Solar photovoltaic technology in isolated rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean

The main characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) energy and its current development in Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC); its impact on the electrification of homes, health institutions, and schools in isolated or difficult-to-access communities; and, the advantages thereof are presented and discussed by replacing the use of traditional fuels such as firewood and kerosene in order to improve inhabitants ’health as well as reducing CO2 emissions. Countries like Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile stand out for their growing PV energy development in the region. A case study of the electrification process by PV systems shows very positive changes are manifested in terms of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants, and especially their physical and mental health state. In addition, CO2 emission reductions from electrifying 216 houses in the nine communities reach an annual amount of 2,164.19 t/yr, reducing firewood consumption by 2,123.39 t/yr and kerosene consumption by 40.80 t/yr However, LAC countries must adopt laws and regulations that regulate the use of PV energy, with an emphasis on recycling systems at the end of their life cycle

Solar photovoltaic technology in isolated rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean

The main characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) energy and its current development in Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC); its impact on the electrification of homes, health institutions, and schools in isolated or difficult-to-access communities; and, the advantages thereof are presented and discussed by replacing the use of traditional fuels such as firewood and kerosene in order to improve inhabitants ’health as well as reducing CO2 emissions. Countries like Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile stand out for their growing PV energy development in the region. A case study of the electrification process by PV systems shows very positive changes are manifested in terms of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants, and especially their physical and mental health state. In addition, CO2 emission reductions from electrifying 216 houses in the nine communities reach an annual amount of 2,164.19 t/yr, reducing firewood consumption by 2,123.39 t/yr and kerosene consumption by 40.80 t/yr However, LAC countries must adopt laws and regulations that regulate the use of PV energy, with an emphasis on recycling systems at the end of their life cycle

Electrocoagulation in batch mode for the removal of the chemical oxygen demand of an effluent from slaughterhouse wastewater in Lima Peru: Fe and Al electrodes

In order to study the treatment of wastewater from a meat plant in a batch reactor, the electrocoagulation (EC) process with aluminum and iron electrodes was applied. Foams formed with iron electrodes show brown, greenish, and reddish colors, and foams formed with aluminum electrodes mainly show a whitish color. The effects of the applied voltages (6, 8, and 10 V) were analyzed over time on parameters such as current density (A/m2 ), pH, temperature, removal percentage of ionic conductivity (µS/cm), turbidity (nephelometric turbidity units), chemical oxygen demand (COD), thermotolerant coliforms, and oil–grease. The removal efficiencies for turbidity and COD in meat industry wastewater-slaughterhouse wastewater that were obtained were 99%, and 53%–59%, for aluminum, and 81.5%–88.5%, and 59%–60% for iron electrodes and 25 min EC time respectively. At 6 V the energy consumption per unit volume of treated effluent (kg/m³) and per kg COD removed (kwh/kg COD) with Al and Fe electrodes were (3.07 and 0.84) and (2.99 and 0.90), respectively. The EC process with Al and Fe electrodes proved to be a technique that removes contaminants from slaughterhouse wastewater with good yields

Effect of current density on cod removal efficiency for wastewater usthe electrocoagulation process

The electrocoagulation process is an electrochemical technique that has demonstrated wide potential because it can be applied to wastewater from different industrial sectors considering the principles of electrolysis and coagulation. It is a low-cost method and of easy installation. Effluents with high concentrations of oils grease and chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be treated successfully obtaining high removal efficiencies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of current density on the performance of oil/grease removal (OG), COD, and turbidity (NTU), as well as the pH variation and electrical conductivity during the process in batch mode. The effluent from the dairy industry with 172.6 mg OG/L, removed 70.30% OG, 75.38% COD with 76.92 A/m2 in 25 min of electrolysis. Two combinations of 2Fe-1Al and 1Fe-2Al anodes were analyzed at 68.38 A/m2 , reaching removals of 74.74% and 70% of OG, respectively. Regarding the domestic kitchen effluent, the COD initial was 1,766 mg/L, and working with two Fe-anodes, the OG removal efficiencies in 15 min of electrolysis were 94.9%, 96.75%, and 96.53% with current densities of 37, 56, and 74 A/m2 , respectively. The OG removal efficiencies were similar with Al-anodes. The COD removal efficiencies with Fe-anodes were 66.7%, 76.9%, and 68.7%, and with Al-anodes were 76.3%, 77.4%, and 77.5%, respectively. Both effluents were studied with an inter-electrode distance of 3 cm, and the pH in both cases varied from 7 to 8, which favors the elimination of contaminants by adsorption. The electrical conductivity did not undergo major changes, favoring the economy of the electrocoagulation process. Electrocoagulation is a low-cost electrochemical process in order to remove organic pollutants