Conference Agenda

The agricultural sector in Honduras faces significant challenges related to access to affordable and sustainable energy, especially in rural areas where diesel-powered pumping systems predominate. This dependence not only increases operating costs but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In response to this problem, this study aims to evaluate the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of implementing a solar photovoltaic pumping system for drip irrigation at the AHLE Experimental Farm, located in San Francisco de Yojoa, Cortés, Honduras. The methodology included system design and simulation using specialized software (PV*SOL), as well as financial analysis in Microsoft Excel to estimate key indicators such as the payback period to show best aspects of the study. The proposed system was compared with a conventional diesel-powered pump-based alternative, evaluating energy and water savings and CO₂ emission reductions. The results showed that the solar system, composed of 28 solar panels of 545 Wp, enabled more efficient operation, with a lower environmental impact and a faster return on investment. In contrast, the diesel system presented higher operating costs and dependence on fossil fuels, reinforcing t

The purpose of this research was to analyze and calculate the Cost of Energy Not Supplied (CENS) in Honduras for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, with the aim of quantifying the economic losses resulting from power outages. The study employed the calculation methodology established by the Regional Electricity Interconnection Commission (CRIE) in the Regional Electricity Market Regulation, which is based on indirect methods using macroeconomic data and historical records corresponding to the study’s baseline years. The analysis estimated the CENS in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, distinguishing between costs associated with short- and long-duration outages and considering the specific characteristics of each consumption sector. The results revealed that the commercial and industrial sectors reported the highest CENS costs, primarily due to their high dependency on productive processes. In the residential sector, outages directly impacted on the quality of life and well-being of households. Overall, the cost of outages has shown an upward trend, reflecting the increasing vulnerability of the national electrical system. This research highlights the urgent need to prioritize investments in electrical infrastructure and design more effective regulatory policies to reduce economic losses and improve the reliability of the electricity supply.

This study presents a comprehensive technical– operational decomposition framework for analyzing generation gaps in commercial wind energy projects, focusing on Peru’s pioneering INKA Wind Complex. The research examines daily generation data from May 2024 to April 2025 for two complementary wind farms: Talara (30MW) and Cupisnique (80 MW), representing the first large-scale wind energy installations in Peru. Our methodology integrates capacity factor analysis, seasonal performance decomposition, and operational variability assessment to identify performance gaps and optimization opportunities. Results reveal significant performance disparities between the two facilities, with Cupisnique achieving an exceptional 82.8%annual capacity factor compared to Talara’s 29.3 %. The combined complex generates 650 082MWh annually with a 65.8% capacity factor, exceeding initial projections by 46.4 %. Seasonal analysis demonstrates pronounced variations, with peak performance during August–September (83.5% combined capacity factor) and minimum efficiency in February (45.0 %). The technical–operational decomposition reveals that site-specific wind resources account for 64% of performance variance, while operational factors contribute 36 %. High-performance periods (>150% average generation) occur 23.5% of days for Cupisnique but only 4.7% for Talara, indicating substantial resource optimization potential. This framework provides actionable insights for wind farm operators, demonstrating how systematic performance decomposition can identify generation gaps and inform strategic decisions for capacity expansion and operational enhancement in emerging renewable energy markets.

The expansion of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) represents an increasing pressure on fragile headwater ecosystems due to its potential effects on land cover associated with hydrological regulation and the provision of ecosystem services. This study evaluates changes in vegetation cover and water bodies associated with the expansion of ASM in the headwaters of the Huancaray micro-watershed (Andahuaylas, Peru) during the period 2006–2024. A multitemporal analysis of Landsat and Sentinel satellite imagery was conducted using spectral indices (NDVI, MNDWI, NDBI, and NDSI) integrated into a supervised classification based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. Model accuracy achieved Kappa index values ranging from 0.73 to 0.88, indicating good to very good agreement.

The results show a sustained expansion of areas associated with ASM, accompanied by a progressive reduction in vegetation cover and water bodies. Linear regression analysis indicated that mining expansion is associated with 75.3% of the observed variability in vegetation cover loss and 80.3% of the variability in the reduction of water bodies. These findings suggest that ASM constitutes a factor closely associated with the transformation of the high-Andean landscape and provides a replicable methodology for environmental monitoring, with implications for land-use planning, mining enforcement, and the conservation of fragile ecosystems.

Water demand on the central coast of Peru has intensified due to agricultural expansion and the development of the Chancay port megaproject. Currently, the district faces a water deficit of 8,690 m³/day, exacerbated by a sanitation infrastructure that only covers 70.73% of the city. This study evaluated the technical, economic, and social feasibility of implementing a water reverse osmosis (WRO) desalination plant as a sustainable solution to projected water scarcity scenarios through 2044. The methodology employed a mixed approach: demand scenarios were modeled considering the impact of climate change and population growth driven by the port; the technical design was optimized using response surfaces to minimize energy consumption; and financial and social viability was analyzed. The results indicate that, under a severe scenario, the deficit could reach 34,352 m³/day. To mitigate this, a modular plant with a capacity of 35,000 m³/day was designed, which, through the use of energy recovery devices (ERD), achieves a specific consumption of 0.83 kWh/m³. The financial analysis projected a net present value (NPV) of $ 13,366,560 USD and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 19.41%, while 73.95% of the population expressed acceptance of the project. It is concluded that desalination is a viable alternative to guarantee water security in Chancay, mitigating the risks of social and environmental conflicts through proper brine management.

Water resources are affected by rainstorms, increasing flow rates and velocities, which cause erosion and overflowing of riverbeds. For this reason, it is urgent to design structures that reduce velocities and dissipate the energy caused by increases in flow rates. However, fluid kinematics is complex, as studying fluid behavior requires solving very complex equations, such as the Navier–Stokes and Saint Venant equations. Today, technological advances allow for a partial solution of these equations, which led to the development of this research, in which a three-dimensional model was designed in Autodesk Inventor software and simulated in ANSYS CFX, using water as the fluid, to which an inlet velocity of 0.045 m/s and 0.021 m/s was applied to evaluate whether or not the dissipator module created was able to achieve efficient energy dissipation between the inlet and outlet sections, laying the foundations for future research on application in streams, taking into account the transport of hyperconcentrated fluids.