EN 
PT_BR 
Last Tuesday (25), the Brazil surpassed the mark 21 GW of operational capacity in solar energy, including large plants (6.7 GW) and own energy generation systems (14.38 GW).
Only in 2022, for example, the Photovoltaic generation grew by more than 52% in the country: jumping from 13.8 GW on January 1st to the current 21 GW.
There is no doubt, therefore, that the market continues to expand and attracting contributions from companies in other segments, such as Avantia, an integrator of technology solutions for the electronic security area.
In an exclusive interview with Solar Channel, Antonio Egypt, the company's commercial manager, spoke about its plans for the renewable sector in 2023, as well as highlighting the importance of power plants increasingly opt for use of sensors, radars, analytics and other security solutions, aiming at asset protection.
How does Avantia perform in the renewable sector, especially in the photovoltaic segment?
Avantia is a company with more than 24 years of experience in robust electronic security projects, serving clients from different sectors.
In the energy market, we have extensive operations, including one of the largest electrical energy companies, Chesf, where we provide state-of-the-art hardware and software for the video monitoring system aimed at supporting the operation of the company's substations, in addition to physical security and patrimonial.
The monitoring of substations relies on cutting-edge technology that performs an intelligent analysis of captured images, which allows greater control and supervision in the operation of the facilities.
It also assists in controlling the entry of unauthorized people, approaching unauthorized vehicles, monitoring equipment, assisting in responding to emergencies, collaborating with property security and the company's operations, contributing to improving the performance and capacity of services .
The renewable energy sector has similar challenges to Chesf, with large parks located in accessible and vulnerable locations in terms of infrastructure. Today we have advanced negotiations to operate in this sector.
How important is it for photovoltaic plants to adopt the use of sensors, radars, analytics and other security solutions?
Photovoltaic plants are located in places with different conditions, depending on the city or country, often with peculiar legislation or characteristics. It is necessary to understand each scenario to design the best structure with the client in order to protect their assets and employees.
Fields often enter areas considered dangerous and therefore the energy company must take precautions to minimize risks. Losses of equipment in this sector mean significant losses, which can impact the business.
The ideal scenario is that the security plan is designed from the construction of the plants, preventing the theft of solar panels and more valuable equipment. To help with this protection, we can count on some examples of technological solutions:
- Sensors or landmines can indicate suspicious movements in monitored areas, allowing quick response actions against possible enemies;
- Radars are capable of monitoring large perimeters, detecting unconformities from long distances. It is possible to integrate radars with video cameras, allowing real-time analysis of suspicions, allowing proactive actions;
- Video analytics are the eyes of the owner everywhere. It is possible to teach the cameras to issue alarms to the monitoring center or to a mobile device whenever it sees non-conformities, such as the approach of unidentified people or vehicles in inappropriate areas, invasion of land through counting people or detection of crowds, for example;
- Audio alert: it is an innovative system from Avantia that allows sound analysis and detects non-conformities by detecting non-standard sounds for the monitored locations, such as breaking glass, gunshots, vehicle engines;
- Drones: nowadays there are autonomous drones, capable of flying over long distances, a great ally for capturing images in difficult-to-access places, also generating alerts so that the monitoring center can act with precision, before consolidating possible losses.
Do you believe there will be a trend towards using these technologies to ensure the safety of plants?
For sure. The renewable sector has grown significantly and security is essential to prevent not only theft, but also to guarantee the safety of employees working in the plants.
Technology plays a fundamental role in ensuring safety and energy generation without interruption due to damage or loss. It is a small investment in relation to what a loss could represent. And it is easy to implement and maintain.
Where is Avantia’s “sales force” most concentrated (places) to “win” this market?
Avantia has service capacity throughout Brazil. Due to the profile of the sector and the geography of our country, this segment is more heavily concentrated in the northeast, and our company has a strong presence in this sector in states such as Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí, Bahia, Ceará and Pernambuco.
