Brazil’s Solar Energy Sector Surpasses 43 GW Milestone, Drives Significant Economic Growth

The solar energy sector in Brazil has achieved a new milestone, surpassing 43 GW of installed power, according to the Brazilian Photovoltaic Energy Association (Absolar). This includes 29.2 GW from distributed generation systems, which have capacities of up to 5 MW, and 13.8 GW from centralized generation. The photovoltaic sector has attracted over 202 billion reais in new investments and generated more than 1.3 million green jobs nationwide.

Between January and May of this year alone, Brazil added 6 GW to its national electricity matrix from solar energy, incorporating large solar plants and self-generation systems on rooftops, facades, and the ground.

Solar energy now represents 18.2% of Brazil’s installed electricity capacity. Absolar’s calculations indicate that the photovoltaic sector has prevented the emission of 52 million tons of CO2 since its inception. Additionally, since 2012, the sector has contributed more than 62 billion reais in income to public coffers.

Distributed generation in Brazil boasts 29.2 GW of installed solar power, with 24 GW coming from microgeneration systems, those with up to 75 kW of power. This segment represents approximately 143.4 billion reais in investments, 43 billion reais in income, and over 876,000 green jobs since 2012, spanning all five regions of Brazil. Solar technology dominates the distributed generation market, being used in 99.9% of all connections.

In the centralized generation segment, large solar plants account for more than 13.8 GW of power, with nearly 58.9 billion reais in accumulated investments and over 414,000 green jobs created since 2012.

Ronaldo Koloszuk, President of Absolar’s Board of Directors, commented on the sector’s growth: “The exponential growth of solar energy reflects the popularization and great attractiveness of photovoltaic technology in Brazil, both for consumers in their homes, businesses, and rural properties, as well as for the expansion of the National Interconnected System with larger plants.”

Rodrigo Sauaia, Executive Director of Absolar, emphasized the sector’s impact: “The prominence of photovoltaic technology in Brazil’s energy transition significantly contributes to social, economic, and environmental development. Besides accelerating the decarbonization of economic activities and helping combat global warming, solar energy plays an increasingly strategic role in enhancing the competitiveness of productive sectors, easing family budgets, ensuring energy independence, and fostering national prosperity.”