Porto Alegre, November 2, 2023 – Rice irrigation, dairy production, pork farming and poultry farming are agribusiness segments which could and should seek solutions to reduce their high expenditure on electricity. The assertion is made by Leandro Michels, a PhD in Electrical Engineering and an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), and head of the Embrapii Unit in Distributed Energy Resources and the Institute for Smart Grids. He will expand on this and other outlooks and opportunities for investments in agrivoltaic installations in a session of the 7–8 November Intersolar Summit Brasil Sul Conference at the FIERGS Events Center, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Registration for the conference is open at www.intersolar-summit-brasil.com/ingressos.
According to Michels, the option of using the sun for distributed energy generation has been growing in farming precisely because PV panel installation leads to lower post-investment operational costs. Also, a brand of, say, rice may have added value if its packaging is labelled “Made with Clean Energy”. “Rice irrigation requires high energy consumption. The same is the case for many other crops, as well as in livestock farming for milk, meat and eggs, and this includes small farms. I believe these are all relevant markets for the development of photovoltaic energy,” say Michels, giving a preview of his presentation at the event.
The considerable weight of agribusiness in the Brazilian southern states helps explain the South’s enormous potential for investments in solar PV energy generation. A regional map made by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR) shows that the state of Rio Grande do Sul alone has more than 280,000 working connections spread across 100% of its 497 counties, most of which have a farming profile, along with a few industrial and commercials hubs. In October 2023, the state generated more than 2.4 GW from installations in farming, residential, commercial, industrial and public buildings.
Intersolar Summit Brasil Sul will feature a special session on agrivoltaic innovations, such as installations which allow land to be used simultaneously for agricultural production and solar energy generation. The session will be led by Siqueira Neto, CEO of PV Operation, who will explain about remote operation of photovoltaic plants. Professor Leandro Michels will talk about issues related to agribusiness and its energy needs. “Holding this event in Rio Grande do Sul has great significance, considering that we have the third largest installed capacity and the third largest power per capita in Brazil. As a society, we’re already very involved in distributed generation and engaged in photovoltaic generation,” says Michels.
The nation’s profile – A mapping of Brazil by the fintech Meu Financiamento Solar released this year shows that farming investments in own generation of solar energy have reached around R$ 15.5 billion, comprising more than 200,000 agribusiness consumers including large companies and small family farms. The information is collated from official data by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) and ABSOLAR.
Intersolar Summit Brasil Sul is a regional version of LATAM’s leading event for the solar industry. It will be held at the FIERGS Events Center, Avenida Assis Brasil 8787, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Exhibition entry is free. Conference tickets are R$440 for purchases until 6 November and R$480 for purchases onsite. The event is organised and produced by Aranda Eventos & Congressos, in partnership with Germany’s Solar Promotion International GmbH.
CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE PROGRAM:
7 November – Tuesday
10.30am – 11.30am Official opening ceremony
11.30am – 12.30pm How developed is solar DG in Southern Brazil?
12.30pm – 2.30pm Break
2.30pm – 3.30pm Solar GD onsite: Market challenges, opportunities and expectations
3.30pm – 4.30pm Break
4.30pm – 5.30pm Remote self-consumption and shared generation: Regulatory measures and business perspectives under Law 14,300
8 November – Wednesday
10.30am – 12.30pm Isolated renewable energy systems: Opportunities and challenges for solar PV and energy storage in Southern Brazil
12.30pm – 2.30pm Break
2.30pm – 3.30pm Innovations in solar PV: Agri-PV, small-scale storage systems, preparing for the free market
3.30pm – 4.30pm Break
4.30pm – 5.30pm Energy transition in the Brazilian energy mix: Requirements for managing low-inertia grids with many variable renewable sources
MILIM COMUNICAÇÃO
Sheila Meyer –
sheila@milim.com.br
| +55 51 99977-9966
Tatiana Csordas –
tatiana@milim.com.br
| +55 51 98111-8734
Daniele Alves –
daniele@milim.com.br
| +55 51 98182-9382
CONTACT
Gioia Müller-Russo
Solar Promotion International GmbH
P.O. Box: 100 170, 75101 Pforzheim, Germany
Tel. +49 7231 58598-218 | Fax +49 7231 58598-28
mueller-russo@solarpromotion.com
| www.solarpromotion.com