Brazil exceeds 11 GW in distributed generation, points out ABGD

According to data from ABGD (Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation), DG (distributed generation) surpassed the 11 GW mark of installed power. The association attributes this milestone to the investments of private resources from more than one million citizens and companies that purchased their own energy generation systems.

As seen since the beginning of the year, the sector's growth reached just over 2.5 GW of installed power in photovoltaic solar energy systems, small hydroelectric plants (PCH), wind energy and other renewable sources. ABGD highlights that, according to Law 14,300/2022, solar energy systems installed until January 2023 will be exempt from usage fees until 2045.

For Guilherme Chrispim, president of ABGD, the pace of installations should also increase in the second half of the year. “The growth rate of distributed generation should increase in the second half of the year. The evolution of news about high electricity bill prices and the end of the period for free TUSD are the factors that, in ABGD's assessment, will have a positive impact on the search for new projects”, he explains.

For Chrispim, the year 2023, even with the new law in force, will still be a great opportunity for renewable energy. “But it is important to make it clear that distributed generation systems will continue to be a great investment from 2023 onwards. Generating your own energy, in Brazil and around the world, is an expedient that will make more and more sense”, he concludes.

Solar until the end of 2022

Also according to ABGD, the country should reach the mark of 15 GW of installed power in distributed generation by the end of this year, with expectations of more than 1.3 million total connections.

Currently, DG is divided between residential (43.6%), commercial (33.2%), rural (13.9%) and industrial (7.9%) consumption classes. Among the sources of mini and microgeneration electricity systems, solar energy is the most present in the country, representing 97.7% of the total; followed by thermoelectric (1.2%), Hydroelectric Generating Plant – CGH (0.87%) and wind (0.18%). In the association’s opinion, 2022 is the year of the “sun race”.