Brazil

Solar accounted for 17.4% of Brazil’s electricity mix last week. PV systems up to 75 kW in size represent around 50% of the total capacity.

Atlas Renewable Energy has expanded its ability to fund further plant development in Brazil by selling 545 MW of operating assets to Engie Brasil Energia for BRL 3.2 billion ($641 million). The acquisition will increase Engie’s share of Brazil’s utility-scale solar generation capacity from 3% to 9%.

Brazil has reached a milestone in its distributed-generation solar capacity, with a total of 24 GW. Since April, it has deployed an additional 4 GW of distributed solar capacity. However, the third quarter of this year marked the first signs of a market contraction.

Brazil imported 7.8 GW of solar modules in the first half of 2023, with Chinese manufacturers Canadian Solar and JinkoSolar providing 2.4 GW of the total. This marked a 19% reduction in panel imports from the first six months of 2022, according to consultancy Greener.

The 10th edition of Brazil’s Intersolar South America trade show grew from last year’s event in terms of exhibitors and visitors. The Brazilian solar market is now on track to maintain its position as one of the world’s largest, despite a slight contraction this year.

Brazil installed 2.3 GW of large-scale solar and 4.5 GW of distributed-generation PV in the first six months of this year.

Brazilian consultancy Greener says that Brazil imported 7.8 GW of solar modules in the first half of this year, down 21% year on year. However, it says a reduction in distributors’ inventories and module prices could drive up cost competitiveness in the second half.

Brazil has announced a new 2 GW solar strategy. It plans to build 2 million new social housing units by 2026 and will deploy two PV modules in each home, providing 1 kW of power per dwelling.

Rodrigo Sauaia, the president of the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar), recently spoke with pv magazine about power purchase agreements, regulated auctions, macroeconomics conditions, and electricity prices in Brazil. He said the Latin American country could add 4.6 GW of utility-scale solar capacity this year, as well as another 5.5 GW from distributed generation.

The country has added 15 GW of new PV capacity since January 2022. In 2023 alone, it deployed 4.4 GW of new solar power, of which 3.15 GW comes from distributed generation and 1,24 GW from utility scale PV.