A increasing adoption of batteries in the solar energy sector represents an opportunity for Brazil to move towards a cleaner and more efficient energy matrix. However, it is a t effort is needed to overcome technical challenges, educate the market and create a regulatory framework that encourages the use of batteries in a safe and sustainable way.
During the first day of Canal Connect, congress held by Canal Solar, industry experts, such as Marco Togniazzolo, Marcelo Rodrigues, Roberto Valer and Elvis Almeida, made it clear that the The future of energy storage in Brazil depends on an integrated and strategic vision, which combines technological innovation with effective public policies.
Check out the main topics discussed by professionals:
“More than backup”
Marco Togniazzolo, Engineering Manager at Sec Power, emphasized that batteries in solar energy systems go far beyond being a simple backup source. “They guarantee a series of other benefits. Those who adopt storage systems for peak and off-peak times gain, in a complementary way, the backup, ensuring flexibility”, he stated.
He explained that, in addition to providing a power reserve for emergencies, batteries can be used to manage flow reversal, a feature that is essential in projects where it is not possible to inject the energy produced during times of low demand into the electrical grid. “The solution is to store this energy in batteries and release it when permitted,” added Togniazzolo.
Expanding storage to decarbonize the Amazon
Marcelo Rodrigues, Vice President of Business, Marketing and Innovation at UCB, shared an optimistic view on the expansion of the use of batteries to universalize energy in Brazil. “Batteries are already a reality, especially to universalization solutions in regions such as the Amazon, where a large part of the population still depends on electricity from diesel generators.”
Rodrigues highlighted Pró-Amazônia Legal, an Eletrobras project that aims to decarbonize thermal power plants in the Amazon. “To achieve this goal, a large investment in photovoltaic energy storage will be necessary. Today, we have about 300 MW of isolated systems in Brazil, but we need to install another 600 MW in the next two years,” he commented, pointing out that the battery market is about to “boom.”
Role of regulation and international experience
The lack of clear regulations for the use of large-scale batteries in Brazil was one of the main topics addressed by Roberto Valer, CTO of Huawei Digital Power Brazil Solar & BESS. He compared the Brazilian situation with other markets, such as Chile, the United Kingdom and China – where the use of batteries is encouraged by regulations that require new photovoltaic projects to include a percentage of storage.
“Last year alone, China installed 22 GWh of batteries. This was only possible because it is mandatory for new plants to have integrated storage. It is a model that we need to consider moving forward,” said Valer.
He also highlighted the need for regulation of battery recycling, something that is not yet well defined in Brazil. “If we do not have clear rules for recycling lithium batteries, we will be creating an environmental problem for the future,” he warned.
Challenge of education and integration of batteries in Brazil
Elvis Almeida, founder and partner of MySol Energia Solar, brought a practical perspective on the implementation of storage systems, highlighting that many consumers and even integrators still do not fully understand the benefits of batteries. “When a customer asks about storage, the integrator often does not know how to explain it. This results in a limited understanding, where the consumer ends up seeing batteries only as an additional cost for backup,” explained Almeida.
According to him, the market is at a crucial moment, where it is necessary to educate both consumers and integrators about the multiple benefits of batteries, which include independence from the electrical grid, flexibility in consumption and energy efficiency. “When we correctly explain to the consumer that batteries go beyond storage, they realize that the investment makes sense,” he said.
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