithium ferro phosphate (LFP). Based in Ojai, California, SimpliPhi combines the non-hazardous LFP energy storage chemistry with its proprietary cell and battery architecture, power electronics, Battery Management System (BMS) and assembly methods to create safe, reliable, durable and highly scalable on-demand power solutions for the residential, commercial, military, emergency response and film industries. Integral to all SimpliPhi Power solutions is a proprietary management system that further optimizes the life-cycle, performance and durability of its batteries. SimpliPhi Power storage system components are UL certified and have been rigorously tested and passed requirements by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Visit SimpliPhipower.com and follow @SimpliPhiPower, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Sunbelt
Founded in 2013, Sunbelt is a Chilean company specialized on the distribution of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems for residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial applications. In cooperation with its large network of solar installers, over the last years Sunbelt has proven the ability to successfully design and implement innovative, high quality and efficient solar systems all over the country and in further promising solar markets of the region, such as Argentina, Peru or Colombia.
Sunbelt offers solutions adopted to the needs and requirements of the regional markets. All products comply with international and local norms. Besides the supply of high quality solar products, Sunbelt offers engineering and training services for solar installers and other professionals. During the last years, Sunbelt has become one of the leading market players of the region and a reliable partner for integrated solutions for companies like ENEL Green Power.
