State of Paraná facilitates farmers’ access to solar energy

Farmers in Paraná who intend to invest in solar energy have received yet another incentive to adopt the technology.

In addition to savings on electricity bills and benefits to the environment, access to financing for photovoltaic equipment was facilitated by State government, with the signing of two decrees for the RenovaPR program (Paraná Energia Rural Renovável).

The first document (no. 6,434/2021) releases approved ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services) credits so that cooperatives or companies can invest in the generation of renewable energy, including solar.

Of the approximately R$ 8 billion retained credits accumulated by the State, the government will allocate approximately R$ 1 billion for farmers to use over the next four years. 

The other decree (no. 6,833/2021) authorizes banks to finance – outside of rural credit – the acquisition of national and imported photovoltaic equipment. Through rural credit, the producer can only purchase equipment from national suppliers. The government also promised to assume up to 5% of the interest value, as a way of subsidizing the farmer.

“We are fulfilling our commitment to promote renewable energy, strengthening the sustainability of Paraná and creating opportunities for farmers, who will be able to generate their own energy. This reduces the monthly cost for the farmer, who can invest this money in other investments”, said governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior (PSD).

Know more: RenovaPR Program executed a thousand projects in two months.

The chief executive also stated that, by producing his own energy, the farmer contributes to generating more jobs and income in the State. “If the farmer spends less on his production, he invests more in his property. As a result, you will need to hire more people to help run your business: veterinarian, truck driver, farm keeper. It’s economic engineering that helps everyone win,” he highlighted.

To be able to access financing, interested companies need to present their plant implementation project – which can be installed either by the company or by a member of the cooperative – to Invest Paraná, which will liaise with the State Finance Department for release. of the benefits.

According to the State Government, currently, the average amount that a farmer pays for an electricity bill in the municipalities of Paraná varies from R$ 8 thousand and R$ 10 thousand per month. By investing in solar energy, the bill can drop to around R$ 150.00 and the investment can be recovered in up to four years.  

Race to Zero 

In addition to this incentive campaign for farmers to access solar energy, the Government of Paraná has also promoted other actions to promote the use of solar energy. The region, for example, is one of the Brazilian states that joined the “Race to Zero” campaign by UN (United Nations), with the aim of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, contributing to keeping global warming below 1.5 ºC, as foreseen by the Paris Agreement.

The international initiative seeks to achieve the goal by intensifying decarbonization actions, attracting investments for sustainable businesses and creating green jobs. In this way, it is understood that it will be possible to facilitate an inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development scenario. 

In Brazil, the measure has also been accepted by other states – such as São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Pernambuco – which join other regions of the world such as California, New York, Hawaii and Washington, in the United States; Catalonia, Madrid and Navarra, in Spain; in addition to other states in countries such as Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Belgium.