Since 2012, when distributed microgeneration was regulated in Brazil (NBR 482/2012), the state of Rio de Janeiro has been leading the way in the number of photovoltaic installations. Last year, more than 477 photovoltaic system connections were made, an increase of 220% in relation to 2015. Falling prices, a more profound knowledge of the technology and the option for renewable energy are some of the factors driving this expansion.

Civil Engineer, Luis Otávio Araújo, resident in the city of Niterói, has one of these photovoltaic installations. “Here in the state where the heat is intense and we spend a lot on air conditioning, photovoltaic systems are an excellent investment. My energy bills were as much as R$ 500 and today I pay just R$ 80. Besides which, I feel my property is that much more valorized.”

“In the summer, I have many visitors but even so I still generate more energy than I consume. It gives me much satisfaction to tell people that my house produces energy sustainably and that I am self-sufficient”, he concluded.

Says Rodolfo Sousa Pinto, CEO of ENGIE Solar, a subsidiary of ENGIE Brasil specialized in the sale and installation of photovoltaic systems, the massification of solar energy in Brazil follows world tendencies.

“In countries like Germany, Australia and the United States, there are already more than a million solar microgeneration systems in operation. Brazil has only a little more than eight thousand although growth is exponential. Expertise in the technology has increased and with this, more people are investing in solar systems. ANEEL expects that by 2024, 1.2 million Brazilians will be generating their own energy”, Sousa Pinto said.

Reinaldo Silva, a retired civil servant, is another consumer that has chosen to generate his own solar energy. “I was always told that it was expensive, but the price is not so high if you build in the savings that will be generated. My electricity bill was in the region of R$622.00. Currently it is just R$278.00. In the winter I pay R$132.00.”

The decline in prices over recent years due to the propagation of the technology also opens up the possibility of more attractive methods of payment. For example, currently there is the option to finance in up to 72 installments. In practice, this means that the investment in the photovoltaic system can be discounted from the savings on the electricity bill as a result of the power generated by the equipment over time.

“It is a similar logic to the question of renting or buying a property. Instead of paying rent, on many occasions, it is more beneficial to finance the property and pay in installments. In the case of electricity, on acquiring a photovoltaic system on an installment basis, the individual can use the savings that this system will generate on the electricity bill to pay for the equipment”, explained Sousa Pinto.

For example, in the case of a middle class home, it is possible to install a photovoltaic system from R$ 17,000.00, generating a monthly saving on the energy bill of R$ 185. This amount can then be used for payment of a good part of the installment on the equipment purchase. It is worth pointing out that ENGIE’s systems carry a performance guarantee of 25 years with low maintenance costs.

How the technology works

A photovoltaic solar energy system, also known as a solar energy system or again, a photovoltaic system, generates electricity from solar radiation. Normally installed on rooftops, the technology is the most disseminated on the planet for distributed microgeneration of clean and renewable energy.

Households and companies with these systems produce their own energy which they consume, any surplus delivered to the electricity distribution network being transformed into credits with the Distributor. These credits have a five year validity and are used when the unit is consuming more energy than is being generated such as on rainy days or at night.