Guilherme Coelho da Costa

ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) launched Resolution 482/2012, which allowed the self-production of energy with injection into the grid and bonus credits. Pioneering brought innovation, and today, solar energy already has more than 30,6GW of installed capacity (70% in distributed generation), which represents 14,3% of the Brazilian electricity matrix, according to data from ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy). But none of this would have happened if it weren't for one fundamental element: the first customers who had the vision to invest in a new company that brought an extremely new renewable energy solution to the country. Luiz Silvio Scartazzini, a resident of Chapecó (SC), was one of them. In 2013, he closely followed the birth of Renovigi, as a professor and researcher at the Renewable Sciences Center of IFSC (Federal Institute of Santa Catarina), and acquired the first Renovigi modules for university projects. With a doctorate in civil engineering, Luiz had been conducting research on renewable energy since 2008, focusing on PCHs (Small Power Plants) and solar generation. At the time, everything was experimental. Since injection into the grid was not yet permitted, the energy generated by the systems was consumed internally and discharged into a battery bank. Between 2012 and 2013, Scartazzini was responsible for purchasing equipment resold by Renovigi, which was used in three projects developed by the university. The first was an off-grid system in a rural area of the municipality of Nonoi (RS), where dairy cattle were produced. Far from the transmission line, the producer suffered from recurring power outages and the idea was for the UPS, formed by a bank of batteries powered by the solar system, to start operating whenever there was a power outage. The second project consisted of developing a prototype of a solar roof that would mechanically follow the direction of the sun, so that 100% of the light could be used. For the third, smaller panels were purchased to create a solar-powered vehicle for wheelchair users. All of the projects generated studies that were published by the IFSC. He says that at the time, they were following a new path, conducting experiments to understand how to better use the energy potential of the solar source. At the time, Brazil was facing an imminent energy crisis with successive droughts, and it began to be seen that a matrix based predominantly on hydroelectric generation would not be sufficient. In this context, energy production using alternative sources such as biomass, wind and solar began to receive incentives from public policies. Scartazzini believes that the lack of government support meant that the country took a long time to have solar generation. According to him, there was no shortage of consumers, sun and space for installation, but there was a lack of government incentive for entrepreneurs to have the vision to enter this business, which was done in 2012 when the ANEELreleased the generation of energy by the consumer. Adding these three items – government incentives, business and consumer investment – solar generation took its first steps in Brazil, with Renovigi as one of the pioneers in the sector. In 2017, the company launched the “My Energy comes from the Sun” program. It involved the dissemination of proposals for distributed generation in homes with small and medium consumption, for the installation of systems with 6, 8, 10 or 12 plates. With the knowledge acquired through research at the university, Luiz acquired the system for his home with which he still produces energy today. I remember that at the time, a system with 10 panels was installed with a total generation capacity of 3,2 kWp. However, the set of inverters reached a power of 2,5 kWp, an underestimate for the generation capacity of the modules. The energy generation it produces today is equivalent to around 80% of its consumption, but it could reach 95% if, at the time, it had more powerful inverters of 5 kW or 4 kW. Today, Renovigi already works with string inverters with power of up to 125 kW and recently launched the 2000 W microinverter, which can be installed on the roof and allows control of each combination of panels. Where it all began Birthplace of Renovigi, Nord has been in the market for 30 years manufacturing electronic panels for equipment and was one of the first companies to install a solar generation system in Chapecó (SC). Director and partner at Nord, Marcísio Marzari says that he and his partner, Nelson Akimoto, have always invested in sustainability, establishing environmental concern as a guiding principle for the company. 12 years ago, when they built the building, they added a wind generator and purchased two 40 W solar panels. Marzari says that Nord was one of the first companies to use solar energy, and Renovigi started two years before the law was approved. According to him, the system worked almost as if it were a technical plant. He also reports that they invested in solar energy because they knew it would grow and that it would provide a financial return. Initially, Nord installed a 5 kWp system and later expanded to a 20 kWp system, today operating with two inverters and around 80 250 W boards. Solar energy accounts for 65% of the factory's consumption. According to Marzari, the system works well and is not expanded due to lack of physical space. The executive, who is a great supporter of solar energy, recalls that at the time of Renovigi's creation, the country was going through an electrical crisis and began investing in alternative sources. At this point, solar energy is the fastest, as it is possible to install a system in a month. Today, after more than 10 years, Nord is very satisfied with the performance and energy generation of the acquired system. Investing in renewable energy is a path of no return. It is the evolution that the world asks for. I believe that if we can invest in something that will reduce damage to the environment, we should do so. With solar energy we have the chance to save on our electricity bills without destroying the environment. Renovigi, as a pioneer in the sector, positions itself as one of the main players in the market and endorses its commitment to its customers with systems running for over 10 years in the country, an important point for a product line that currently has a warranty of up to 25 years of panel efficiency.

Guilherme Coelho da Costa

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