Abstract Shortages, deterioration in the quality of water sources and increased demand for water have been a problem for both developing and developed countries. In view of this scenario, the use of alternative sources such as the capture and use of rainwater proves to be a feasible solution. In remote places, without water and electricity supply, the use of a rainwater capture system, with ultraviolet disinfection and powered by an isolated photovoltaic panel can be the solution for the water and energy supply. Thus, this work evaluates the efficiency of the isolated photovoltaic system and the quality of rainwater after passing through the ultraviolet germicidal (UV) lamp. To measure water quality, laboratory analyzes were performed. Analyzes of water from the cistern were performed and after passing through the UV disinfection system using different flow rates to determine which would be more viable for the system. The rainfall and solar irradiation data are collected to determine whether the system powered by photovoltaic energy is viable in the city of Curitiba in the state of Paraná. The results for water analysis showed that the UV disinfection system is efficient, and in the medium and minimum flow rates, there were 100% improvements in the water quality for coliforms. The isolated photovoltaic system proved to be effective, as the irradiation rates were satisfactory even in the winter period, when solar irradiation is generally lower.

Abstract Sustainability, a concept used to exploit natural resources without harming future generations, is being applied to power generation. In Brazil, the main source of electric energy comes from hydroelectric plants, due to abundant water resources. However, the implementation of these plants causes irreversible impacts on the environment and society. On the other hand, the impacts caused by photovoltaic panels are considerably smaller in the construction phase and zero in the operation phase. This article describes the impacts generated by hydroelectric power plants and gives an overview of the power generated by floating photovoltaic panels using 10% of the area of the reservoirs of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Brazil. The results demonstrate a better efficiency of the photovoltaic panels in the water, which cools them, increasing their efficiency. Furthermore, photovoltaic panel power generation amount is higher than compared the annual power generation of three out of four hydroelectric plants analyzed. In addition, adding solar energy to the reservoirs would save infrastructure costs, considering that energy can be made available through substation infrastructure and existing power transmission systems.

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for electricity and the scarcity of resources, require renewable energy sources and efficient equipment that reduce the consumption of electricity. The Green Office (GO) of the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) is a sustainable building that uses strategies to reduce impacts to the environment, one of them being the use of the grid connected photovoltaic system (on-grid). The on-grid was installed in 2011 and since then has been feeding the GO and another building (block V) belonging to UTFPR. This article presents a comparison between an estimate of energy consumption and the generation of energy through the on-grid. By means of the estimated consumption, a survey in loco of the scenario of expenditures of the electrical equipment used in the GO was made, estimating hours of use and power, so the consumption scenario was 145 kWh/month. The power generation of the EV is lower in the months May - July, period in which the solar irradiation is smaller, but according to the measurements the on-grid produces more energy than it consumes.