EN 
PT_BR 
Currently, Brazil is going through the biggest water crisis in the last 91 years, with critical levels of water reserves in its reservoirs.
Amid this scenario, authorities are discussing whether to have blackouts or energy rationing – like what happened in 2001.
This is a situation that harms the country, especially when it comes to electricity bills. Thermoelectric plants, for example, which use gas and oil and therefore have more expensive generation, are activated.
To give you an idea, since June 1st, the activation of the red flag, at level 2, represented R$ 6.24 per 100 kWh. However, as of this month, ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) decided that the tariff extra on the electricity bill would go to R$ 9.49 per 100 kWh, which represented an increase of 52%.
Know more: Albuquerque highlights the importance of renewables and calls for conscious use of water and electricity
Among the justifications behind this situation, which already affects inflation and threatens economic growth, is the lack of rain. Today, the reservoirs in the Southeast and Central-West regions, responsible for 70% of the country's energy generation, have only 30.2% of their capacity.
In some of them, the index is even below 11%. This is the case of the São Simão, Itumbiara, Marimbondo and Água Vermelha reservoirs. So, what can be done to help solve this problem? In the view of Tiago Sarneski, partner and owner of Entec Solar, photovoltaic solar energy is an effective alternative to the crisis.
“The time is very opportune to address the issue for several reasons: the first of which is the risk of blackouts, followed by the saving of money in Brazilians’ pockets. Then, because Bill 5829 is about to be analyzed in the National Congress, which will establish the legal framework for distributed generation in the country, democratizing access to solar”, he highlighted.
Furthermore, the executive praised the advantages of photovoltaic energy, such as low environmental impact, simple installation, irrelevant cost in relation to its useful life (more than 25 years) and the fact that it can be used as a substitute for conventional electrical energy.
“Including reaching the 9 GW mark, this sustainable source is today greater than the entire capacity of coal-fired thermoelectric plants and even nuclear plants, which represent 5.6 GW”, concluded Sarneski.
Read more: Solar energy proves to be a solution to the water crisis
For engineer Roberto Caurim, CEO of Bluesun, the low levels of hydroelectric plants and the readjustment of ANEEL to red flag 2 also show the importance and urgency of obtaining and facilitating the expansion of energy matrices in Brazil.
“The more renewable source options we add, the greater our diversification will be, and photovoltaic energy is already proving to be stable, supplying Brazilian demand,” said Caurim.
“Solar is a highly profitable, renewable and constant source. With only 1% of the country's electrical matrix, it provides the equivalent of 40% from the Itaipu plant. In this sense, we see its importance, since if everyone turned off their photovoltaic systems at the same time, it would certainly have a huge impact on the Brazilian electrical system”, he concluded.
