The lack of power on consecutive days due to the instability of the electrical grid was what motivated the owner of Sítio Santo Antônio, João Gualberto Miguel, to install a photovoltaic system with energy storage on his site, located in Campinas (SP).
“Due to the lack of energy, since I'm at the end of the line, I run out of energy straight away. So, I'm opting for the hybrid generation system”, says the producer who also grows several fruits, including pitaya.
Initially, Miguel invested around R$2,2 in the purchase of six photovoltaic panels manufactured by Risen Energy. The producer also purchased a 40 A Epever MPPT charge controller and a 3 kW Growatt inverter.
Today, the property has 16 150 W photovoltaic panels, powering a 3 kW Growatt inverter and four 170 Ah lead-acid batteries. In total, João spent R$12 on the project. “The house is 80% sustainable, but it’s not 100% because the showers have to be [operated] by grid power,” says the owner.
According to Miguel, solar energy is also used to operate the electronic gate and the water pump for irrigating the pitaya plantation. In total, he uses 2,5 kW, but he starts with the power from the utility company and then turns on the contactor switch to use the solar energy. “I am very satisfied, I am not dependent on third parties, only on the Sun, which, thank God, no matter how weak it may be, even when it rains, meets all my needs,” says João.
An answer
Wow, I didn't know. I thought it was really cool!