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RENEWABLE ENERGY


SOLAR POWER IN THE ANTARCTIC


M


any countries have installed research bases in the Antarctic to conduct various studies in this very special landscape and


its unique climate. Temperatures below -89°C, winds over 200km/h, extreme variances in hours of sunlight, with up to 16 hours in the summer and only two during winter, pose tremendous challenges for both research teams and equipment. PV connectors from Stäubli are part of a demanding new fi eld of application: installing solar power in the Antarctic. T e Uruguayan government is a strong


advocate for the integration of renewables and following a ten-year programme to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. 97% of the electricity now comes from hydroelectric, solar, wind and biomass. T e country has been maintaining a research base in the Antarctic for over 30 years. T e Artigas base, opened in 1984, is home to 10 research scientists and 15 crew members in summer. T e base was traditionally powered


by diesel generators. Besides the environmental impact, the logistics involved made the use of fossil fuels an ineffi cient and costly solution for generating electricity. T e government selected Technova


Renovables, a Tecnogroup subsidiary, to review the potential and lead on the integration of renewables at the Artigas Base. Tecnogroup is a conglomerate of Uruguayan companies with extensive international experience in the


development, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of renewable energy plants. T e project included the delivery and installation of a pioneering solar system designed to withstand the environmental challenges within this delicate ecosystem. T e importance and challenging nature


of this project required collaboration between several partners, including the government and the energy ministry MIEM, the local utility company, UTE, and the Instituto Antártico Uruguayo.


THE CHALLENGE T e Antarctic is one of the most inhospitable places in the world. Spanning 14,000km2


and with extreme climatic


conditions including temperatures as low as 89.2°C and winds more than 200km/h, the challenge was to develop, install and test the performance of PV technology in such a fragile environment and prove its reliability. Due to the variances in sunlight hours, the timeframe was very limited: the installation had to be completed before the seasons changed.


Dominic Buergi explains how, against all odds, a fully functioning photovoltaic system has been installed in the Antarctic


MC4-Evo 2 connectors defy harsh environments


THE SOLUTION To successfully implement the pilot plant with 1.2kW, all partners worked closely together. Both the extreme temperatures and variances in hours of sunlight had to be considered for the installation of the PV system. T e solar panels were vertically mounted onto the wall of an existing machine room, with a 90° tilt and N orientation and at a considerable height to overcome heavy snow accumulation as well as wind present at the site. T e success of the project is based on


thorough planning, mutual harmonisation and the careful selection of reliable components to be installed. To secure constant and dependable energy feed-in, Tecnogroup relies on PV connectors from Stäubli. T e MC4-Evo 2 connectors have been proving their worth from the very beginning and withstand the extreme, unprecedented climatic conditions. T e eff ective implementation of a PV system will not only help the Artigas Base to reduce the environmental impact and its operations cost, but also represents a further milestone in the global expansion of renewable energies.


The Artigas base has challenging environmental conditions


Dominic Buergi is with Stäubli. www.staubli.com


34 www.engineerlive.com www.engineerlive.com


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