Distributed Generation: Challenges for Its Full Integration into Mining
September 15, 2026 Researchers agree on the key gaps and benefits associated with integrating distributed generation into large-scale mining operations, noting that it could address issues such as rising energy tariffs, surplus capture, and supply continuity. Integrating distributed energy generation into industrial processes presents a scenario filled with multiple challenges. This initiative aims to align with the 2026–2030 Energy Roadmap presented by the Ministry…
Regulatory cybernetics in the Chilean energy market
September 14, 2026 The energy transition also presents new challenges for the regulation of the electricity system. In this seminar, our faculty member Daniel Olivares proposes viewing regulation through the lens of regulatory cybernetics—not merely as the application of rules, but as a process of observation, decision-making, intervention, and learning. Drawing on examples from the Chilean energy market, the talk examines how regulatory models enable…
Aerial thermography and digital twin at the UAI Solar Lab
Eight thermal drone campaigns over the UAI photovoltaic plant provide the data Alba Solar uses to validate its digital twin.
A Chile energy transition expert talks pumped storage
August 17, 2026 While energy storage investment in Chile to date has been channeled almost exclusively into lithium-ion battery systems, pumped storage is blinking on the radar again. A US$900mn project – 450MW Atacama, linked to French firm Hyvity – is in the environmental review phase and Chilean generator Colbún’s US$1.4bn, 800MW initiative Paposo is still in the company’s portfolio. A US$1bn, 300MW pumped…
Seminar: “The Future of Distributed Energy Resources in Chile” – Ring Project ACT250025
Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Adolfo Ibáñez University, Vitacura Campus, Room 6. Santa María 5870, Vitacura. Room capacity: 50 people. Free admission with prior registration. [REGISTER HERE] → https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/sqY0G6BU1R The Chilean electrical system is incorporating a growing number of distributed energy resources: solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles, and smart charging. Coordinating them as a virtual power plant allows this dispersed array…
The energy transformation driven by BESS systems
August 4, 2026 With rising electricity demand, battery storage is becoming a key tool in the mining industry to support the electrification of mining operations and increase the share of renewable energy. The projected increase in electricity demand for the industry is accelerating the development of battery energy storage systems (BESS), a technology that is gaining prominence in supporting mining operations. According to estimates from…
The challenge of integrating storage for a flexible and stable electrical system
July 31, 2026 THE GROWING INCORPORATION OF BATTERIES REQUIRES ADAPTING OPERATIONS, MODELING, AND THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO RESPOND TO A GRID WITH GREATER PARTICIPATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AND INVERTER-BASED RESOURCES. The expansion of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is changing the way the National Electrical System (SEN) is planned and operated. Their incorporation makes it possible to take advantage of renewable surpluses and shift energy…
Enel Foundation, ISCI, and UAI academic developed an unprecedented study on the impact of the blackout in Chile
July 31, 2026 The study detected inconsistencies over time in the comparative analysis of methodologies for estimating the costs and social impact of massive electrical blackouts—episodes that are increasingly frequent in the context of greater energy demand and extreme natural events due to climate change. Professor Rodrigo Moreno, PhD and academic at the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences and at the Business School of…
How automation drives smarter power distribution
July 30, 2026 The new demands on the electrical system are transforming the role of distribution networks. In the face of advancing renewable energy, distributed generation, electromobility, and the growing use of electricity across different sectors, automation is establishing itself as a key element for operating a smarter, more resilient infrastructure prepared for the challenges of the future. For decades, electrical distribution networks were designed…