Producing your own power has become more accessible for individuals, companies and cooperatives in rural areas under the Agro-Energy Program, launched on the 7^th of this month by the Banco do Brasil. It is estimated that up to R$ 2.5 billion will be drawn down by interested takers before the year-end with incentivized conditions: rates vary from 2.5% to 12.75% annually with an average term of 10 years. Financing can go as high as 100% of the project.

“Financing has always been an obstacle to rural producers in opting for photovoltaic panels for example. This program has come at a propitious moment and can represent the start of expansion in renewable energy in rural Brazil. Generating your own energy reduces costs, ensures security of supply in areas suffering from outages and is sustainable”, said Rodolfo de Sousa Pinto, CEO of the company specialized in solar energy, Engie Solar.

According to the Banco do Brasil, the Program will permit the reduction in production costs, self-sufficiency in energy generation, transfer of technology to rural areas, maintenance of income and expansion of businesses in the agricultural sector with the installation of solar, biomass and wind powered plants.

“Support for sustainable electric energy projects with the differentiated conditions of agribusiness recognizes the potential for renewable energy and innovation in Brazilian agricultural-related businesses. The Agro-Energy Program reinforces the Bank’s commitment with sustainability”, states an official announcement from the Banco do Brasil.

Energia Solar

The decline in prices, greater know-how of the technology and the option for renewable energy is driving the installation of solar energy systems in homes and companies in Brazil. The most recent National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) data shows that there are already nine thousand photovoltaic systems hooked up to the electricity network with a forecast that by 2024 there will be more than 1.2 million Brazilians producing their own energy.

The expansion of microgeneration of solar energy in Brazil is aligned to a world tendency and as in the case of other countries, the massification of the technology comes pari passu with a reduction in costs.

For example, in a middle class family, it is possible to install a photovoltaic system from R$ 17,000.00, with average annual savings of R$ R$2,200,00 and equivalent to an investment of seven years.

Today, a commercial or rural unit where there is a monthly expenditure of about R$ 2,200.00 in electricity, can achieve annual savings of R$ 18,000.00 with an average investment of R$ 140,000.00 in a photovoltaic solar system. Thus, the average return on the investment is also seven years, bearing in mind that the system has a useful life of longer than 25 years with a guarantee of performance over this same period and at low maintenance costs.

“If you do all the calculations, an investment in solar energy results in major savings. With new lines of finance being launched in the market, such as Agro Energia, this source of energy becomes even more attractive. And not to mention the satisfaction of helping to save the environment by consuming clean and renewable energy”, says Sousa Pinto.