EN 
PT_BR 
Despite the impact on the economy due to Covid-19, 2020 was a good year for the Brazilian photovoltaic market. Data from ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy) indicates that more than 86 thousand new jobs were created in the solar sector throughout Brazil in the past alone.
This number represents an increase of 62% in relation to the jobs accumulated in Brazil since 2012. Also according to the association's survey, in 2020 the photovoltaic source generated more than R$ 13 billion in business, an increase of 52% in relation to the investments accumulated in the country since 2012.
According to a survey by ABSOLAR, solar energy generation grew by 64% compared to 2019. In 2020, Brazil went from 4.6 GW to 7.5 GW of installed power.
Company performance in 2020
Several companies recorded good performance last year. Among them is Prouato, a company specializing in the protection of photovoltaic systems.
According to Renan Garcia, the company's account executive, it was a challenging year in the first six months of 2020 due to the pandemic, but Proauto still achieved expectations and is confident for this year.
“2020 was a year of great challenges, with a lot of learning and reinventions in different ways. For 2021, we continue to believe in the exponential growth of GD in Brazil, and consequently in the growth of Proauto with its partners and customers”, stated Garcia.
MCM Solar Energy, a company representing FotoFix, a supplier of photovoltaic system fasteners, also had a good year in 2020.
“2020 was FotoFix’s first effective year, launching its brand to the market. One of our objectives was to understand the needs of installers. We managed to accomplish this task by launching generation 3.0”, commented Edson Marasco, founder of MCM Solar Energy.
“Another objective of the company was to increase the distribution network for the Northeast and Central-West, since our business was very focused on São Paulo. This year we are looking for the national market, where we want to have at least two distributors in each Brazilian state, in addition we plan to launch new products, expand our commercial team and gain strategic partners to serve the entire national territory”, added Marasco.
Ecori Energia Solar, a distributor of photovoltaic equipment, also followed the growth of solar energy in 2020. According to Leandro Martins, president of the company, the company closed the year above the market rate and seeks to increase this growth this year.
“For 2021 we expect a growth of 100% in the sector, which will represent approximately 4.5 GW of installed power this year alone, but mainly that we can continue to advance with a legal framework for the sector”, highlighted Martins.
Tax collection
The ABSOLAR survey also showed that in 2020 the photovoltaic market provided more than R$ 3.9 billion in revenue to public coffers. An increase of 52% compared to the total collected in the period between 2012 and 2019.
Solar source potential in Brazil
Currently, there are 4.4 GW of photovoltaic solar sources in the distributed generation segment, with R$ 20 billion in accumulated investments since 2012. Solar technology is present in 99.9% of all DG connections in the country.
GC (centralized generation) has 3.1 GW of installed power, which corresponds to 1.6% of the country's electrical matrix. Large solar plants are the seventh largest source of generation in Brazil, operating in nine Brazilian states, with investments exceeding R$ 15 billion.
Adding the installed capacity in the DG and GC segments, the solar source occupies sixth place in Brazil's electrical matrix. The solar source has an installed power of 32% greater than the sum of all Brazilian coal-fired thermoelectric plants and nuclear plants, which total 5.6 GW.
Data from ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) shows that the country has more than 350 thousand photovoltaic systems connected to the grid, bringing savings to approximately 450 thousand UCs (consumer units) that are present in all states.
The five largest states in terms of installed power are Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Paraná, respectively.
According to Ronaldo Koloszuk, president of the Board of Directors of ABSOLAR, although the source has advanced in 2020, the solar energy market in Brazil has a lot of potential for growth.
“There are more than 85 million electricity consumers in the country, but only 0.5% use the Sun to produce electricity”, highlighted Koloszuk.
“Solar photovoltaic energy reduces the population’s electricity costs, increases the competitiveness of companies and relieves the budget of public authorities, benefiting small, medium and large consumers in the country. The solar photovoltaic sector works to accelerate the renewable expansion of the electrical matrix Brazilian, at competitive prices. We are the cheapest renewable source in Brazil and will help the country grow with increasing competitiveness and sustainability”, pointed out Rodrigo Sauaia, CEO of ABSOLAR.
