Abstract

This article presents the feasibility of using solar photovoltaic systems (solar PV) as the energy source for rural households, including cooking energy. If the heat loss is minimized, using induction stoves, it is possible to cook with a low electrical power source of 400 W. The proposed system applies to rural households from Latin America because rural areas in these countries are generally located in highly solar irradiated lands, but biomass cooking exacerbates rural energy poverty. Then, rural energy poverty alleviation can be achieved integrally by increasing rural energy access through photovoltaic solar systems. The perspective of this work is that energy poverty differs between urban and rural areas. And in this sense, energy poverty in rural areas is more complex to address because there are a lot of external factors related to the availability of energy resources. These conditions are critical in most Latin American countries. Hence, the purpose of this article is to address this situation by designing a proposal applicable for the Latin American region that considers inexpensive photovoltaic systems to increase access to and consumption of electricity and use of clean cooking induction stoves, and consequently, become an instrument to alleviate rural energy poverty in the region.