Student Brenda Rodrigues da Silva works on the installation of solar panels at Fábrica Social, a professional training centre in Brasília, Brazil. Last year, solar energy became the country’s second-largest source of electricity. Photo Credit: Tony Winston / Agência Brasília, CC BY
Environment BrazilYet Another Country Becoming a Top Producer of Solar Power!
In three short years, Brazil became the sixth top producer of solar energy, adding, on average, one gigawatt of solar capacity to its electricity grid every month through progress building domestic capacity, public incentives, and lower production costs.
“Solar energy will bring human development, promoting economic activities that serve as another option to mining and deforestation,” explains Ricardo Baitelo, project consultant at the Energy and Environment Institute.
Brazil has abundant and varied natural resources, placing the South American country in a very advantageous position in the energy transition. Renewable sources now account for 86.4% of its installed electricity capacity, with almost half coming from hydroelectric plants. In 2023, the Brazilian government is investing $12.5 billion in new renewable energy projects as part of a new “growth acceleration” plan, and more than half will be allocated for constructing 196 solar power plants.
