The state of Minas Gerais continues to lead the way in distributed solar generation in Brazil, and has just surpassed 800 megawatts (MW) installed on roofs, facades and small plots of homes, businesses, industries, rural properties and public buildings in the territory of Minas Gerais.

This is what the recent mapping of the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (ABSOLAR) reveals. According to the entity, Minas Gerais alone is responsible for 19.6% of the total installed capacity of distributed solar energy.

Altogether, there are 68,050 operational connections in the state of Minas Gerais, covering around 98.0% of the 853 municipalities in the region. In other words, there is almost no location in Minas that does not have at least one photovoltaic system in operation. Currently, there are 95,707 consumers of electricity that already have reduced electricity bills, in addition to more freedom of choice, predictability and protection against tariff adjustments.

One of the highlights in Minas Gerais is the city of Uberlândia, which leads the municipal ranking of solar energy in generation distributed throughout the country. Alone, it is responsible for 49.9 operational MW and 1.2% of all national production in Brazil in this modality.

For Bruno Catta Preta, state coordinator in Minas Gerais at ABSOLAR, the state is currently an important pole for the development of solar energy. “Photovoltaic technology represents a great potential for sustainable, economic and social development for miners, generating jobs and income, attracting private investments and collaborating in the fight against climate change”, he comments.

According to Ronaldo Koloszuk, chairman of ABSOLAR's Board of Directors, the photovoltaic system is one of the best investments for companies and citizens, bringing returns well above those offered by the financial market, as well as contributing, in the short term, to the generation of more jobs and income for the country's workers.

“The fact that the electricity tariff in Brazil is one of the highest in the world, with the current red flag in force, further reinforces the attractiveness of the solar solution. It is no coincidence that the growth of this sector, especially in small and medium systems, averaged 231% per year over the past seven years, ”says Koloszuk.