A GD (distributed generation) in energy solar caused the Brazil stopped emitting a volume of CO₂ equivalent to pollution caused by little else of 3,4 million combustion-powered vehicles in 2022.
The numbers were collected by Canal Solar, based on reports from ABSOLAR (Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association) and the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency).
According to North American agencyInm typical passenger vehicle emits about 4,6 tons metrics of carbon dioxide per year – a volume that, when cross-referenced with the monthly bulletins of ABSOLAR, reveals the size of the potential that the solar source has to help the country in the fight against global warming.
According to Brazilian association, only between the months of January and December of last yearNear 15,9 million tons of CO₂ were left to be released into the atmosphere because of iinstallation of solar energy systems by micro and mini generators.
In other words, if the country avoided 15,9 million tons of CO₂ last year and each combustion vehicle emits, on average, around 4,6 tons of carbon dioxide per year, it is possible to estimate metrically that distributed generation from energy systems Solar alone prevented just over 3,4 million vehicles from polluting the Brazilian environment in 2022.
It is worth noting, however, that the painéis solares – despite generating clean energy – they also have a carbon footprint for their manufacture.
Evaluation of numbers
For Ricardo Mello, a specialist in business management and ESG, the numbers presented are impressive and will be even better over the next few years, as the participation of solar sources in the country increases.
“Solar energy still represents a very low percentage of the entire Brazilian matrix, and a percentage that still has a lot to grow, because investments are becoming increasingly larger and the cost of equipment has been decreasing over the years and becoming increasingly more accessible to the population,” he said.
Mello still remembers that the solar battery market also promises to grow and also help to increase the installation of off-grid systems in the country.
“Battery prices are falling rapidly and, when they become even more accessible, the drive for homes, businesses and industries to produce their own energy will increase, because consumers will generate more energy off the grid, being able to store it and even use it directly (…) In other words, the number of 3,4 million vehicles will be even greater”, he stated.
