Technical and Economic Aspects of Grid-connected Solar Photovoltaics in Brazil

Abstract

This first part of this chapter offers an overview of today’s Brazilian energy sector, as well as a review of the government’s development plan for the sector until 2030. In addition, the availability of solar resource in the country is portrayed. The central sections are the steps and results of a case study, consisting of the design of a grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic system for a hypothetical sports building in South Brazil using three solar module technologies (amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and copper indium diselenide). Finally, conclusions are drawn considering the economic and technical feasibility of the three configurations of the case study, the estimated environmental impacts associated with them, as derived from reviewed studies, and the current policy context in Brazil. These technical and economic aspects can be to some extent extrapolated to countries with similar climate conditions and problems to overcome barriers towards a larger deployment of the photovoltaic technology. The expansion of the use of renewable energies as a tool for avoiding the depletion of non-renewable resources; the analysis of environmental impacts as a tool for environmental protection; the study of problems and opportunities in developing countries as part of the environmental planning, as well as sustainability appraisals, are widely discussed within the context of Environmental and Resource Management (BTU 2009).