Análise de viabilidade do sistema PVT em habitações populares em região de alta vulnerabilidade climática em Belo Horizonte, MG

Abstract

It is well known the amount of research and studies indicating the depletion of natural resources, but especially the content of these documents, which link the uncontrolled growth of cities to social problems, especially in large metropolitan areas, with the impacts of urbanization that do not take into account environmental factors. The reflection of this occurs in the quality of life of people, urban mobility, housing, and energy production and consumption. There is a clear need for cleaner energy sources, and therefore, studies on the feasibility of using renewable energy in socially and energetically sustainable housing are timely. Solar technologies, with the photovoltaic system (SFV), solar thermal heating (SAST), and even the use of both integrated (PVT – photovoltaic-thermal), can be one of the paths to follow towards less impactful energy solutions and economic support for the low-income population involved. The general objective of this research was to investigate the possibility of using urban fabric for energy generation. More precisely, this study presented the feasibility of implementing PVT in a region of socio-economic vulnerability and climate change impacts in Belo Horizonte, MG, in the neighborhood of Novo Aarão Reis. The applied methodology involved gathering population data, both from the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) and the local Health Center, characterizing the low-income community; engaging with the population through workshops and questionnaire distribution, in order to understand not only the energy consumption of families but also to identify community needs; computational modeling of the neighborhood using the QGIS software and parametric simulations through Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Ladybug, to assess the feasibility of the PVT system in comparison with the theoretical framework raised. Based on the electricity consumption of the families, the assessment of radiation incidence on the rooftops made possible by the modeling, and the type of PVT equipment to be used, the research demonstrated that the already established urban fabric can generate more electricity than its own demand, by around 33%. That is, the population, which often resorts to "energy theft" (a popular term for Non-Technical Losses - NTL), could contribute to electricity production, generating security and energy leadership for the entire neighborhood, in addition to financial savings. Coupled with the reliability of investment in sustainable financial practices, the technology in question highlighted its potential.