EN 
PT_BR 
A pilot project in Paraná, which aims to promote energy efficiency and the adoption of solar energy in 5,500 municipal schools across the state, is closer to being operational.
This is because the Paraná government announced that, by the end of this year, photovoltaic systems will be installed in 224 schools.
According to the government of Paraná, in the first phase, seven municipalities will benefit: Balsa Nova, Cascavel, Fazenda Rio Grande, Foz do Iguaçu, Maringá, Paranavaí and São José dos Pinhais. The total investment will be approximately R$ 46 million.
Part of the resources comes from the PEE (Energy Efficiency Program), from Copel (Companhia Paranaense de Energia), non-refundable. City halls supplement the remainder with their own resources, or those obtained by the SFM (Municipal Financing System), released by the State Secretariat for Urban Development and Public Works, with the operation of the Paranacidade Autonomous Social Service.
The seven municipalities were approved by Copel's PEE, in the 2019 notice. With this, the company will release 55% to 62% of the amounts to be invested in each municipality. In Balsa Nova, in addition to municipal schools, there are also plans to exchange street lamps for LED systems and the implementation of a photovoltaic system in the city hall building, with the subsequent replacement of hydroelectric energy by photovoltaic generation.
Project execution
The first step will be to carry out projects to ensure greater energy efficiency in each unit. This means evaluating and replacing electrical equipment and installations with more economical products, such as replacing lamps with LED units, which offer the same lighting with lower consumption and without generating heat.
Next, projects will be created for the implementation of panels for the generation of photovoltaic solar energy. The payback for the first phase of the project will be approximately three years, due to the savings to be generated by more efficient equipment and the generation of energy to be consumed.
“Our objective is to bring these benefits to 180 municipalities in the State, within a period of one year”, said João Carlos Ortega, Secretary of State for Urban Development and Public Works.
According to him, all municipalities in Paraná can now request information and express their intention to adhere to the innovation proposal, which promotes savings and meets environmental protection standards.
To make the actions viable, city halls can use their own resources or financing (SFM) or wait for the publication of the 2020 Notice, of Copel's PEE, which will define the projects that will receive non-refundable resources.
If the city hall itself carries out, independently, the step that leads to greater energy efficiency, the projects must follow the references used by Paranacidade.
