Photovoltaic use in Brazil has increased significantly, with the country now generating 14 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, equivalent to the Itaipu hydroelectric power station. The data comes from the Brazilian Photovoltaic Association (Absolar) and shows the huge potential of photovoltaic energy for homes, businesses and industry.
The study considered centralized power generation parks—large-scale centralized power plants as well as distributed power plants, i.e. photovoltaic power plants installed on roofs, facades, or land.
Apart from the financial part, PV is still good for the environment along with the savings in electricity costs in the medium and long term. According to the research results of Absolar in Brazil, 18 million tons of carbon dioxide emission reduction effect has been achieved by adopting clean power generation.
“The price of electricity generated by large photovoltaic plants is ten times lower than that of fossil thermal plants or electricity imported from neighbouring countries, which are the two main factors leading to increased tariffs for consumers,” said Rodrigo Sauaia, president of Absolar.
For 2022, the agency still expects Brazil's PV market to maintain the same accelerated growth in previous years, mainly due to Brazil's Law No. 14,300/2022, which establishes a legal framework for higher electricity prices for self-generated electricity. More Brazilians are likely to install photovoltaic panels in their homes or buildings to take advantage of Brazil's good light conditions.
Large-scale photovoltaic power plants in Brazil have an installed capacity of 4.7 GW, equivalent to 2.4% of the country's overall installed electricity capacity. Brazil is the sixth largest source of electricity generation in Brazil, spread across 19 states in almost all regions of the country, with 31.6 GW of projects approved for development.
Brazil passes legislation to encourage the use of photovoltaic energy
For the past 10 years, Brazilians have been living with high energy prices due to scarce rain. Because of the country's high reliance on hydroelectric power, when reservoir water levels drop too low, electricity production falls and the price charged to consumers to sell electricity continues to rise. Brazil's major megacities São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia are examples of megacities that have recently experienced a similar situation - in the capital Brasilia, residents still pay high electricity bills.
The legal framework for self-generation was promulgated at the beginning of this year, and a transition period was established until 2045 to encourage the continued development of the industry. Until January 2023, consumers who install PV systems on their roofs or on the ground will receive treatment under all current rules for the next 22 years.
Compared with other renewable energy sources, photovoltaics still have obvious advantages, which can effectively save capital investment, promote sustainability and reduce the cost of traditional power generation systems.