Introduction
The production of non-centrifuged sugar (NCS) is a key agro-industrial activity in rural Latin America, contributing to local economies and employment. However, traditional processing systems rely on inefficient energy practices and fossil fuels, leading to high operating costs and environmental impacts. The integration of renewable energy technologies offers a promising pathway to improve sustainability and energy efficiency in the sector.
Methods
A technical and quantitative assessment was conducted for an NCS production plant with a processing capacity of 100 kg/h of NCS. The proposed hybrid configuration integrates photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation with the thermochemical utilization of sugarcane bagasse to meet the facility’s thermal energy requirements. The electrical demand of the plant was estimated at 17 kW, corresponding to a daily consumption of approximately 264 kWh. This demand profile reflects the operational characteristics of panela processing units, where the milling process operates for 16 hours at a power of 15 kW, while lighting and auxiliary equipment require 2 kW for 12 hours. Based on these conditions, a photovoltaic system with an installed capacity of 48–52 kWp was designed to supply most of the electrical demand. Thermal energy requirements for juice evaporation and concentration processes were estimated at 380 kWh and are supplied through the controlled combustion of bagasse generated during milling, thereby valorizing an internal process byproduct.
Results
Mass and energy balance calculations indicate that processing 1,000 kg/h of sugarcane generates approximately 380 kg/h of bagasse. With a lower heating value of approximately 7.7 MJ/kg, this biomass resource provides sufficient energy to achieve thermal self-sufficiency levels exceeding 90% for juice evaporation and concentration processes. Regarding electricity supply, the proposed 48–52 kWp photovoltaic system, designed using an average solar irradiance of 4.4 kWh/m²/day typical of the Barbosa region, ensures that the plant’s electrical demand is met during operational hours. Overall, the hybrid energy architecture enables an external energy substitution rate between 70% and 80%, resulting in an estimated reduction of 9–12 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. These results demonstrate the potential for significantly lowering the carbon footprint of panela production while increasing energy independence and operational resilience.
Conclusions
The comparative economic analysis highlights clear advantages for the renewable hybrid system. Purchasing electricity from the grid would represent an estimated annual cost of approximately USD 10,500. In contrast, the installation of a 52 kWp photovoltaic system capable of supplying around 80% of the plant’s electricity demand would generate annual energy savings close to USD 8,500, resulting in a payback period of approximately six years. Although the analysis uses the municipality of Barbosa as a geographical reference, the methodological framework and system design are transferable and scalable to other rural agro-industrial contexts across Latin America. Overall, the results confirm that hybrid renewable energy systems combining solar photovoltaic generation with biomass utilization constitute a technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable pathway toward the decarbonization of small-scale sugarcane processing industries.
