Brazil reaches 10 GW of solar operational power

Brazil surpassed the historic mark of 10 GW of operational power from solar sources in large plants and small and medium-sized systems installed on roofs, facades and land. The survey was carried out by Solar Channel, based on data from ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency).

According to the study, the DG (distributed generation) segment has 6.532 GW of installed photovoltaic power, while the GC (centralized generation) operates with 3.468 GW in solar plants, the equivalent of 1.95% of the Brazilian electrical matrix.

The milestone was reached this Friday (20), two days after the Chamber of Deputies approves the basic text of PL 5829, which aims to establish a transition to the collection of charges and fees for the use of distribution systems by micro and mini distributed generation generators.

“The expectation with GD’s new Legal Framework is the intensification of investment flows in the sector, supported by greater legal security. As for business segments, we assess that the new rules will favor the adoption of hybrid, storage and energy management systems, which will provide greater value to end customers, given the complexity of the transition rules”, commented André Gellers, country manager at SMA Brazil.

The historic record also reinforces the sector's growth in recent years, which saw its operational power double in just over a year, jumping from 5 GW in April 2020 to the current 10 GW. In the last five months alone, 2 GW were added.

Distributed generation

With 6,532 GW of installed power, the modality has seen meteoric expansion in recent years. Compared to the beginning of the year, for example, when DG was at 4.729 GW in January, growth was 38.12%.

The DG segment has already been responsible for attracting more than R$ 32 billion in new investments in the country since 2012, adding more than 189 thousand accumulated jobs, according to the balance, presented this Tuesday (17), by ABSOLAR (Brazilian Energy Association Solar Photovoltaic).

Among the Brazilian regions, the one that installed the most solar power was the Southeast, with around 2.41 GW. Close behind are the South (1.39 GW), Northeast (1.23 GW) regions; Midwest (1.12 GW) and North (0.37 GW).

Brazilian homes accumulate the largest volumes of installed power among consumption classes, with 2.7 GW, just over 40% of the total. In this regard, commercial enterprises and rural properties also stand out, with 2.34 GW and 0.87 GW, respectively.

The data also reveals that just over 568 thousand units of solar DG have been introduced into the Brazilian system since the beginning of the source's expansion. Today's numbers represent an increase of 86.2% compared to the same period last year, when there were 305 thousand units installed.

Centralized Generation

With 3,468 GW of supervised power, large solar plants are currently the seventh largest source of generation in Brazil. Among the regions, the Northeast accounts for the largest volume of supervised power, with 2.47 GW, in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte.

The Southeast appears next, with 0.93 GW of power monitored in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Espírito Santo. The Central West, South and North regions together account for around 0.3 GW of supervised power.

In addition to the plants in operation, the country also has 77 projects under construction and 539 with construction not yet started. Together, the new spaces are expected to deliver more than 24.7 GW of solar power to the country in the coming years.

Evaluation of numbers

For Carlos Evangelista, president of ABGD (Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation), the numbers prove the growth of solar energy in recent years, even with the lack of incentives.

“Brazil cannot give up any renewable source and the photovoltaic source is currently the hot ticket due to the fact that prices are falling significantly and because of its ease of installation”, he analyzed.

The executive also pointed out that the fact that DG solar has almost twice as much installed power as GC in Brazil reveals that consumers are increasingly seeking to produce their own energy. “This is a global and irreversible trend”, he assessed.

Evangelista also highlighted the need for Brazil to invest more and more in promoting renewable energy, such as solar, wind and biomass, thinking about the future of the planet and the future generations.

“We have always been very proud of having a clean matrix through hydroelectric plants, which was not wrong. But now, with the water crisis, we will have problems if we do not diversify our energy matrix, with clean energy and no longer with fossil energy”, he pointed out.

Through its studies, ABSOLAR also highlights the need for more investment in renewables and assesses that, although it has made progress in recent years, the country continues to lag behind in the use of solar sources. “Of the more than 87.5 million electricity consumers in the country, only 0.8% already use the sun to produce clean, renewable and competitive energy.”