In 2020, Alan Henn, an electrical engineer who graduated from the Polytechnic School of USP (University of São Paulo), faced the challenge of starting a business in the electrical sector amidst the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After an exchange program in Italy – where he had direct contact with a more mature energy market with a strong presence of distributed generation (DG) – he began to reflect on how to make the Brazilian Free Energy Market as accessible as solar energy has become.
From this concern was born the concept of Voltera, a trading company created with the mission of democratizing access to the ACL (Free Contracting Environment), making it simple and understandable for any company or person in the country.
“In Italy, I had my first practical contact with the Free Energy Market. People were buying energy for their own homes, something I hadn't yet seen or studied in Brazil. This gave me important knowledge about how a more mature market works,” Henn reported.
"It was also during this period that I realized how efficient the free market is, especially for industries and large consumers, but at the same time, extremely complex, little known, and distant from small and medium-sized consumers," he emphasized.
It was then that Henn decided to found Voltera in early 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. “We will be six years old this March 2026. The distributed generation model and net metering were a conceptual inspiration, mainly because of how they simplified cost reduction for the consumer,” he explained.
At that time, there was an expectation that the market would open to medium-voltage consumers as early as 2020, which ended up being postponed to 2024. Even so, the entrepreneur decided to structure a company prepared to bring the Free Energy Market to people's homes and small businesses, without the need for investments in their own assets or ties to solar farms.
Operational portfolio
Due to delays in the opening of the retail market, Voltera began operating as an energy management company for large clients. Today, it serves everyone from large groups, such as Kalunga and several McDonald's franchises, to small consumers, such as bakeries and sports courts.
Currently, the company's operational portfolio ranges between 30 and 35 MW of average energy sold per month, distributed across approximately 350 active consumer units. According to Henn, there are also approximately 50 units in the process of switching providers.
“In terms of savings generated, we have already delivered something between R$ 50 million in 2025. For 2026, the goal is to reach close to R$ 200 million in accumulated savings for our clients. We are a lean company: 18 employees serving approximately 400 consumer units, which demonstrates the scalability of the model. We have already surpassed 50 tons of CO₂ avoided and achieved the breakeven "It became operational in mid-2023 and has been generating cash flow ever since," the executive said.
To mitigate risks, the independent trading company does not engage in trading operations nor assume directional risk. Its activity is based on matched contracts with generators, as a way to protect against price volatility.
“Some recent problems stemmed from poorly positioned companies that bet on stable price scenarios after years of low volatility. The energy market is extremely fast-paced and abrupt in its changes. When these bets don't work out, the impact is significant and damages the perception of the market as a whole,” he assessed.
Free Energy Market in 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, given the scenario of high energy prices, Henn believes there will be less attractiveness for new consumers to migrate to the market, which is likely to slow the pace of growth.
“Furthermore, we had the end of the discount on incentivized energy in the grid, which represented about 50% of the savings for many consumers. With higher prices in the free market and less regulatory incentive, the attractiveness decreases. On the other hand, we are very optimistic about the future opening of the low-voltage market. When that happens, consumers will be able to choose between the free market. Depending on the price level, this could accelerate – or postpone – a new wave of migration.”
Despite the challenging scenario, the company maintains a positive outlook on the future of the free market, which should begin to open up to low-voltage consumers from 2027 onwards. “Voltera wants to be part of this transformation. We are investing in technology, people, and infrastructure to keep pace with what I consider the most structural change in the electricity sector in the last 20 years, similar to what we have seen in telecommunications and the financial system.”
"The electricity sector is highly regulated, but extremely dynamic. The latest reform brought important advances, such as the reduction of cross-subsidies and the definition of an opening schedule. We have significant challenges ahead, such as curtailment, which should accelerate the entry of..." storage systems "In Brazil. But, above all, we are moving towards a model in which the consumer becomes the protagonist," he concluded.
all the content of Canal Solar is protected by copyright law, and partial or total reproduction of this site in any medium is expressly prohibited. If you are interested in collaborating or reusing part of our material, please contact us by email: redacao@canalsolar.com.br.
