Solarenergy for electricity and thermal generation

With Chile’s accession to the OECD, the country made a commitment to mitigating climate change and announced ambitious GHG reduction goals. Renewable energy resources are becoming more and more important in this endeavor. In 2008, the quota law for renewables established a basis for their integration into the market. The Chilean Government additionally wished to promote the use of solar energy. The objective of this project was to develop a national programme for promoting solar energy. Policy advisory services and capacity building helped to improve the conditions for solar energy use, while also new, economic market segments and business models for the use of heat and electricity generated with solar energy have opened up. The focus was on captive use, and appropriate general conditions are in place.

Project data

Countries: Chile
IKI funding: 3,460,420.27 €
Duration: 11/2012 till 04/2017
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Energy - Chile
Implementing Partner: Ministry of Energy - Chile

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State of implementation/results

Project completed.
The net billing law governing the captive use of electricity from renewable energy sources and its feeding into the distribution network was adjusted further.
Technical standards for connecting energy generation systems to the distribution network, particularly PV installations, are based on the corresponding German standards.
Data readings from the field campaign ascertaining the solar potential in northern Chile, which was initiated in 2008, are taken once a month and published on the website of the Ministry of Energy.
Solar laboratories were set up for the training of solar technicians at six vocational training institutions using especially developed curricula. In October 2016, 54 building managers were trained in the maintenance and operation of PV roof systems.
The 'Zonas de Foco' analysis lists the municipalities, towns and cities with the most cost-effective captive-use PV installations for a range of customer and tariff groups.
A price index outlining the system costs of PV installations ranging from 1 kW to 1 MW in capacity was created and is updated every six months.
Technical and economic feasibility studies were carried out for different captive-use PV applications. Based on those studies, a 15 kWp PV system was set up in Providencia in June 2016.
A solar roof register, which includes a cost efficiency calculator for PV and ST installations and storage batteries, was developed and published for the city of Calama.
In collaboration with the Chilean Ministry of Energy, the project is preparing the tenders for the Chilean Government's public-sector solar roof programme. With support of the programme, some 350 public buildings are earmarked to be fitted with PV systems between 2015 and 2018.
A new round of tax incentives for the use of solar thermal water-heating systems is being prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy.

Latest Update:
04/2025