Agrovoltaica. La simbiosis de la generación fotovoltaica y la agricultura (Original)

The symbiosis between agriculture and photovoltaics has been recently present in academic papers and practical projects in many countries. Cuba has taken the first steps in water pumping, in the installation of solar modules in roofs and small areas in agricultural farms and, barely, in the introduction of livestock in solar plants. In last years, new technologies have been developed with the concept dual use farming: photovoltaics and agriculture. In this text, the author explores some combinations and technologies used in several countries, even with less irradiations level, with the purpose to reach more efficiency in the agriculture industry and the photovoltaic generation through an integral approach, or said in Cuban terms: “thinking as a nation”.Cuba ha dado los primeros pasos en la extensión de la generación fotovoltaica en la agricultura, principalmente en el bombeo de agua y la instalación de paneles en techos y pequeñas áreas en empresas agropecuarias. Sin embargo, la introducción del pastoreo de ganado en parques solares se ha producido de manera aislada y esporádica. En tiempos recientes, la simbiosis de la generación fotovoltaica y la agricultura ha estado presente en la discusión académica y en aplicaciones prácticas en muchos países. Se han desarrollado nuevas tecnologías agrovoltaicas, en las que la tierra, ese recurso tan limitado y escaso, tiene un doble uso: instalaciones solares y agricultura. En el presente trabajo el autor explora algunas de las combinaciones y tecnologías que hoy se utilizan en varios países, muchos de ellos con menores niveles de radiación solar, con el objetivo de hacer más eficiente la actividad conjunta generación fotovoltaica-agricultura con un enfoque integral, o lo que sería igual para Cuba, “pensando como país”

Influencia de los factores que explican las ganancias de energía de los paneles bifaciales. (Original)

The introduction of bifacial panels in utility-scale farms in quite recent in the world. Previous studies carried out by scholars and manufacturers; mention some factors affecting the irradiation that reaches the rear of the modules: albedo, module height, distance among rows or trackers, structure on the rear side of the module and others. The authors generated 321 simulations of three sites with different latitudes, using the fixed tilt system (SAF) and the horizontal single axis tracker (HSAT), and obtained six equations of multiple linear regression. From them, the influence of the key factors affecting the generation with SAF and HSAT, was quantified.  The coefficients obtained for each factor could be useful for future projects in Cuba.La introducción de paneles bifaciales en la generación a gran escala es relativamente reciente en el mundo. En los estudios realizados en otros países, tanto por académicos como por fabricantes, se listan varios factores que influyen en la radiación que llega al reverso del panel: el albedo, la elevación del módulo, la distancia entre filas o seguidores, la estructura de montaje del módulo en el reverso y otros.  Los autores realizaron 321 simulaciones de tres sitios con diferentes latitudes, usando el sistema de ángulo fijo (SAF) y el de seguimiento sobre un eje horizontal (HSAT), y obtuvieron seis ecuaciones de regresión lineal múltiple. A partir de ellas se cuantificó la influencia de los principales factores que afectan la generación en los sistemas SAF y HSAT con paneles bifaciales.  Los coeficientes hallados para los diferentes factores podrían ser útiles para futuros proyectos en Cuba

Este-Oeste o Norte-Sur. Elección de sistemas fotovoltaicos de doble orientación en terrenos con pendientes (Original).

The double East-West orientation of the photovoltaic modules has several objectives: to obtain greater power and energy per area, greater generation in the early and late hours of the day and during the summer, less vulnerability of the structures to wind, and better economic results. In the literature, the North-South orientation is not mentioned as another alternative. However, the authors conclude that in the latitude range of Cuba and in terrains with certain combinations of slopes, based on simulations, systems with a North-South orientation could energetically surpass those with an East-West orientation. This confirms that each site requires a specific analysis: a tailored suit.La doble orientación Este-Oeste de los módulos fotovoltaicos tiene varios objetivos: obtener mayor potencia y energía por área, mayor generación en horas tempranas y tardías del día y durante el verano, menor vulnerabilidad de las estructuras al viento, y mejores resultados económicos. En la literatura no se menciona la doble orientación Norte-Sur como otra alternativa. Sin embargo, los autores concluyen que en el rango de latitudes de Cuba y en terrenos con ciertas combinaciones de pendientes, a partir de simulaciones, que sistemas con orientación Norte-Sur podrían superar energéticamente a los de orientación Este-Oeste. Esto confirma que cada sitio requiere un análisis específico: un traje a la medida

Quality management system and firm performance in an emerging economy: The case of Colombian manufacturing industries - prepared for the Institutions for Development Department

