DOI: https://doi.org/10.61435/ijred.2026.62633
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Energy equity in the integration of photovoltaic systems: A case study of Armenia, Colombia

1Departamento de Energía, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia

2Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Barranquilla, Colombia

3Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia

4 Estudiante del programa de ingeniería eléctrica, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia

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Received: 16 Apr 2026; Revised: 7 Sep 2026; Accepted: 10 Oct 2026; Available online: 27 Oct 2026; Published: 1 Nov 2026.
Editor(s): H Hadiyanto
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Centre of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE)
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This study evaluates the technical and economic potential of a hybrid photovoltaic system aimed at promoting energy equity in the Colombian Andean region (La Tebaida), using a meteorological database with a five-minute temporal resolution. The methodology integrated a probabilistic characterization of the solar resource, a generation estimation based on a sensitivity analysis with restrictive irradiance thresholds (600, 650, and 700 W/m²), and financial modeling through ten-year projected cash flows that incorporate the volatility of electricity rates and local credit conditions. The probabilistic results demonstrate a high robustness of the resource: during the time frame of greatest operational interest (09:00 to 14:00 h), 80% of the records exceeded the 600 W/m² threshold, ensuring an annual generation of over 700 kWh per panel in all evaluated scenarios. In the economic component, it was evident that self-consumption supported by storage is the dominant strategy compared to grid injection, due to the low remuneration for surpluses within the regulatory framework. Under a representative macroeconomic scenario, access to preferential financing lines dilutes the initial investment barrier, allowing the cash flow to reach its break-even point in 62 months with a positive Net Present Value (NPV), an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 16.94%, and a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of 487 COP/kWh, a value substantially lower than the average commercial grid rate (900 COP/kWh). It is concluded that distributed self-generation is consolidated as a feasible and necessary instrument to mitigate the economic burden on rural households in the face of the sustained increase in the cost of commercial electricity.

Keywords: Energy models; Economic analysis; Sensitivity analysis; Economic barrier

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Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
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