Recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies, after a long wait due to the pandemic and 11 attempts to put the topic up for voting, the PL 5829, known as the Distributed Generation PL, paves the way in the country for the democratization of solar energy, with greater legal security and predictability for business.
With the almost unanimous approval of federal deputies, the text went to the Federal Senate. Result of great unity on the part of entities representing the sector and companies – including Renovigi Solar Energy, which is one of the leading companies in sales of photovoltaic generators in the country. The bill should not have any obstacles in its progress and everything indicates that it will be sanctioned by the President of the Republic in 2021.
The project establishes a transition to the collection of charges and tariffs for the use of distribution systems by micro and mini generators of electric energy. REN 482 (Normative Resolution No. 482), in force to date, was defined by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) at a time when little was said about solar energy. And the Agency itself already planned to review the legislation in 2019, with the expectation of the popularization of the system.
The PL, as it has now been approved and after years of debate and negotiations in Brasília, emerged as a response to the “sun tax” – a measure that foresees the charging of charges for everyone who produces their own photovoltaic energy and would prevent the development of this market. In this way, instead of just taxing generation, it creates a legal framework for own energy generation in Brazil, reconciling the interests of distributors, consumers and the photovoltaic energy industry.
The acquired rights are guaranteed until 2045. The new legislation encompasses all types of distributed generation, such as wind and biomass, but solar energy certainly offers the possibility for ordinary people to generate their own energy. For customers and companies, the great benefit of PL 5829 is the maintenance of the acquired right of those who have already installed it and, mainly, of those who will install the system. Legal security is, therefore, the main attribute of this project for the photovoltaic sector.
Another important point is that, in the middle of 2023, the ANEEL must measure the valuation, which will determine the review of electricity rates. In other words, the possibility of rates being adjusted downwards, considering small residential plants that reinject surplus energy into the grid is enormous. Renovigi, which has been investing in this market since 2012, believes that this is the way for energy generation in Brazil to be renewable, sustainable and accessible to all.