Over one million firms around the world have adopted a Quality Management System (QMS) that conforms to ISO 9001 certification in 2015 and recent figures show that certifications have rapidly increased in emerging economies. ISO 9001 is considered a signal of high quality for products or services in markets with large imported competition or firms competing in international markets. However, implementing ISO 9001 certification entails large costs to companies for documentation of operating procedures, training, internal auditing, and corrective action. The impact of QMS on firm performance is unknown in developing economies and is still under-researched for more developed countries. This paper takes advantage of unique data on the status of certified and non-certified manufacturing firms in Colombia (an emerging economy) and matches it with firm performance. In 2006, the Colombian government launched policies to reduce the cost of adopting certification. We use this change to implement a difference-in-differences specification on panel data of certified and non-certified firms by matching samples at the year 2003, three years before the policy change. This is the most comparable data possible. Our findings suggest that firms that adopt ISO 9001 certification increase labor productivity (measured as added value over labor) by 12 percent, and sales per employee and wages by 8 percent. The effect is larger for firms that adopted certifications two years after the new policies compared with firms that adopted them immediately. The potential mechanism to explain gains in firm performance is human capital because, prior to the changes, firms with more temporary workers could not take advantage of certification

An integrated analysis of the impact of gender diversity on innovation and productivity in manufacturing firms: Prepared for the institutions for development sector

This paper presents evidence of the effects of gender diversity on firm innovation outcomes and their productivity in Colombian manufacturing firms, by extending a CDM model to include women's participation in science, technology and innovation (STI) activities and production processes. The paper makes a methodological contribution by taking into account potential endogeneity issues of women's participation in STI and innovation behavior. An upward bias of the impact of gender diversity on innovation might arise because more dynamic and innovative managers, knowing the value of gender diversity, may also hire more women in STI. The paper addresses the endogeneity concerns with a Tobit specification of the firm's decision to employ women in STI by instrumenting it with the share of total women in the workforce in the industry or the region where the firm is located. The main results indicate that firms with a larger share of women in the knowledge creation and innovation process might increase their innovative behavior. It also presents evidence of a differentiated effect of gender diversity by type of innovation. Women's participation has a larger effect on technological innovation than on organizational innovation. Finally, gender diversity drives firm productivity, even after controlling for the effect of innovation on the production process. These results are important for developing countries where women's participation in STI activities is extremely low. In Colombia, for example, only 6 percent of STI employees are women, a very low figure compared with the 21 percent participation of women in industry and even lower compared with the 52 percent of women in Colombia's total work force. These figures and this paper's results should open up discussion on policies to promote women's participation in the labor force in manufacturing firms, specifically in the knowledge creation processes

Marginal contribution of factors to energy gains of bifacial modules

La introducción de paneles bifaciales en la generación a gran escala es relativamente reciente en el mundo. En los estudios realizados en otros países, tanto por académicos como por fabricantes, se listan varios factores que influyen en la radiación que llega al reverso del panel: el albedo, la elevación del módulo, la distancia entre filas o seguidores, la estructura de montaje del módulo en el reverso y otros. Los autores realizaron 321 simulaciones de tres sitios con diferentes latitudes, usando el sistema de ángulo fijo (SAF) y el de seguimiento sobre un eje horizontal (HSAT), y obtuvieron seis ecuaciones de regresión lineal múltiple. A partir de ellas se cuantificó la influencia de los principales factores ese que afectan la generación en los sistemas SAF y HSAT con paneles bifaciales. Los coeficientes hallados para los diferentes factores podrían ser útiles para futuros proyectos en Cuba, sobre todo porque la superficie terrestre disponible no es ilimitada.The introduction of bifacial panels in large-scale generation is relatively recent in the world. Studies carried out in other countries, by both academics and manufacturers, list several factors that influence the radiation reaching the back of the panel: the albedo, the elevation of the module, the distance between rows or trackers, the mounting structure of the module on the back and others. The authors performed 321 simulations of three sites with different latitudes, using fixed-tilt system (SAF) and horizontal single-axis tracking system (HSAT), and obtained six multiple linear regression equations. From them, the influence of the main factors affecting the generation in the SAF and HSAT systems with bifacial modules was quantified. The coefficients found for the different factors could be useful for future projects in Cuba, mainly because the available terrestrial surface is not unlimited

Sistemas de ajuste manual de inclinación de paneles fotovoltaicos y de seguimiento automático horizontal de un eje

