According to data from the Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Association (ABSOLAR), Brazil’s cumulative installed PV capacity has surpassed the 50GW milestone, reaching 52GW, accounting for nearly 21% of the country’s total installed power generation capacity. Brazil has thus become the sixth country to achieve this feat, following China, the United States, Germany, India, and Japan.
ABSOLAR stated that since 2012, Brazil’s PV industry has attracted investments totaling BRL 229.7 billion (approximately USD 38 billion), contributing BRL 71 billion (about USD 11.75 billion) to public finances.
As of the end of November 2024, the total installed PV capacity in Brazil, as recorded by ABSOLAR, was 50.6GW, with 16.64GW from centralized PV power generation and 34.03GW from distributed PV power generation. Since ABSOLAR reported that cumulative installed capacity exceeded 35GW at the end of 2023, Brazil’s PV installed capacity has increased by about 16-17GW in 2024.
According to data from the Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), the country’s new installed power generation capacity in 2024 was 10.8GW, with 301 new power stations distributed across 16 states. Among the new installations, 51.87% came from PV projects, and 39.26% from wind power projects.
Specifically, 147 PV power stations contributed 5.629GW, 121 wind power stations contributed 4.26GW, and 22 thermoelectric power plants contributed 906MW. Additionally, there were 9 small hydropower stations with a total installed capacity of 51.8MW and 2 large hydropower stations with an installed capacity of 4.6MW.
Looking ahead, ANEEL mentioned that Brazil’s PV market could be impacted by the government’s Gecex Resolution No. 666. According to this resolution, import tariffs for PV modules have been increased from the previous 9.6% to 25%. This measure aims to promote local competitiveness and reduce dependence on imported products.
However, ABSOLAR told the media ODebate that the increase in import tariffs has led to higher costs for PV modules, potentially dampening investment enthusiasm in the domestic PV market.
