Joint US/Brazilian Renewable Energy Rural Electrification Project

The Joint US/Brazilian Renewable Energy Rural Electrification Project was established following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Installation of the hardware for Phase I of the project has been completed; the nearly 800 photovoltaic (PV) lighting systems are now operational, and a 3-year period of monitored operating and maintenance experience has begun. Procurement for equipment in a Phase 2 project expansion into six additional states was completed during the summer of 1994. In Phase 2, the project emphasis has expanded into other applications (water pumping by both PV and wind, stand-alone home electrification with basic AC power, two 50 kW village-scale hybrid power systems for diesel fuel displacement in the Amazon Basin, and additional home, school, and health clinic DC power systems). The objectives of these pilot projects are to establish technical, institutional, and economic confidence in using renewable energy (PV and wind) systems to meet the needs of the citizens or rural Brazil.