The number of Photovoltaic systems installed in rural properties of the state of Paraná but that quadrupled since the beginning of RenovaPR – state program that allows producers in the region to invest in renewable energy at reduced interest rates.
According to data from the copel (Companhia Paranaense de Energia), after the launch of the program in August 2021, the number of rural properties with their own generation of clean energy took a leap: exceeded 5.558 connections the net para 22.790 in February 2023.
Of this amount, the solar energy was the main component of this growth, with 22.733 connections of DG (distributed generation) or 99,75% of the total. In 2022 alone, there were 11.865 systems, in addition to 2.561 in January and February of this year.
According to Liciany Ribeiro, regional coordinator of ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar), solar energy has become an important tool for reducing costs for farmers in Paraná.
“Solar distributed generation strongly contributes to the economic, social, environmental, strategic, energy and electrical development of the rural class. The results of the RenovaPR program prove that rural producers are increasingly aware of these benefits,” he stated.
Currently, counting all installations, the Paraná is the fourth state with the highest generation of solar energy in Brazil, behind only Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, according to data from ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency).
Investments
Until February 2023, investments in renewable energy attracted by RenovaPR totaled more than R$300 million.
According to the program, on average, an investment in a solar system of R$40 to R$50 can reduce an electricity bill from R$5 to up to R$68, the minimum rate required.
Cheese producer Marlei Dias Borges, from São José dos Pinhais, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, installed solar panels through RenovaPR and says that the reduction in electricity bills allowed new investments in her property.
“I paid around R$700 to R$800 per month for electricity and with the pandemic my production decreased a lot, which left me in debt. Today, I have the comfort of having energy at the minimum price and I am paying off what I owe with the support of the State”, he stated.
“This has improved my quality of life and the quality of my product as well, as I can extract milk from the cow with the milking machine, and no longer manually. In other words, I won in every aspect and I still have better cheese”, he added.
