Brazil’s total solar PV capacity exceeds 55 GW, now next only to hydroelectric as the largest power generation capacity
Distributed generation drives the market with more than 37 GW capacity installed
ABSOLAR says it is now pushing the government to approve Bill 624/2023 and to include solar PV in the New Energy Auction A-5
Brazil’s aggregate installed solar PV capacity now exceeds 55 GW, making up 22.2% of the country’s national electricity mix, according to local solar PV association ABSOLAR. Solar PV is next only to hydroelectric projects, which account for more than 40% of the country’s total power generation capacity.
A new ABSOLAR report, according to local media, separates this total capacity as 37.4 GW in distributed generation (DG) and 17.6 GW in large-scale projects. In 2024, Brazil installed 14.97 GW of new PV capacity, taking the cumulative to 52.88 GW.
The National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) confirmed the data when it stated recently that micro- and mini-DG (MMGD) capacity of the country exceeded 37.61 GW as of February 28, 2025, with 28.3 million systems connected to the distribution network. This is led by residential systems.
Solar PV has brought in more than BRL 251.1 billion ($43.9 billion) in new investments since 2012, according to the ABSOLAR report, and has generated more than 1.6 million jobs.
The association also highlights the challenges faced by the solar PV sector in the country with the largest bottleneck being a lack of compensation to companies for renewable energy curtailment, followed by barriers to the connection of small-scale solar PV systems. Solar power generation curtailment led France’s Voltalia to report a net loss for 2024 (see Voltalia Suffers 2024 Net Loss With Brazil Curtailment).
It also advocates the approval of Bill No. 624/2023 related to the Basic Energy Income Program (REBE) that will update Law No. 14.300/2022. This will help address the restrictions faced by DG systems regarding their grid connection to distribution networks, it added.
Additionally, ABSOLAR has been pushing the government to include solar PV technology in the 2025 New Energy Auction A-5 scheduled to be held in August this year.
Falling solar module prices are a shot in the arm for solar PV uptake in the country, according to ABSOLAR Chairman of the Board of Directors Ronaldo Koloszuk. However, the availability of low-cost modules from Chinese companies does not bode well for the local players (see Brazil’s Eternit Discontinues Solar PV Production Business).
Recently, Brazil’s National Interconnected System (SIN) reported a new record for PV generation on an hourly basis in the country, reaching 37.869 GW on March 14, 2025, at 11.00 AM. This represented close to 39% of the load served at that time.
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