Brazil’s Cumulative PV Hits 1.6 GW

• Brazil's solar power capacity reach 1.6 GW by the end of June 2018, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy
• It includes 1.3 GW of large scale and 294 MW of distributed generation capacity
• The share of solar power capacity the country at the end of first half of 2018 was 1%
• The ministry expects additions of more than 490 MW PV in 2018, followed by another 495 MW in 2019

Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy says the total installed solar power capacity of the country as of June 2018 was over 1.6 GW. This comprises 1,307 MW of large scale solar and 294 MW of distributed generation.

Between June 2017 and June 2018, 1,365 MW new PV capacity was installed of which 337.9 MW was added during the first six months of 2018, growing 577% year on year.

Despite this rapid growth, solar's share in the overall installed electricity generation capacity of the country of 160.38 GW end of H1/2018 remains very small at 1%. Hydropower accounts for 102.2 GW of total installed power generation in Brazil.

MEM has provided this information in the monthly Bulletin of Monitoring of the Electric System, which is available on its website. For 2018, it expects 490.22 MW of solar power capacity additions and another 495.14 MW in 2019.

This is contrast to a more upbeat national solar industry association. In May 2018, Brazilian Solar Association ABSOLAR released its market forecast, expecting total operational PV to nearly double to around 2 GW by the end of 2018 (see Solar In Brazil To Double To 2 GW In 2018).