EN 
PT_BR 
“The solar photovoltaic market in Latin America is considered one of the most dynamic in the world.” This is what Rodrigo Sauaia, CEO of ABSOLAR (Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association) said.
The executive participated in the Intersolar South America Digital Xperience – virtual event, held this Tuesday (1), which discussed the latest forecasts for the sector – and commented that the photovoltaic segment has very high potential in Latin America due to several factors.
“Firstly, because they are countries that are located in the tropics and, therefore, have excellent quality solar resources. Secondly, because they are young countries, with economies still developing, as well as their populations, which are also still in a phase of population growth”, explained Sauaia.
“This means that these markets have a combination of increased per capita demand for electricity and population growth, which means they are expected to become increasingly larger over the next few decades. Therefore, consequently, they are regions with great investment potential for small, medium and large solar projects”, he highlighted.
According to the expert, these countries began to incorporate a series of legislation and good practices, and thus stood out throughout the process. “Brazil, naturally, is one of them. It is the largest electricity market. It by far leads this ranking in Latin America, in addition to being one of the largest economies in the world.”
Solar Power Europe
Sauaia also highlighted that, recently, ABSOLAR participated in the launch of a new survey carried out by Solar Power Europe (European Photovoltaic Association) – global reference in the development of studies and analyses.
“We co-authored a report with other entities that talks about Latin American markets, which was also the result of a launch at Intersolar South America, in which I had the opportunity to moderate”.
The countries that were analyzed in depth in this study include Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. “Four of the sectors considered to have very high potential in the region. There are others too, but these stood out the most.”
“Some more focused on the GC side (centralized generation), others towards DG (distributed generation), some more balanced, like Brazil, in the development of these two segments. Certainly, the country already has a prominent position in the region as it is a leading market in the use of solar photovoltaics in Latin America”, concluded the CEO of ABSOLAR.
Energy storage
Markus Vlasits, coordinator of the ABSOLAR Storage GT (Working Group), also participated in the Intersolar South America Digital Experience and highlighted that the event dedicated an entire panel to the issue of electrical energy storage.
“It’s a new topic, but it’s gaining momentum quickly. In the case of Brazil, storage is already economically viable for medium voltage consumers, and is also gaining viability for off-grid situations”, said the expert.
“For the country, we expect a market potential of R$ 40 billion by 2030 – just for behind-the-meter applications and off-grid projects. This number could still be substantially higher with the inclusion of large-scale projects in front of the meter”, he explained.
Vlasits also highlighted that the virtual event once again showed the great growth potential of solar energy, not only in Brazil, but throughout Latin America. “It was very clear that the solar source is able to compete in all segments – from large to DG. It was also clear that all countries in the region, mainly Brazil and Mexico, are experiencing similar regulatory challenges”, he concluded.
