Brazil added 4.4 GW of solar capacity in Q1 2026, led by 2.3 GW of utility-scale and 2.2 GW of distributed generation, with continued strong expansion expected if current rates persist.
The distributed-generation segment in Brazil includes all PV systems up to 5 MW in size
Image: TMW Energy
From pv magazine Brazil
Brazil added 4.4 GW of solar capacity between January and March 2026, with plans to connect 25 utility-scale plants in March, totaling 1,109 MW. Despite this momentum, and with support from the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), new centralized connections are expected to slow toward the end of the year.
As of March, the country added 2,295 MW of utility-scale solar, toward a 2026 target of 4,704 MW. In recent years, expansion has been driven mainly by contracts in the free energy market; however, around a quarter of expected additions this year will come from regulated-market contracts, totaling 1,087 MW.
Distributed generation (DG), which in Brazil includes all PV systems not exceeding 5 MW in size, accounted for 2,177 MW added between January and March, across 245,112 new systems, with an average size of 8.8 kW per micro- or mini-generation system.
If the connection rate recorded in the first quarter is maintained through the end of 2026, distributed generation could reach 8.7 GW of additions, while utility-scale solar would total 4.7 GW, bringing overall expansion to 13.4 GW.
This would slightly exceed projections from Brazilian association ABsolar at the beginning of 2026, which estimated around 10 GW of growth for the year. However, Brazil has already recorded strong annual expansion in recent years.
In addition to reaching annual additions of up to 10 GW since 2022, the sector continues to face grid connection constraints in both distributed and utility-scale segments, alongside ongoing regulatory changes. In this context, solutions such as energy efficiency measures, equipment replacement, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and migration to the free energy market are seen as pathways to sustaining sector growth.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
More articles from Lívia Neves
Please be mindful of our community standards.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


Δ
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Data Privacy © pv magazine 2026
Δ
This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. ×
The cookie settings on this website are set to “allow cookies” to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click “Accept” below then you are consenting to this.
Close

source