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heat production for mining processes; there are other initiatives being promoted as well. For instance, solar cogeneration
offers different deployment alternatives integrating CSP and
the mining process, where the former would function as a
condenser in the thermal cycle. In addition, conditions in the
Chilean north offer a unique opportunity for the deployment
and testing of new technologies such as concentrated photovoltaic (CPV), where both products-heat and electricity-
can be incorporated into productive processes.
On the other hand, at the household level, solar heating
systems have been widely promoted and implemented. The
Chilean government has created a subsidy that incorporates
the solar heating system cost into new housing development
programs, avoiding the extensive use of gas or electricity to
heat water for human use.

Local Industries and Products
To make the Chilean north a key area for the deployment of
solar energy, efforts are being focused not only on promoting the
development of power and heat plants but also on providing an
adequate platform so that technological development and innovation related to solar energy are linked with local industries and
products. There are opportunities for local industry development
not only in service provision but also in specific product development. Overseas PV equipment manufacturers, for instance,
have not taken into account the particular conditions of the Atacama Desert (its very high irradiation/UV level, dust, coastal
fog, altitude, and so on) in their design processes; the production
of PV modules and CSP plants specifically designed for these
conditions represents a business opportunity. Moreover, considering the region's high copper cathode manufacturing capability,
PV cells that incorporate this metal are being studied.

Access to Water
The Atacama Desert has the world's highest water scarcity,
and this is a challenge to be overcome at any level of development. This fact heightens the importance of the development of solar energy-based technologies that allow water
treatment systems for the following applications:
✔✔ decontamination and disinfection of natural waters
✔✔ treatment of residual industrial wastewater
✔✔ solar desalination of seawater and brackish water.

Socioenvironmental Development
Effective stakeholder engagement will contribute to maximizing the positive impacts of solar energy while reconciling its objectives with the community's needs. In this sense,
solar development planning should be geared to taking into
account stakeholder concerns and, if necessary, adapting
certain activities accordingly.
The strength of the relationship that can be developed
between the community and the technology developers will
be critical for its successful consolidation and sustainability.
In this context, local communities are identified as key stakeholders with whom a foundation of trust must be built. In the
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specific case of rural areas, a coconstruction approach should
include the following criteria: the area's geographic and socioeconomic features, the level of organization and cohesion of
the community, the main problems and interests it faces, and
the presence and type of leadership in the community.

Green Chemistry Based on Solar Energy
Solar energy can be the main driver and energy source for
the design of products and processes that minimize the use
and generation of hazardous substances. Subproducts of
the mining industry and new fuels for power generation are
envisioned for this area.

Conclusions and Future Developments
This article discusses a number of aspects of the development of solar energy in Chile and the current challenges
faced. As a consequence of the lack of natural gas from
Argentina since 2004 and other issues and the corresponding
increase in electricity prices, an opportunity for the massive
introduction of solar energy technologies has been identified.
In this sense, the solar energy challenge for Chile has been
presented using a multidimensional approach consisting of
six major areas to be addressed, all with the goal of making
the north of Chile a key area for solar energy development.

Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by CONICYT/
FONDAP/15110019.

For Further Reading
Center for Renewable Energy (CER). (2014). [Online]. Available: www.cer.gob.cl/en
Chilean Solar Explorer. (2014). [Online]. Available: http://
walker.dgf.uchile.cl/Explorador/Solar2/
Energy Ministry. (2012). Information about the evolution
of Chile's energy sector. [Online]. Available: http://www.
minenergia.cl/documentos/estudios/2012/national-energystrategy-2012-2030.html
V. Fthenakis, A. Adam, M. Perez, A. Florenzano, M.
Grageda, S. Ushak, and R. Palma, "Prospects for photovoltaics in sunny and arid regions: a solar grand plan for Chile,
Part I: Investigation of PV and wind penetration," in Proc.
40th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conf., June 9-13, 2014,
Denver, CO, pp. 1424-1429.

Biographies
Guillermo Jiménez-Estévez is with the University of Chile
and the Solar Energy Research Center, Chile.
Rodrigo Palma-Behnke is with the University of Chile
and the Solar Energy Research Center, Chile.
Roberto Román Latorre is with the University of Chile
and the Solar Energy Research Center, Chile.
Luis Morán is with the University of Concepción and the
Solar Energy Research Center, Chile.
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http://www.cer.gob.cl/en http://http:// http://walker.dgf.uchile.cl/Explorador/Solar2/ http://www http://www.minenergia.cl/

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