Brazil exceeds 19 gigawatts of solar energy, which already ranks third in power generation in the country

Brazil surpassed 19 gigawatts of installed solar photovoltaic power capacity, and the solar energy sector now ranks third in power generation in the country, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar).

The figure is considered historic by the sector. Based on it, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) estimates that the installed capacity may double by the beginning of next year.

According to Absolar, the average savings when solar energy is used as a substitute for electricity is up to 90 percent.

Of the 19 gigawatts installed, 13 come from power plants on rooftops, facades, and small plots. The remainder comes from large plants.

The president of Absolar, Rodrigo Sauaia, stated that the increasing readjustments in electricity bills and the reduction in the installation costs of photovoltaic panels explain the growth of this type of energy in the country.

Solar energy is considered a clean source that does not produce waste or pollution. According to Absolar, this energy avoided the emission of almost 28 million tons of carbon dioxide in electricity generation.

However, the cost of installation is not low. For residences, the average price is about R$25,000 (about US$5,000), and for industries, up to R$200,000 (about US$40,000).

Sauaia also said that these values should go down. As the reduction in monthly bills is high, the investment is recovered in a few years.

Since 2012, solar energy has guaranteed 10 billion reais (US$2 billion) in new investments in Brazil, in addition to 640,000 jobs. Revenues for the public coffers were almost 40 billion reais (US$8 billion).

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