Solar energy
Solar energy, which for many years was seen as a privilege of the wealthy, is now… increasingly present in Class C homes.
Data presented by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR) shows that this segment already accounts for almost half of the financing requests for installing solar panels in the country.
At the same time, this progress reignites a sensitive discussion: who, in fact, is paying the bill for this energy revolution?
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According to a survey by a financial institution presented by the president of ABSOLAR, Rodrigo Sauaia, Class C accounted for 45% of financing requests for distributed solar energy generation systems in 2024.
The number shows an improvement compared to 2023, when this same group accounted for 41% of requests.
Furthermore, when combining classes C and D, more than half of all financing for solar energy in Brazil already comes from middle and lower income families.
According to Sauaia, this data dismantles an old criticism of the sector, that only wealthy consumers have access to the technology.
For him, solar power generation is no longer an exclusive product. On the contrary, it is spreading rapidly among those seeking to reduce their electricity bill and escape constant price increases.
During the ANEEL workshop on white tariffs, held on January 28, Sauaia compared the trajectory of solar energy to that of other technologies that started out expensive and restricted, such as the cell phone, and then became popular.
In his assessment, today it is precisely the general population that is driving the market. “It is the common people” who are most seeking financing to install solar energy systems at home or in small businesses.
This trend is happening primarily because the initial costs, while still significant, can be paid in installments, allowing middle-income families to achieve monthly savings on their electricity bills.
As solar energy becomes more popular, so does the debate about how the white tariff works, a model that charges different rates depending on the time of consumption.
Sauaia warned that, currently, the distributors themselves define these schedules and prices, which can create a conflict of interest.
According to him, companies can adjust the ranges to protect their revenues, even if this reduces the benefits for those who invest in solar energy.
Therefore, the president of ABSOLAR argued that ANEEL should have a more active and neutral role, using technical data from the electrical system to define these rules more fairly.
Despite the growth of solar energy, the president of the National Council of Electricity Consumers (CONACEN), Rosimeire Costa, issued a stark warning. According to her, part of the system’s costs still end up being paid by those who do not have solar panels.
According to Rosimeire, the electricity sector’s budget is fixed. In other words, if one group pays less, another ends up paying more. She stated that many low-income consumers continue to bear the costs that help sustain the growth of clean energy, even without access to the technology.
She also drew attention to the fact that the average Brazilian consumes only 156 kWh per month, which shows a reality of energy restriction for millions of families.
Do you think it’s fair that those who don’t yet have solar energy continue to pay part of the system’s costs while others reduce their own electricity bills?
He holds a degree in Advertising from UERN; a master’s degree in Social Communication from UFMG; and is pursuing a PhD in Language Studies at CEFET-MG. He has worked as a freelance writer since 2019, with texts published on websites such as Baixaki, MinhaSérie, and Letras.mus.br. Academically, his work has been published in books and presented at industry events. Among his research topics, he is particularly interested in the publishing market from a perspective that considers different social markers.
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