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There are 37.4 GW of distributed generation and 17.6 GW of centralized generation. The cancellation of new DG projects by distributors and the lack of reimbursement for centralized generation outages are limiting the sectors growth, warns Absolar. Solar energy has just reached 55 GW of installed capacity in Brazil, according to a report by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (Absolar), which includes the combined generation of small systems and large solar plants connected to the national grid and spread across the country. The technology currently represents 22.2% of all installed capacity in the electricity grid, making it the second largest source of generation in the country. In total, there are nearly 37.4 GW of solar energy installed in distributed generation and nearly 17.6 GW in large plants connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN). According to Absolars financial statements, solar energy has already avoided the emission of approximately 66.6 million tons of CO2 in electricity generation, contributing to Brazils energy transition. Since 2012, the photovoltaic sector has contributed more than R$251.1 billion (US$43.8 billion) in new investments to Brazil, generated more than 1.6 million green jobs, and contributed more than R$78 billion in revenue to public coffers. Challenges to continue the expansion Despite significant growth over the last decade, the sector has faced significant challenges that have hindered the acceleration of the countrys sustainable energy transition. Among the main bottlenecks identified by Absolar are the lack of reimbursement to business owners for outages in renewable generation and obstacles to connecting small solar generation systems, citing power reversals, without the necessary technical studies to demonstrate potential grid overloads. In the case of large solar plants, the lack of reimbursement for generation outages, according to Aneel regulations, leads to legal uncertainty and a greater perception of risk. Currently, the share of self-generated solar power still hovers around 5% of the 93.9 million electricity-consuming units in the Brazilian captive market. With the price of solar panels falling by more than 50% in the last two years, we are experiencing the best time to invest in photovoltaic systems for homes, businesses, and rural properties. And there is still enormous growth potential in the use of photovoltaic technology, notes Ronaldo Koloszuk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Absolar. Rodrigo Sauaia, CEO of Absolar, highlights that by bringing electricity generation closer to where its consumed, solar self-generation reduces the use of transmission infrastructure, relieves pressure on operations, and reduces losses over long distances, contributing to reliability and security during critical times, such as those seen at the beginning of the year, with high temperatures and high electricity demand in Brazil. The advancement of solar energy also increases Brazils role in the geopolitics of the global energy transition, as it is one of the most competitive and democratic sources. And it contributes significantly to social, economic, and environmental development in all spheres of society, Sauaia adds. Absolar emphasizes the need to approve Bill 624/2023, which establishes the Basic Energy Income Program (REBE), specifically to provide solutions to the challenges facing distributed solar generation with allegations of energy reversals, which are so detrimental to consumers and the segments operations. In addition to benefiting families experiencing energy poverty, this bill updates Law 14,300/2022, correcting the restrictions on connection to distribution networks, which currently make thousands of distributed solar generation systems unviable and jeopardize consumers right to invest in their own solar generation system, Sauaia notes. More indicators Among consumer units supplied by their own solar generation, residences lead the use of the technology, with 69.2% of the total properties, followed by businesses (18.4%) and rural properties (9.9%). Among the states, Minas Gerais leads the way in terms of the number of units served by its own solar generation, with over 900,000. It is followed by São Paulo, with 756,000, and Rio Grande do Sul, with 468,000. In the first 60 days of the year, a period in which the country experienced an extreme heat wave and the resulting increase in electricity consumption, with more intensive use of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment in general, solar self-generation played an important role in meeting demand. Between January and March 2025, Absolars balance sheet shows that consumers installed more than 147,000 solar systems, supplying approximately 228,700 properties in the first 60 days of the year, representing a total of 1.6 GW added. |
