The province of Jujuy, located in Argentina, has launched the Solar Towns program to replace diesel generation with solar energy with batteries in the cities of Catua, El Toro and San Juan de Quillques. With this initiative, the region now has eight municipalities that have invested in photovoltaic energy. These projects align with the province’s long-term development plan and global renewable electricity goals, with the goal of establishing 11 “solar cities” in Jujuy.
In December 2023, the provincial government completed the energy transformation of Catua, El Toro and San Juan de Quillques. This change means that diesel generators, which were previously the main source of energy, are no longer in use. “Thanks to solar energy stored in lithium-ion batteries, these municipalities have uninterrupted electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” the ATESS Power, company that supplied the hybrid inverters for the project.
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ATESS HPS120 hybrid inverters in the Catua Project. Image: ATESS Power/Disclosure
Below are the characteristics of each project:
- Catua: installed with a 330 kWp photovoltaic system, paired with two ATESS HPS120 hybrid inverters and an 819,2 kWh battery system;
- El Toro: equipped with a 252 kWp photovoltaic system, with two ATESS HPS100 hybrid inverters and a 778 kWh battery system;
- San Juan de Quillques: equipped with a 138 kWp photovoltaic system, complemented by two ATESS HPS50 hybrid inverters and a 348 kWh battery system.
More Details
The projects in the three cities were funded by the Ministry of Energy’s PERMER (Renewable Energy in Rural Markets Project), which provided US$4.380.162. This investment serves three rural areas, inhabited primarily by the Atacameño people of the Puna region, that were previously disconnected from the electricity grid. The residents’ main activities include subsistence livestock farming and lithium mining services.
“The importance of establishing 'solar cities' lies in the guaranteed supply of electricity 24 hours a day to remote locations, far from urban centers and general distribution networks, improving development conditions and the possibilities of a better quality of life” highlighted Sergio Pizarro, Secretary of Energy.
According to ATESS, the installed plants are equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries to provide electricity at night and have diesel generators as a backup for unfavorable production conditions. “Each is also equipped with a meter, meeting electricity needs similar to those of s in urban centers. Catua consumes an average of 426 kWh per day, El Toro 443 kWh per day and San Juan de Quillques 182 kWh per day. The population of these areas is expected to grow and become small municipalities in the coming years,” the manufacturer said.
Luciano Galardón, coordinator of PERMER, emphasized that mini-grids will increase local productivity and socioeconomic development, promoting economic vitality and population growth.
Benefits for the community
Below are the benefits for each municipality with the project financed by PERMER.
- Catua: the solar plant installed on site provides energy for 146 residences and seven public buildings, including a health center, a police station, a post office and a sports center;
- El Toro: serves 72 residences and six public buildings, including two schools, a health center, a church, a police station and a multifunctional community hall;
- San Juan de Quillques: the photovoltaic project benefits 72 residents and several public buildings, such as a church, a health center and a police detachment, for example.
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