EN 
PT_BR 
The tracker manufacturer Soltec Brazil is investing in the construction of its own photovoltaic plants, with the aim of guaranteeing recurring revenue so as not to be exposed to fluctuations in the centralized solar energy market.
The company, which is the leader in tracker sales with a third of the market share in the country, recently put two solar plants into operation: one in Pedranópolis, in São Paulo, and another in Araxá, in the southwest of Minas Gerais. The plants total 225 MW of installed capacity.
The company wants to continue investing in its own plants and to this end it has a portfolio of 7 GW in projects at different stages of development, he said. Mauricio Ávila, Account Manager at Soltec Brasil, in conversation with the Solar Channel.
“The idea is that the company has this verticalization to have a recurring cash flow due to the PPAs that are linked to these projects, so as not to be on the roller coaster of winning large centralized generation projects, closing a great quarter and the next quarter not close nothing. The company wants to have a certain stability.”
“Soltec has projects in various stages of development, from very early to ready to be built. Some of these the company will build and keep in its portfolio.”
The company's core business, however, continues to be the sale of trackers (or solar trackers). The company has already put into operation 3.7 GW in photovoltaic plants centralized in Brazil and has the challenge of building another 1 GW for third parties.
According to Ávila, the moment is challenging for those who work with large solar projects in Brazil. With the scenario of increased capex, high interest rates, energy prices at the floor and consumption moving sideways, the projects that are moving forward are because the entrepreneurs have some type of contractual commitment. “These are very selective projects that are moving forward.”
In 2022, Soltec decided to enter the distributed generation market, but this is not the company's “flagship”. “We can’t compete on very small projects,” explained the manager.
