PV solar power surpasses 55GW in Brazil

Brazil's installed PV solar power capacity has surpassed 55GW, accounting for nearly 25% of the country's total energy generation capacity of approximately 241GW.

Figures from the regulator Aneel, compiled by BNamericas, show that this total includes 17.7GW of centralized generation and 37.6GW of distributed generation.

Despite rising import tariffs on photovoltaic modules and curtailment, Brazil's solar energy sector is expected to continue its strong growth in 2025.

Solar power association Absolar forecasts that the country will add 13.2GW of installed capacity this year, representing a 25% increase compared to 2024. As a result, Brazil’s total solar capacity is projected to reach 64.7GW, with 21.7GW from centralized generation projects and 43GW from distributed generation (DG).

Absolar estimates that investments in the sector will reach approximately 39.4bn reais (US$6.9bn) in 2025.

Record Imports

According to a study by consultancy firm Greener, Brazil set a new annual record for photovoltaic module imports in 2024, reaching 22.3GWp – an increase of 25% compared with 2023. Of this total, 77% was allocated to distributed generation.

Financing supported 46% of sales, though high interest rates and credit restrictions imposed by banks hampered growth.

In January 2025, the prices of photovoltaic systems for residential and small commercial customers fell by 9% compared with the same month in 2024. Greener attributes this decline primarily to lower module prices.

The consultancy also highlighted that reverse power flow – when energy generation exceeds the demand of connected consumers – remains a challenge for integrators.

Another key development was that 4% of total integrator sales in 2024 consisted of hybrid systems with batteries, which could help mitigate reverse power flow issues.

Solar Installations

Brazil recorded a 3% increase in the number of solar installations during the first two months of 2025, adding 109,000 new projects and bringing the total number of operational photovoltaic systems in the country to 3.3mn, according to solar solutions provider Solfácil.

However, the growth of installed capacity has slowed, with an increase of only 1.2MWp – 24% lower than the volume recorded in the same period last year.

Fabio Carrara, CEO and founder of Solfácil, noted that despite cost pressures, solar energy remains an attractive investment.

Financing

Financing for self-generation photovoltaic projects on Banco BV's "Meu Financiamento Solar" platform grew by 12.4% from 2023 to 2024.

In total, around 45,000 proposals were approved last year, with residential installations accounting for 83% of them.

A survey by Solarprime found that 28.2% of photovoltaic project sales in 2024 were financed, covering all types of installations, including residential and rural projects. According to the solar energy franchise network, this represented an 11.2% increase compared to 2023.