Aneel

The tender is on June 28. This year’s procurement exercise may allocate less capacity than previous auctions, due to lower demand for contracting new projects.

New PV installations under the nation’s net metering scheme grew 137% year-on-year from January to March, according to consultancy Greener, and module imports registered even greater growth, signalling activity in the distributed generation segment is increasing at a faster pace. With the regulator mooting changes to the net metering regime, however, it may reflect customers rushing to secure current tariffs.

Although power companies have urged the new administration of Jair Bolsonaro to reduce incentives for net metered solar distributed generation, ANEEL has proposed maintaining them until PV reaches a certain proportion of the electricity sector.

According to figures from solar association ABSolar, most of the installed capacity – 371.9 MW – was installed in 2018. Commercial PV dominates with 43.2% as cheaper modules and higher electricity tariffs, combined with an extensive net metering regime, continue to fuel installation rates.

In March, PV systems totaling 2.8 MW were installed in the Latin American country under the net-metering scheme.

Installations are increasing under net metering. Last year 45 MW was added under the program.

The combined capacity of all of the solar installations on net metering in Brazil stands at 57.6 MW.