ABSTRACT All solar farms commissioned in Cuba have been mounted towards the South and with fixed tilt, generally 15 degrees. There are other technologies, as the adjustable tilt system (manually) and the automatic horizontal single axis tracker, that would increase the generation with the same installed capacity for future projects. Besides, the adjusting of angles could be a solution to reduce damages caused by hurricanes. The fixed tilt technology is compared, since an energetic and financial point of view, with those other two adjusting angles systems. Cuban and international academic literature were reviewed and simulations for a real project in the province of Las Tunas were realized. After these analyses, it is concluded that the introduction of both technologies is feasible for future projects in Cuba.RESUMEN Todos los parques fotovoltaicos en explotación en Cuba han sido montados con orientación de los paneles hacia el Sur y con un ángulo de inclinación fijo, generalmente 15 grados. Existen otras alternativas, como el ajuste manual de la inclinación de paneles fotovoltaicos y el de seguimiento automático horizontal de un eje, que permitirían aumentar la generación eléctrica, con la misma capacidad instalada, para futuros proyectos. El ajuste de la inclinación de los paneles podría ser, además, una solución para aminorar los daños de los huracanes en los parques solares. Se comparan, desde el punto de vista energético y financiero, la tecnología de ángulo fijo permanente con estas dos alternativas de ángulos ajustables. Se revisó la literatura cubana e internacional sobre el tema y se realizaron simulaciones de un proyecto real en la provincia de Las Tunas. Se concluye que es factible evaluar la introducción de ambos sistemas para futuros proyectos en el país

Sobre os processos de objetivação de saberes geométricos. Análise de uma experiência de elaboração de simuladores com o GeoGebra

The purpose of the research is to account for the geometric learning produced in a simulator creation experience with GeoGebra in Secondary School, in Venezuela. For this, we rely on the objectification process category, developed in the Theory of Objectivation, in order to describe and interpret this learning from the way in which a mathematic teacher and two Secondary School students become aware of the idea of rotation embodied in the tools of software construction. Through a multisemiotic analysis of activity, the various semiotic recourses (signs and artefacts) put into play by the participants are examined in an integrated and systematic way, paying attention to their dialectical and dynamic relations. Participants draw on these resources to reach a relatively stable level of consciousness about the conceptualization of the rotation mobilized in the construction of a circle. In the conclusions, some aspects of reported objectification processes are discussed, such as the semiotic activity displayed, the teacher’s performance and the difficulties arising in that activity.O propósito da pesquisa é dar conta da aprendizagem geométrica produzida em uma experiência de elaboração de simuladores com o GeoGebra no Ensino Médio, na Venezuela. Para tal, apoiamo-nos na categoria processos de objetivação, desenvolvida na Teoria da Objetivação, com o intuito de descrever e interpretar essa aprendizagem no que diz respeito à maneira em que um professor de matemática e dois alunos do Ensino Médio tomam consciência da ideia da rotação nas ferramentas de construção do software. Através de uma análise multisemiótica da atividade, examinam-se de forma integrada e sistémica os distintos meios semióticos (signos e artefatos) postos em jogo pelos participantes para alcançar um nível de consciência relativamente estável sobre a conceitualidade da rotação mobilizada na construção de um círculo, atendendo às relações dialéticas e dinâmicas entre esses meios. Nas conclusões discutem-se alguns aspectos dos processos de objetivação reportados, como a atividade semiótica desenvolvida, a atuação do professor e as dificuldades surgidas nessa atividad

Uso de paneles bifaciales en sistemas fotovoltaicos de ángulo fijo y de seguimiento horizontal de un eje

All the photovoltaic farms in operation in Cuba use monofacial photovoltaic panels. With the technological maturity of the bifacial panel production, since 2018, these have been gaining a growing presence, and it is presumed that in 2021 they will constitute 30% of the world market for solar panels. Bifacial panels, also generating on the reverse side, can increase efficiency between 5 and 30% of the same area. The national and international literature on the subject was reviewed and simulations of a real project in the province of Las Tunas were carried out, assuming an albedo of 0,202 and bifacial modules. This paper was concluded that it is feasible to evaluate the introduction of bifacial panels for future fixed tilt and horizontal single axis tracking projects in Cuba.Todos los parques fotovoltaicos en explotación en Cuba utilizan paneles fotovoltaicos monofaciales. Con la madurez tecnológica de la producción de paneles bifaciales, a partir de 2018, estos han ido ganando una creciente presencia, y se presume que en 2021 constituirán el 30% del mercado mundial de paneles solares. Los paneles bifaciales, al generar también por el reverso, pueden aumentar eficiencia entre un 5 y un 30% de una misma área. Se revisó la literatura nacional e internacional sobre el tema y se realizaron simulaciones de un proyecto real con paneles bifaciales de un parque que será ubicado en la provincia de Las Tunas, asumiendo un albedo de 0,202. En el artículo se concluye que es factible evaluar la introducción en Cuba de paneles fotovoltaicos bifaciales para futuros proyectos de parques de ángulo fijo y de seguimiento horizontal de un solo eje