It is however true that the sudden decrease in the availability of hydrocarbons put additional pressure on the use of wood and coal, mainly for cooking at social and domestic levels.
Solutions to this problem include:
* Planting of appropriate tree species for energy production.
* Standardization of column-type furnaces to improve efficiency in the production of charcoal (improving yields from 1.4 to 2.5 sacks per square metre of wood).
* To introduce the 'Brazilian' heater as a standard for baby chicken heaters (traditionally this activity has represented 50% of total National charcoal use.
* To develop and extend the use of efficient stoves for the use of solid fuels of low density, increasing the efficiency by 5 and 10 times over traditional stoves.
Hydro Energy
Although Cuba does not have large rivers, studies have shown that the potential for hydro energy in Cuba can reach the equivalent of 325,000 toe. 57 megawatts have already been installed and numerous plants are in construction or in the design stage.
In addition to the above, Cuba has a program for the development of Cuban-produced small scale hydro energy plants. Two hundred sites are already in operation and 200 more are under consideration.
Wind Power
The utilization of windmills for water pumping, mainly in the cattle sector, is a practice which, after a period of partial neglect, is being rescued and expanded.
There are around 8000 windmills in Cuba and, even with present restrictions, the manufacture of 3 multi-blade types and a new model based on Colombian technology (known as the 'gaviota'), has been reinititated at national level.
It is estimated that by pumping water using windmills, 1.5 toe can be saved per windmill per year. The cuban wind potential has not been sufficiently studied from the perspective of electricity generation, but some zones have been detected that offer good possibilities, they are the northeast and north central, both influenced by Atlantic winds.
The use of microgenerators coupled to small windmills, designed to charge batteries and electrify small zones, is seen as promising and work is underway on its development. Another option is the combination of wind-photovoltaic systems.
Solar Energy
In Cuba there are 400 nationally produced water solar-heating systems. These are placed mainly in health, educational and social centers. Last year a new technological solution was developed in the field of solar application: plants to give solar treatment to sugar cane seeds. This is being extended into the sugar industry and has had excellent results so far in increasing the germinative capacity of seeds and in general crop health. The application of this technology to other crops is presently being studied.
The relatively high humidity of the Cuban climate, together with high solar radiation, make good conditions for solar drying which is used for several processes and products, both agricultural and industrial. A solar dryer has been developed for wood and could, with some modifications, be used for other applications.
Photovoltaic energy has been applied, for instance, in the following ways: communications and medical technology in isolated places, especially in the mountains; electric fences for cattle; and at forest guard control points. Imported photovoltaic cells are being used for locally-built solar panels and systems.
Draft Power
The limits on imports of hydrocarbons has caused a return to traditional draft power, mainly for agricultural work. About two hundred thousand oxen are now used for this task. But this does not mean the return to the conventional plow. On the contrary, new technologies are being developed for the more efficient use of draft power in terms of higher productivity and optimization of agrotechnical results.
Development Forces
Within Cuba, the technological challenge implied by an acceleration in the development of alternative energy sources (particularly renewables) is well recognized. Universities, research institutes and laboratories and a great number of specialists, scientific personnel, technicians and workers, connected in different ways to the energy field are studying alternative, non-convientional solutions to a range of social and technological problems.
The capacity has been created for the production of the technologies mentioned above and innovations in technologies at the international level are followed.
This endeavour is more than a small component of the national will to safeguard and improve the cuban project of social development.
Environmental Side
The environmental benefits of the Cuban energy program is considerable and evident.
The restrictions on imports of hydrocarbons have forced Cuba onto the road of rational, environmentally healthy energy and this direction should be be permanent.
The most important and visible benefits are: decreased CO2 emissions; the conversion of contaminants into energy and useful raw materials and the introduction of cleaner energy sources (solar, wind, hydro).
The Challenges
The technological infrastructure of Cuba is based on imported hydro-carbons and the generalized use of electricity (94.2% of the population with access to electricity compared with 56% in 1959). To introduce non conventional energy sources implies both the development of new technologies and a new mentality. As a remarkable example of the latter, more than a million bicycles has been incorporated into the Cuban scenario over the last few months. This has been a result of both imports and the creation of national productive capacities. The growing presence of the bicycle is a factor of consideration in the mass transportation of the population. But it is also a social event which illustrates our aim: to incorporate the new conception of energy realities into social behavior, the final result representing a genuine cultural achievement.