RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil has surpassed the mark of 10 gigawatts (GW) of operational power in photovoltaic solar energy generation, according to a survey by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR).
In large plants, classified as “centralized generation,” there are 3.5 GW of installed capacity in photovoltaic plants, equivalent to 1.9% of the country’s electricity matrix.
There are 6.5 GW in the “distributed generation” segment, which involves small and medium-sized systems installed on rooftops, façades, and on land.
According to ABSOLAR, solar power has resulted in over R$52.7 (US$9.8) billion in new investments and generated more than 300,000 cumulative jobs since 2012. By doing so, it has prevented the emission of 10.7 million tons of CO2 in electricity generation.
“Large solar plants generate electricity at prices up to 10 times lower than emergency fossil thermoelectric plants or electricity imported from neighboring countries, currently two of the main responsible for the tariff increase for consumers,” said ABSOLAR’s president Rodrigo Sauaia in a statement.