Performance Analysis of Standalone Photovoltaic Systems (SIGFIs) in the Brazilian Amazon
Abstract
The depletion of fossil fuels and the ongoing environmental crises make the transition to renewable sources indispensable. Solar energy stands out for its wide availability and technological advances. Many families in remote areas of the Brazilian Legal Amazon still lack access to the electrical grid. To address this issue, the Federal Government created the Mais Luz para a Amazônia (MLA) Program, which installs Individual Photovoltaic Generation Systems with Intermittent Sources (SIGFIs) capable of autonomous operation. The variability of solar irradiation requires the proper sizing of the batteries that compose the SIGFI, while logistics and maintenance in isolated areas remain challenging. This study evaluates the performance of three 80 kWh/month SIGFIs under different consumption and environmental conditions. One of the systems showed excessive demand and recurrent failures until December 2024. After user training in January 2025 covering rational energy use and load management monitoring indicated significant improvement and operational stability. The results demonstrate that user training and awareness are decisive for the reliability and durability of isolated photovoltaic systems, emphasizing that community engagement is as vital as equipment quality for the sustainability of SIGFIs in the Legal Amazon.
Keywords
Energy storage, SIGFI, User training, Isolated system, Operational performance, Brazilian Legal Amazon