REGULATORY INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE THE USE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS IN BRAZIL

F K O M Varella,C K N Cavaliero,E P Silva

doi:10.15628/holos.2012.883

F K O M Varella, C K N Cavaliero + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.15628/holos.2012.883

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Journal: HOLOS	Publication Date: Jun 15, 2012
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY-SA 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Abstract

The use of photovoltaic solar energy for electricity generation has been even more considered in many countries worldwide as an excellent alternative to reduce the man-made environmental impacts, especially those associated with climate changes. In countries such as Japan, Germany, USA and other European countries, specific regulatory mechanisms have been developed to stimulate its use either through governmental programs or financial and/or tax incentives. The main common reasons on these programs are the diversification of energy sources traditionally used, namely the need to adopt a sustainable energy model, the encouragement of the photovoltaic equipment industry, an affordable technology, and a concern with the environment, mainly to the reduction of CO2 emissions. In the Brazilian case, despite the large solar resource potential, many things still need to be done and, since then only a small number of initiatives were undertaken to encourage solar photovoltaic energy, but still very small when compared to the countries mentioned above. In this sense, this paper has the purpose of presenting the evolution of the regulatory incentives concerned to the use of photovoltaic solar energy in Brazil over the years.

Highlights

With the oil crisis in the 70’s, when the world realized that fossil fuels are a finite resource and subjected to large supply disruptions, the limitations posed by conventional energy sources and the need to seek alternative sources of energy became clear
Brazil has been trying to stimulate the use of PV solar energy over the years, through some incentive programs in order to increase its participation in the national energy matrix
Even though this paper showed that Brazil has already some tax incentives exempting some photovoltaic equipment from some taxes, the country still needs a specific regulatory mechanism if the intention is to expand the share of this source in the national energy matrix, as shown by the successful programs of Japan, Germany and California

Summary

INTRODUCTION

With the oil crisis in the 70’s, when the world realized that fossil fuels are a finite resource and subjected to large supply disruptions, the limitations posed by conventional energy sources and the need to seek alternative sources of energy became clear. The first initiative that effectively incorporated the use of the photovoltaic solar energy in a national level was the Programme for Energy Development of States and Municipalities – PRODEEM2 (“Programa de Desenvolvimento Energético de Estados e Municípios”), which is considered one of the largest PV-based rural electrification programs within developing countries worldwide [3]. Some of the reasons are the scope of the program, conceived to provide electricity to the National Interconnected System (SIN) and the high relative cost of the technology which turns it only economically competitive at present in isolated areas In these areas, the low energy consumption, the high dispersion of the population, the difficulty of access and the environmental constraints are conditions that make photovoltaic technology one of the adequate solutions for power supply. One could say that this statement would be complied because the Program Light for All (LPT) 6, a

Brazil is divided in five regions

10 Japanese RPVDP

Findings

CONCLUSIONS