Sicredi Finances Solar Energy Generation and Installations in Rio Grande do Sul

While the Number of Photovoltaic Generation Installations Grew by 164% in 2019, the Credit Operations of the Cooperative Jumped by 220% in Terms of Solar Energy

According to the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), 13.2 thousand new photovoltaic generation units were installed in Rio Grande do Sul in 2019, an increase of 164% compared to the previous year. Of this total, 6 thousand were supported by the credit lines offered by Sicredi, which represents more than 45% of the installations for solar energy generation.

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“Sicredi is attentive to the needs of its members and the current demand for more sustainable solutions, such as the production of clean and renewable energy, which resulted in a 220% growth in the number of operations in this line of credit last year compared to 2018,” highlights the Vice President of Sicredi Central South/Southeast, Márcio Port. In financed values by Sicredi in RS, 2019 recorded an amount of R$ 427 million, an increase of 145% compared to 2018, when financing for acquiring equipment for solar energy generation reached R$ 174 million.

In 2019, several projects aimed at the installation of Solar Energy, for both residences and businesses, were enabled in the region through financing from Sicredi das Culturas RS/MG. For member André Bigolin from Ijuí, the choice for the renewable energy system arose from its benefits related to the environmental responsibility of renewable energy, and primarily, due to the savings on the electricity bill.

Dissatisfaction with Solar Energy

“I was quite dissatisfied with the electricity bill for my residence, which had been showing a very high amount. The environmental issue and the fact that renewable energy is clean energy, which can preserve our generation and future generations, also weighed in my decision. This savings I am achieving on the electricity bill allows me to use it to pay off the financing of the system, and from the project we carried out, in a period of 48 months, when I finish paying it off, I will have already gained a real return on my investment.”

Data from the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (Absolar) indicate that solar energy produced in the country represents 1.4% of the total national electricity matrix. In the Brazilian ranking of installed capacity, RS holds the second position, behind only Minas Gerais.