Carlos Flores-Vázquez

This article presents the design and evaluation of a hybrid groundwater pumping system with battery storage, implemented in the Puntahacienda community of Quingeo, Ecuador, as a sustainable alternative for energy supply in isolated rural areas. The system integrates solar photovoltaic, wind, and a backup diesel generator, whose operation was analyzed using HOMER Pro software. The simulation allowed for component sizing, technical performance evaluation, and operating costs estimation, prioritizing the use of renewable sources and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The results show that solar and wind energy can cover a large portion of the demand, while the diesel generator ensures resilience during critical periods. The battery bank optimizes stability and continuous supply, ensuring the availability of water for human and agricultural consumption. Furthermore, a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an improvement in economic sustainability compared to the exclusive use of diesel were evident. The final results show that the levelized cost was $0.186/kWh, making it competitive for an isolated rural community. It was also determined that the renewable energy fraction (RES) was 83.70%, the unmet demand was 0.42%, and CO₂ emissions were 14,850 kg/year when including a diesel generator in the hybrid system. This study demonstrates the viability of hybrid renewable solutions as a tool to strengthen water and energy security in rural communities, constituting a replicable model in similar contexts in Latin America.

Climate change has prompted the adoption of sustainable measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in urban transportation. The integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, offers a promising strategy to enhance sustainability in urban transit systems. This study assessed solar irradiation along the tram route in Cuenca—an Andean city characterized by distinctive topographic and climatic conditions—with the aim of evaluating the technical feasibility of integrating solar energy into the tram infrastructure. A descriptive, applicative, and longitudinal approach was adopted. Solar irradiation was monitored using a system composed of a fixed station and a mobile station, the latter installed on a tram vehicle. Readings carried out over fourteen months facilitated the analysis of seasonal and spatial variability of the available solar resource. The fixed station recorded average irradiation values ranging from 3.80 to 4.61 kWh/m²·day, while the mobile station reported values between 2.60 and 3.41 kWh/m²·day, revealing losses due to urban shading, with reductions ranging from 14.7% to 18.8% compared to fixed-site values. It was estimated that a fixed photovoltaic system of up to 1.068 MWp could be installed at the tram maintenance depot using 580 Wp panels, with the capacity to supply approximately 81% of the annual electricity demand of the tram system. Complementary solar installations at tram stops, stations, and other related infrastructure are also proposed. The results demonstrate the technical feasibility of integrating solar energy—through fixed and mobile systems—into the tram infrastructure of Cuenca. This approach provides a scalable model for energy planning in urban transport systems in Andean contexts or other regions with similar characteristics.

The transformation of energy markets is at a crossroads in the search for how they must evolve to become ecologically friendly systems and meet the growing energy demand. Currently, methodologies based on bibliographic data analysis are supported by information and communication technologies and have become necessary. More sophisticated processes are being used in energy systems, including new digitalization models, particularly driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In the present bibliographic review, 342 documents indexed in Scopus have been identified that promote synergies between AI and the energy transition (ET), considering a time range from 1990 to 2024. The analysis methodology includes an evaluation of keywords related to the areas of AI and ET. The analyses extend to a review by authorship, co-authorship, and areas of AI’s influence in energy system subareas. The integration of energy resources, including supply and demand, in which renewable energy sources play a leading role at the end-customer level, now conceived as both producer and consumer, is intensively studied. The results identified that AI has experienced notable growth in the last five years and will undoubtedly play a leading role in the future in achieving decarbonization goals. Among the applications that it will enable will be the design of new energy markets up to the execution and start-up of new power plants with energy control and optimization. This study aims to present a baseline that allows researchers, legislators, and government decision-makers to compare their benefits, ambitions, strategies, and novel applications for formulating AI policies in the energy field. The developments and scope of AI in the energy sector were explored in relation to the AI domain in parts of the energy supply chain. While these processes involve complex data analysis, AI techniques provide powerful solutions for designing and managing energy markets with high renewable energy penetration. This integration of AI with energy systems represents a fundamental shift in market design, enabling more efficient and sustainable energy transitions. Future lines of research could focus on energy demand forecasting, dynamic adjustments in energy distribution between different generation sources, energy storage, and usage optimization.

This research aims at proposing an alternative to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the context of electric mobility. A photovoltaic and wind hybrid energy system was installed in a Chok S2 electric vehicle. In addition, a charge equalization system was included to balance and maximize the performance of each of the EV’s five batteries connected in series. The results show a 20% improvement in vehicle efficiency after conducting tests on a 17 km Andean route. The photovoltaic system generated 535 W, while the wind system generated 135 W/s at a speed of 45 km/h. These findings highlight the potential of hybrid renewable energy systems to improve the efficiency and range of electric vehicles.

