Brazilian Company ‘Eternit’ Cleared to Sell Solar Energy Generating Roof Tile

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Eternit, a manufacturer of building materials, has been awarded a certificate by INMETRO (Product Certification Body) for a concrete roof tile capable of producing energy. As a result, the company can now market the product. The roof tile collects energy from the sun through photovoltaic cells contained in its structure, replacing traditional solar panels.

The solar roof tiles will be produced at the Tégula Solar plant, a brand that belongs to the group, in Atibaia, São Paulo state. The production line is already in operation, but, at the moment, only for pilot projects. Clients selected by the company are receiving the material. Sales to the general public should begin mid next year.

Each solar tile, 36,5 cm by 47,5 cm in size, has a 9,16 watts power, which is reflected on a monthly average capacity of producing 1,15 Kilowatts/hour per month. The company estimates that the use of the technology can reduce the cost of a solar system by up to 20 percent. As a result, the expected return on investment ranges from three to five years. For a small home, about 150 tiles are required; high-end homes should use up to 600 units. The remainder of the roof can be built with common tiles.

National production

The national manufacture of solar energy equipment has been the subject of intense debate in the industry. On the one hand, by the advocates of national production and the benefits of industrialization. On the other hand, those who understand that it is better to open the market and allow efficiency to define winners and losers. This time, the dispute is in the sector of solar energy generation equipment.

The subject was revived with the Federal Government’s decision to exempt the import tariff for over 100 types of photovoltaic equipment. Among them are several modules, better known as solar panels. Inevitably, the domestic industry took a stand against the incentive.

“How will I compete if the imported equipment, which is already subsidized in its country of origin, reaches Brazil tax free?”, asks Adalberto Maluf, director of BYD, a manufacturer of solar panels and electric cars, of Chinese origin, which operates two plants in Brazil, one for electric bus bodies, inaugurated in 2016, and another for solar panels, inaugurated in 2017.

The importers, in turn, are pleased. “I don’t believe it will change much of the manufacturers’ situation in Brazil. The domestic product has always been much more expensive,” said Claudio Fetter, a partner at Win Energia, a distributor of solar generation equipment. “The Brazilian industry only exists because of BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) financing, which demands domestic equipment. Other than that, it does not pay off.”

The national solar panel industry represents very little of the total solar energy installed in Brazil – about three percent. The vast majority of products are imported, particularly from Asia, a region that concentrates the majority of manufacturers. China alone accounts for six out of every ten panels installed in the world. This is the opposite of what occurs in another renewable energy sector, eolic or wind power. In terms of eolic energy, domestic production accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total installed in the country.

Source: Exame