Solar Energy Systems in Chile: Application Potential
Abstract
Northern Chile is well-known for its exceptional solar energy availability. In this paper we compare the solar insolation in Calama and Pozo Almonte with Albuquerque (USA) and Spain. We show that overall energy availability in Calama is 23% higher than in Albuquerque and 44% higher than in Almeria. For a two axis tracking system, availability is 17% higher than in Albuquerque and 43% higher than in Almeria. In northern Chile the yearly average clearness index is over 0,72 for inland localities. This means over 300 totally clear days a year. In the final part of the paper we analyse possible solar energy applications in this exceptional solar environment.