The Federal University of Espírito Santo, in southeastern Brazil, has begun using electricity generated by Chinese-made solar panels mounted on the roof, the SolarStar website reported on Thursday.

The Chinese website says the 17,400 solar modules, made by JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd of Shanghai, have a combined capacity of 5.44 megawatts, making the set-up, designed by Moove Energia Solar of Brazil, the biggest in the country.

The report says the set-up is expected to generate 7.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, reducing the sum the university spends on electricity by 30 percent.

The set-up is important for the financial sustainability of the university in times of financial crisis, the SolarStar website quotes Rector Reinaldo Centoducatte as saying.

In March a Brazilian website, Canal Solar, reported that the university had invested 18 million reals (US$3.1 million) in the solar power project.

(Source) Permanent Secretariat to the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao):

https://www.forumchinaplp.org.mo/ja-solar-panels-make-up-brazils-biggest-rooftop-power-plant/