Renewable energy generation for the rural electrification of isolated communities in the Amazon Region

The Amazon Region has a huge potential in renewable energy, specially: hydraulic, biomass and biofuels, solar as well as wind in the coast. The Brazilian Government has started to consider the use of these local renewable sources for the electrification of isolated communities. Several experimental projects have been deployed, supplying electrical power through appropriated off-grid renewable energy technologies: run-of-the-river and hydrokynetic, biomass (direct burning or gasification), biofuels and vegetable oils, and hybrid (solar-wind-diesel). Regarding these technologies, the most significant projects conducted in the region were evaluated. Analyzing the costs, technical and social issues as well as the performance of these systems, after a 10 year׳s evaluation period, this paper shows that some renewable energy technologies have proven to be a more convenient and economic option than electricity generation through diesel, in these isolated communities.