EN 
PT_BR 
The biggest focus of the solar sector is still on the residential, small business and industrial segments. As a result, we see distributed generation surpassing the 14 GW mark of installed power, beating the capacity of the largest hydroelectric plant in the country, Itaipu.
This milestone is a source of pride, and the sector will never stop valuing that each roof benefit from the sun. However, if we think “outside the box”, there are many other business opportunities beyond traditional roofing.
One example is the growing investment in electric cars. In September this year, the ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) approved 30 energy projects research and development in electric mobility, with a planned investment of R$ 463.8 million over the next three years.
This combination between solar energy and electric cars attracts multinational giants to join forces for the growth of this market in Brazil, such as ABB, Efacec and Siemens (companies responsible for producing 90% chargers for electric cars in the world).
Today, I invite you to meet other horizons still little explored by energy companies photovoltaic. In addition to representing business opportunities, they are also inspiration to look for the chance to generate energy from the sun on new surfaces.
Football clubs with solar energy
There are several examples of stadiums powered by solar energy around the world. Taking advantage of the World Cup in Qatar, the Qatar Education City Stadium, planned to host six World Cup games, was designed with photovoltaic panels that provide 20% of all the necessary energy.
There are already five stadiums Brazilian football uniting national passion for sport with the sustainability that only solar energy offers. They are: the Maracanã stadium, in Rio de Janeiro; the Mineirão stadium, in Belo Horizonte; the Arena Pernambuco, in Recife; and the Pituaçu stadiums and the Fonte Nova Arena, in Salvador.
Among them, Mineirão has the largest solar system, with 6 thousand photovoltaic modules, generating 1.42 MW. Just like a solar-powered home, the surplus energy generated by the plant goes to the distributor's network.
Solar Trees
At major events like Rock in Rio, it has been possible to find so-called “solar trees” since the 2017 editions. They are produced to serve as USB charging stations for the public's cell phones.
Known as OPTrees, the “trees” imitate palm trees and each of the five leaves are covered by OPV film (organic photovoltaic films). The difference, when compared to traditional plates, is the lightness and flexibility that the material offers for temporary projects or complex designs.
The result was so positive that the festival used solar trees to generate lighting and power Wi-Fi routers and security cameras.
Solar Cinema
Cinesolar is a project that started in 2013 and has so far held 730 sessions across the country. The cinema operates in a van equipped with solar panels, so it is possible to travel throughout Brazil and show national films for free.
The sessions are held at night, and therefore, Cinesolar uses a battery to store the energy generated during the day. Thus, the project ensures sustainability and makes 100% movie viewing solar powered.
Furthermore, the interior of the Cinesolar van has several monitors to show in real time the amount of energy produced by the panel. This is a example of how it is possible invest in social initiatives without giving up clean energy.
Solar powered trucks
Have you ever imagined a fleet of solar-powered logistics trucks? This is already the reality of giants like PepsiCo, one of the largest consumer companies in the world.
In a partnership with Sunew, ten vehicles in the company's distribution fleet received the installation of organic solar films, just like those used in solar trees.
The project was pioneering, and the objective now is expand the energy solution to the company’s entire fleet. In this way, PepsiCo aims to contribute to a significant reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions in the long term.
In the same sense, Scania began testing a solar-powered truck in Sweden. 18 meter long photovoltaic cells were installed in a semi-trailer coupled to a mechanical horse, and it is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% if the model is only operated in Swedish territory. Another expected benefit is the increased durability of the trucks’ electrical components.
Expanding agriculture
Although agribusiness does not seem to be as creative a focus as trees and solar cinemas, the fact is that there is still a lot of room to sell solar energy to rural producers.
Throughout the national territory there are small to large farms that spend a lot on conventional electricity bills, as they depend on their Production processes. Not to mention the farms that do not have access to the electricity grid.
For this audience, solar energy is the most promising alternative. The use of technological solutions in agribusiness provides a better quality of life and security for these people, and always with the possibility of increasing productivity.
Since 2021, according to Forbes, rural producers have already invested around R$ 3.4 billion in solar energy with the creation of more than 21 thousand jobs. Investing in agribusiness, in addition to being incredibly timely, also contributes to reducing greenhouse gases greenhouse and reducing the cost of food produced.
Some “outside the box” examples of solar energy applications in agribusiness are:
- Precision agriculture;
- Water pumping;
- Ventilation in poultry houses and pens;
- Milking and cooling of milk;
- Electric fence to protect the herd;
- Drying and storage of grains;
- Coffee plantations and other products;
- Refrigeration of meat, milk and dairy products;
- Monitoring and management of properties.
In conclusion: selling photovoltaic systems requires vision
As we saw in today's article, the most diverse projects can benefit greatly from solar energy. It is possible to close contracts with festivals, social projects, logistics companies that seek innovation and sustainability, and even traditional agribusiness still finds itself lacking clean energy solutions.
Therefore, we in the sector must keep our eyes open beyond conventional roofs. If we, who deal with the topic and its benefits on a daily basis, we do not see the opportunities and are capable of offering solutions to different people, they will not be the ones who come looking for our companies. The client knows the pain, our role is to offer the best way to resolve it.
And do you know or have sold systems for contexts other than traditional ones?
