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Cruviana is the name given by the indians in Roraima to the strong night winds. The
Cruvianas Project is a partnership between Conselho Indígena de Roraima, Instituto Socioambiental
and Universidade Federal do Maranhão to create sustainable energy alternatives in the communities
of the Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous land. Today, the energy consummed in the communities
comes from diesel generators. The installation of towers to measure wind and solar radiation
is one of the initiatives of the Cruvianas Project.
The study of the winds is taking place in the Serras Region, in northern Roraima, one
of the regions with the strongest winds in the country, according to the Brazilian Atlas
on Wind Potential. The decision to undertake this wind study came after one year of discussions
in meetings. The region is around 300 km distant from Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima. In
february 2013, three towers to measure wind and solar radiation were installed at the
top of the Tamanduá, Maturuca and Pedra Branca mountain ranges. At the moment of start-up,
winds of 11 meters/second, or around 40 km/h, and a solar radiation of 1350 watts/hour/square
meter were registered. Three indigenous researchers participating
in the project will undertake periodical data collections during a full year, as well as
the maintenance of the towers. Besides, 14 other indigenous researchers are making a
georeferrenced mapping of communities and a survey on the energy demand of each family.
Mini-hydroelectrical plants are under analysis by the federal government as a solution for
electrification of the region. The Cruvianas Project is in dialogue with the Luz Para Todos
Program, and the results of the studies will be made available to the federal government
in search of a more sustainable and diversified solution for energy generation.