Solar energy companies are projected to grow much higher than other sectors of the economy in the coming years. For example, Semig Sim, which offers a subscription-based solar power service, works with the bold hope of increasing production capacity sixfold by 2027.
“Our installed capacity is around 100 MWp (kilowatt-peak). Our planning estimate is to add 600 MWp to the amount of energy sold to miners, which can be adjusted according to market demand”, highlighted Yuri Mendonça, CEO of Semig Sim.
“We have an ongoing investment plan, which will be communicated to the market in early 2023, which includes an investment of R$3.2 billion in distributed generation. Our aim is to keep up with the growing demand in this sector, while democratizing access to more affordable, cleaner and renewable energy for a growing number of consumers. Renewable energy has many characteristics and its added value is a great differentiator”, explains Mendonça.
Subscription solar energy is an extended service throughout Brazil. The advantage of this method is that the customer does not need to install solar panels or make any investment. And yes, you can get 15% to 20% discount on your electricity bill per month.
It works like this: Companies in the region, such as Semig Sim, Juntos Energia, Evolua and Metha Energia, produce energy in solar parks they build, converting sunlight into clean electrical energy. This energy produced at low cost is injected into the distribution network of an electricity concessionaire, such as SEMIG, in the case of Belo Horizonte.
The company that puts clean energy into Semig’s network earns credits and passes it on to service customers, who receive a discount on their electricity bill for free, without the need to install any equipment or do work at home. We do. The entire process is done on the companies’ website.
In some cases, the invoice is integrated. For example, instead of receiving a bill from Semig, the customer receives a bill from Evolua. He pays the bill and Semig’s share is given by the company itself. If the percentage of clean energy used is 15%, the amount corresponding to this use remains with the company and the remainder goes to SEMIG.
In other cases, the customer must pay two bills per month: one from Semig and one from the company that injected the solar energy into the distribution network with a discount. In either case, the consumer pays a lesser amount for the electricity he uses.
energy together
Among the dozens of companies producing and selling solar energy on a subscription basis in Brazil, Juntos Energia is another company projecting strong expansion in the coming years.
“We currently have 10 thousand customers and we intend to increase this number five or six times by the end of next year”, plans João Santos, CFO of Juntos, which is part of the Eletron Energy group.
The company currently operates in Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Sao Paulo and intends to reach 23 states by the end of 2024. Juntos Energia also partners with large companies to expand its range of customers.
For example, we have a partnership with 99, which offers discounts on energy bills for the company’s drivers and passengers. We have also partnered with Correos in Minas, providing service to customers and staff, and with Ambev in Pernambuco, providing benefits for bars and restaurants. So we have very good partners, they are diverse”, explains the company’s CFO.
Juntos Energia is running a special promotion this November, offering new customers a 20% discount per month on their electricity bill for a year. From the 13th month onwards this rate reduces to 13%.
Juntos serves residential consumers, businesses and small businesses. Eletron Energy is responsible for the group serving large customers such as large companies and industries.
With projects in 100% municipalities, MG breaks record of solar power generation
In 2023, Minas Gerais made history as the first Brazilian state to surpass the 5 gigawatt (GW) mark of photovoltaic solar energy production in operation, according to the National Electric Energy Agency (Enel). Minas is currently competing with São Paulo for leadership in the production of this type of energy in Brazil. All 853 municipalities of Minas Gerais already have photovoltaic modules that generate solar energy.
Minas Gerais’s strong production of photovoltaic solar energy can be explained by accounting for both centralized generation (which involves large plants) and distributed generation (small decentralized modules).
From January to March 2023 alone, 823 MW of centralized generation came into operation in the municipalities of Jaiba, Araxa, Janouaba and Pirapora in Minas Gerais.
In the same period, 267 MW of new distributed generation came into operation in the state. Therefore, in the first quarter of 2023 alone, Minas Gerais was awarded the opportunity to add 1.09 GW of solar photovoltaic energy into operation.
For the Secretary of State for Economic Development, Fernando Pasalio, Minas’ progress with regard to solar energy production “reflects solid and continuous investment in the sector, in addition to improving the business environment focused on sustainable energy, strengthening the production chain”. “Potential investments aimed at solar energy and this type of energy.”
Vale Farm
Another milestone for Minas Gerais in solar energy production in 2023. In July, Vale reached maximum production capacity at the Sol do Cerrado project in Jaiba, in the northern region of Minas Gerais, considered one of the largest solar parks in Latin America. The installed capacity of this project is 766 MW-peak, which is equivalent to the consumption of a city of 800 thousand inhabitants.
Operating the solar complex at full capacity will represent 16% of the total energy consumed by Vale in Brazil. Total investment approximately R$3 billion. Vale expects to reach 100% renewable energy consumption in Brazil by 2025 and globally by 2030.