The sun: an inexhaustible source of energy and a strategic resource for Chile

Chile has one of the highest solar potentials on the planet. The Atacama Desert, in particular, registers irradiance levels that exceed 2,800 kWh/m² per year, well above the world average (1,800 kWh/m²/year). This condition makes the area an ideal natural laboratory for the development and deployment of cutting-edge solar technologies. To measure its magnitude: with solar panels on only 45% of the Atacama Desert, it would be possible to supply the energy demand of all America, including the United States and Canada.

In the last decade, Chile has undergone a profound transformation in its electricity matrix. In 2014, the share of solar energy was marginal, with less than 1 % of installed capacity. By 2024, more than 30 % of the installed capacity corresponds to solar PV, and 22-23 % of the total electricity generated comes from the sun. This places the country among the world leaders in solar generation.

Our great opportunity:

The development of technologies associated with solar energy - whether photovoltaic or solar thermal - not only responds to the challenge of decarbonization, but also represents a strategic development opportunity for Chile.

Key Challenges:

Despite progress, there are still structural challenges that need to be addressed quickly:

1. Incorporation of energy storage: Mass deployment of batteries and other storage technologies is essential to improve grid resilience, compensate for solar variability and enable greater renewable penetration in the matrix. Better incentives are needed for both industrial and household solutions to promote the adoption of these technologies on a large scale.

2. Insufficient electricity transmission capacity: Solar generation in the north of the country often cannot be fully harnessed due to transmission line congestion. Without a coordinated and anticipated expansion of transmission infrastructure, much of Chile's solar potential is lost. This bottleneck limits investments and reduces system efficiency. More agile territorial planning is urgently needed, along with technical governance to accelerate strategic transmission works. This same problem is extrapolated to the possibility of selling energy to countries within the continent, which would allow Chile to position itself as a regional energy power.

Felix Rojas

Member of the UC Energy Center

Department of Electrical Engineering

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile