Better planning and distribution of renewable energy in South America

Renewable energy is booming in Central and South America. Vast landscapes, intense sunlight and steady winds create ideal conditions for an energy transition that many countries across the continent are actively advancing. Low-cost electricity from solar and wind installations can make households less dependent on expensive fuel imports while also improving air quality – directly benefiting people’s health, agriculture and livelihoods.

But transforming the power system brings real challenges. Thousands of geographically dispersed installations need to work together in a coordinated way. And the amount of electricity they generate fluctuates from second to second depending on the weather.

This means that plant and grid operators need more than reliable forecasts of how much electricity will be generated in the coming hours. They also need tools to intelligently integrate solar and wind farms into the grid and manage conventional power plants so that supply remains stable – even at night when there is no sun or when the wind dies down.

This is exactly where energy & meteo systems comes in. The company combines weather data with plant-specific information to calculate precise power forecasts – accurate predictions of future electricity generation from solar and wind installations at almost any location worldwide.

In addition, the Oldenburg-based company uses its virtual power plants to connect an unlimited number of decentralized generators: solar parks, wind farms, biogas plants, hydropower plants and storage systems. Grid operators can use control signals to respond to changes in the grid within seconds and flexibly adjust generation schedules – without any physical intervention on site.

Energy & meteo systems is no newcomer to South America and the Caribbean. Through GIZ and develoPPP projects, the company has built strong relationships with local electricity producers in Argentina, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Joint workshops were not only about presenting products, but above all about listening: How are the markets structured? Which stakeholders play which roles? Where are the real barriers?

This knowledge enables energy & meteo systems to tailor its solutions to the specific needs of each market instead of simply exporting a ready-made product.

• Thanks to power forecasts and the virtual power plant, South American grid operators can integrate electricity from solar and wind energy much more reliably and provide households with a more consistent power supply.
• In 2021, Argentine grid operator Cammesa used the virtual power plant that energy & meteo systems GmbH had set up as part of the develoPPP funding programme. It brought together generation data and forecasts for 34 wind farms with a total capacity of three gigawatts.
• Because the develoPPP project for Cammesa was coordinated by GIZ in Chile, energy & meteo systems was also able to establish contacts there and produced power forecasts for the Chilean grid operator.
• Through these projects, energy & meteo systems gained a better understanding of the market and further established its presence through projects in Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Panama.
• The commitment of the Lower Saxony-based company strengthens Germany’s role as an innovator in the energy transition.
• Forecasting technologies that are supported and further developed internationally can also be used in Germany.

Ulrich Kaltenbach, who oversees the company’s Latin America business, is convinced: 

“As soon as weather-dependent electricity needs to be integrated into the power system, plant and grid operators need generation forecasts like the ones we provide. If electricity markets continue to liberalize and solar and wind power needs to be marketed, it will become even more interesting for us.”

Energy & meteo systems therefore takes a long-term view of its engagement. The goal is to make renewable energy in Central and South America more predictable, stable and fairly distributed – while remaining a reliable long-term partner.