Brazil has just reached the mark of 300 thousand consumer units of solar energy in distributed generation, according to the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (ABSOLAR).

There are 2.8 gigawatts of installed power from the solar source in microgeneration and distributed mini-generation. Photovoltaic energy represents 99.8% of all distributed connections, with more than R $ 14.6 billion in investments accumulated since 2012, spread across the five national regions.

However, although it has advanced in recent years, Brazil - holder of one of the best solar resources on the planet - still has a very small market, as it has 84.4 million consumers of electricity and only 0.4% does use of the sun to produce electricity.

In comparison with other countries, Brazil has between 10% and 20% of existing connections in nations such as Australia, China, USA and Japan, which have already passed the mark of 2 million solar photovoltaic systems, as well as Germany, India, the United Kingdom Kingdom and others, which have already surpassed the 1 million mark.

The chairman of ABSOLAR's Board of Directors, Ronaldo Koloszuk, recalls that the photovoltaic system is today one of the best investments for companies and citizens, since it brings a return well above that offered in the financial market itself. “As the real interest rate in Brazil is lower, consumers have been looking for investment alternatives with faster returns, as is the case with solar energy”, he comments.

According to ABSOLAR, the use of photovoltaic technology on roofs and land can reduce energy costs for companies by up to 95% and expand the capacity to invest in the business and generate new jobs.

As economic activity tends to resume slowly, a well-planned investment can now help families and companies to organize in the medium and long term, when consumption is expected to grow again and the demand for energy as well.

For ABSOLAR's CEO, Rodrigo Sauaia, Brazil is a solar nation by nature, with privileged conditions to become a world leader in the area. “Photovoltaic solar energy reduces the cost of electricity for the population, increases the competitiveness of companies and eases the budget of the government, benefiting small, medium and large consumers in the country,” says Sauaia.