۱- Introduction

۲- Materials and methods

۳- Results and discussion

۴- Conclusions

References

Abstract

Within the context of electricity supply in indigenous communities in Brazil, this work presents the experience of the Kalapalo ethnic group, living in the Aiha village (Xingu indigenous land), with photovoltaic energy in the scholar environment. Besides being the most adequate resource for a sustainable energy supply in the village, it is in tune with the social and cultural aspects of its people, being a desired alternative by the community. The natives themselves chose the Aiha Central Indigenous State School to house a pilot project, which brought clear improvements in working conditions, teaching and learning. The main purpose of the present work was to evaluate the contributions that the photovoltaic energy brought to the educational actions in the village. To that end, the indigenous teachers participated in the definition of the content to be measured, allowing the methodology used (and its appropriate statistical treatment) to prioritize the perceptions and expectations of the students and the community. The arrival of electricity had an overall positive impact, allowing indigenous people to associate scholar activities with fishing and agriculture, to conserve food and have audiovisual resources available for the classroom and the community.

Introduction

According to the Energy Research Company (EPE), in 2017, the share of renewable sources in the Brazilian energy matrix remained among the largest in the world (42.9%). Sugarcane biomass, hydropower and firewood accounted together for 37% of this supply, while 5.7% were related to other renewable sources, including solar energy (0.4%). Despite its relatively small percentage within the Brazilian energetic context, the solar energy supply had a substantial increase of 875.6% from 2016 to 2017. This is in line with a global trend of photovoltaic energy growth, made possible due to improvements in materials and technology, market introduction programs and government incentives (Zahedi, 2006). Since 1999, governmental programs for rural electrification provided electricity access to millions of rural inhabitants in Brazil. Nevertheless, in 2015, approximately 155.000 rural houses remained without electricity in the Amazon region, as the expansion of the existing network couldn’t reach isolated communities. For instance, the legal Amazon area has great potential for the implementation of renewable energy routes, however, the supply via special projects is challenging. (Sánchez et al., 2015). Restricting the analyses universe to the Brazilian indigenous communities, several indigenous people, due to the growing contact with the urban environment, are exposing their energetic needs. These needs are comparable with their own concepts of development, as reported by Gallois (2005) on a previous analysis on development and sustainability in indigenous communities. The current lack of assistance in this regard intensifies the exodus of young indigenous, which subsequently impairs the preservation of their cultures. In that way, a detailed study on the electricity demand in indigenous communities is fundamental, as such traditional cultures pass through processes of broader dimensions. (Bartolomé, ۱۹۹۱).