This research focuses on the measurement of the solar generation potential on the roads of the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, and its application in electric vehicles. The tests were conducted in real environments, whereby natural and artificial structures obstruct direct radiation to the panel during the trajectory. An initial study is presented with daily operating conditions, using an urban bus route as a case study. The methodology used consists of taking measurements on different days and weather conditions to evaluate the photovoltaic generation and its contribution to the energy autonomy of the electric vehicle. Additionally, the energy autonomy between the electric vehicle with its factory configuration versus the one equipped with the solar panel is compared. For this purpose, a photovoltaic panel is installed on the roof of the vehicle, connected to a control system that monitors the radiation and current data, regulating the charging and discharging of the batteries. The aim is to demonstrate that the installation of solar panels on electric vehicles can significantly increase their energy autonomy. The contribution of this research could serve as an initial guide for governments and private companies to make decisions on the deployment of electric buses, electric vehicles and other vehicles integrated with solar photovoltaic energy, taking into account their routes. The findings of the study reveal that the implementation of the mobile charging system improves the range of the electric vehicle used in this study. In detail, an average increase of 40% in range was achieved in favorable environmental conditions and an increase of 14% in unfavorable environmental conditions. It is important to highlight that Cuenca has favorable conditions for solar systems due to its geographical location: altitude, hours of radiation and angle of incidence.

This research presents a 100% renewable energy (RE) scenario by 2050 with a high share of electric vehicles on the grid (V2G) developed in Ecuador with the support of the EnergyPLAN analysis tool. Hour-by-hour data iterations were performed to determine solutions among various features, including energy storage, V2G connections that spanned the distribution system, and long-term evaluation. The high participation in V2G connections keeps the electrical system available; meanwhile, the high proportions of variable renewable energy are the pillar of the joint electrical system. The layout of the sustainable mobility scenario and the high V2G participation maintain the balance of the electrical system during most of the day, simplifying the storage equipment requirements. Consequently, the influence of V2G systems on storage is a significant result that must be considered in the energy transition that Ecuador is developing in the long term. The stored electricity will not only serve as storage for future grid use. Additionally, the V2G batteries serve as a buffer between generation from diversified renewable sources and the end-use stage.

El presente trabajo analiza la problemática de la gestión de proyectos viales pues, en numerosas ocasiones la metodología, la falta de planeación y la carencia de gestión no responde al punto de vista técnico y económico del proyecto; generando retrasos en los cronogramas y sobre costos en los mismos. En particular, es necesario comprender que la calidad de vías de comunicación de un territorio son parte de un factor importante para el desarrollo del país o región, y es indispensable mejorar los procesos que permiten su construcción, debido a que; si las vías terrestres presentan un buen estado favorecen a la población que se benefician de la movilidad de personas, bienes y servicios. Para esta investigación se utilizó el método experimental, mediante una entrevista con un cuestionario estructurado con el cual se obtuvieron los resultados requeridos para la formulación de la propuesta metodología que se espera contribuirá de manera eficaz a las empresas constructoras que lo adopten. Esta fue creada basándose en estándares y metodologías internacionales, es decir; modelos de gestión que se aplican a nivel mundial, con el fin de corregir a tiempo los inconvenientes presentados y evitar más retrasos que generan inconvenientes a los usuarios y que de igual manera, produce sobrecostos. Así también se anhela que este estudio sirva como guía para proyectos futuros especialmente en proyectos viales y demás obras civiles.

This paper presents a validation methodology for a remote system with its objective focused on a social robot. The research process starts with the customization of an application for smartphones, achieving a simple method of connection and attachment to the robot. This customization allows remote operation of the robot’s movements and an additional level of autonomy for the displacements in previously known locations. One of several teleoperations methods is the direct teleoperations method, which is used in master–slave control mode via a wireless network. Next, the article focuses on proposing a validation methodology for social robot applications design. Under this approach, two tests are performed to validate the designed application. The first one seeks to find the response speed of the communication between the robot and the mobile device wherein 10 devices with different characteristics and capabilities are used. This test is critical since a delay outside the allowable range invalidates the use of the application. The second test measures the application’s usability through a user survey, which allows for determining the preferences that people may have when using this type of application. This second test is essential to consider the overall acceptability of the social robot.