Electricity access in rural areas is a critical challenge for global electrification. Most countries have focused on increasing electricity coverage without assessing the long-term sustainability of such solutions. To achieve sustainability in rural electrification solutions, it is necessary to consider five dimensions: technical, environmental, economic, social, and institutional. This paper reviews the state of rural electrification worldwide and proposes a dynamic tariff scheme that increases the technical and economic conditions of implemented solutions over an extended period. The proposed time-of-use (TOU) pricing methodology aims to flatten the system demand curve and utilize on-site renewable energy potentials. For the methodology’s evaluation, we analyzed a case study focused on electrification in isolated areas of Colombia, conducting a sensitivity analysis of user-behavior to the proposed tariff scheme using the concept of price elasticity of demand. We also evaluated the effect of the achieved demand curve flattening on the system frequency. The identified benefits highlight that an accurate pricing scheme can reduce the variation range in the system frequency. Furthermore, the evaluation results show that the implementation of the proposed tariff scheme has the potential to significantly flatten the demand curve and encourage the connection of non-conventional renewable sources to improve network conditions.

The increase in energy demand, mainly due to the dependence of industry and transport on fossil fuels, has led to the extensive use of these fuels and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, generating a severe environmental concern in all countries. Then, the need for a proportionate consumption of energy resources and the decarbonization of the economy to leverage the reduction of emissions into the atmosphere becomes evident. Therefore, implementing Energy Management Systems (EnMS) within industries makes sense, seeking to promote energy's rational and efficient use. Consequently, this paper presents a bibliographic review on the integration of EnMS in the industry, highlighting the main barriers and motivators for its implementation, emphasizing the leading role that management has within companies in converting these programs into sustainable initiatives in an extended time horizon. In addition, an analysis of the Latin American panorama is presented, especially the Colombian one, on the integration of mechanisms to improve energy efficiency in industries. One of the main conclusions evidenced was the need to increase support at the regulatory level for energy efficiency programs in the industry. Currently, greater prominence is given to renewable energy sources, which are a fundamental step for the energy transition but must be complemented with the rational and efficient use of resources. Here, the industry has an essential role in representing the segment of users that more energy traditionally consumes.

Pollution and environmental deterioration are two problems that have been exacerbated in recent years, encouraged by the dramatic increase in the world's energy consumption, the burning of fossil fuels, and the lack of adequate management of natural resources. The global approach to this problem has been made from different perspectives, where the proposals related to the rational and efficient use of energy highlight. In this sense, this paper identifies the barriers and motivators related to the massification of programs that motivate Energy Efficiency in the Colombian industry, presenting possible proposals for the solution of challenges of the national context.

The energy transition is currently reshaping the Colombian energy market, bringing about the emergence of new actors essential for decarbonization and the establishment of a sustainable energy market. This transition necessitates a regulatory framework that facilitates the entry of new players and fosters the development of appealing business models for investors. Consequently, the energy transition fuels the widespread adoption of distributed energy resources, igniting the creation of fresh markets and captivating business opportunities. This study thoroughly examines the Colombian regulatory landscape, with a specific focus on exploring the new business prospects that arise from the integration of energy storage systems as distributed energy resources. Additionally, the paper analyzes energy arbitration through this technology, assessing five scenarios through economic evaluation using Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The findings indicate that the current model, which entails purchasing and selling energy in the energy exchange, is unsustainable without supplementary measures like self-consumption or regulatory incentives.