2020: the year of surprises

According to Dirceu Ferreira, a specialist in energy generation and distribution, '2020 is the year of surprises', starting with the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Solar Channel, Ferreira commented that energy distributors (generation, transmission and distribution) affected by the reduction in demand must have reevaluated their electricity system expansion plans due to the crisis.

“However, perhaps even this reduction in demand contributed to a scenario with lower operational risk, although questionable,” he said.

Another fact highlighted by the expert, regardless of the pandemic, is the constant need to keep the inspection and maintenance of assets up to date, despite the financial situation of the companies involved.

“More effective monitoring must be strengthened by regulatory bodies and by the State itself, not limited to collecting information via virtual means, but going into the field, checking the reality of the system”, he concluded.

Balance of the solar and electrical sector in 2020

The year 2020 is giving us something to talk about, isn't it? In the solar market, for example, dollar climb, the explosions at the GCL-Poly factory and the severe floods in southeast China, which forced the closure of a Tongwei facility were factors that harmed the sector. Without commenting on the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the manufacturing pace of companies.

On the other hand, the segment demonstrated its resilience and continued to grow. According to data from ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), between January and October this year, Brazil reached around 1,800 MW of power in photovoltaic DG (distributed generation), an increase of 60% in relation to the 1,100 MW recorded in the same period of last year.

With the electricity sector, it is no different. Yes, he suffered due to the pandemic, but he is managing to get back on his feet. October, for example, was the month with the highest financial volume in the ACL (Free Contracting Environment) in history. In total, there were R$ 4.8 billion in business in the ML (free market), an increase of 118% compared to September. This is what the BBCE (Brazilian Energy Trading Counter) pointed out.

Furthermore, electrical energy is increasingly reaching remote areas. This because more than 10 thousand families from communities in Marajó (PA) will be served by More Light for the Amazon Program over the next two years – which will enable the promotion of activities aimed at increasing family income, the sustainable use of the region's natural resources, environmental preservation, settlement and the inclusion of traditional communities.

And how can we not talk about the EV (electric vehicle) market? According to ABVE (Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association), the projection is that 19,000 EVs will be sold in Brazil by the end of the year, an increase of 60% compared to 2019 and 378% compared to 2018.

“The sale of electric vehicles has been growing a lot around the world. And the plans for rebuilding the economies, post-Covid-19, in many countries have a strong environmental bias and the construction of a green, low-carbon economy”, highlighted Adalberto Maluf, president of the ABVE Board.