Renewable energy: a good deal in spite of the uncertainties

The portfolio of renewable energy cannot continue to be considered an option of high cost and risk. It is an important component of the energetic safety of companies and countries

In 2013, the investments to produce energy from alternative and renewable sources—except large hydroelectric plants—totalized 214 thousand million dollars. This figure represented a reduction of 14 percent in relation to 2012 and of 23 percent in relation to the record of 2011. These figures—based on a survey carried out by the United Nations Program for the Environment—lead to two approaches, a good and a bad. The bad approach is that the reduction would be a consequence of politic and economic uncertainties in the several countries where the investments are carried out, causing doubts about the future of the official programs of subsidies and supporting measures to renewable energies. The good approach is that the costs of equipment and exploration technologies of alternative sources were reduced. This would allow the installation of new projects with lower investments.

This reduction of technology costs may be confirmed through an analysis of investments in solar energy. Still according with the referred study, 39 gigawatts of solar panels were installed in 2013 at a cost much lower than that of 2012, when 31 gigawatts were installed. Investments in 2013 had a total of 114 billion dollars, 20 percent below the former year. In the area of wind energy, where the investments reached 80 billion dollars in 2013, the reduction was of one percent in relation to 2012. These were the two sources of energy where most investments occurred.

In the area of biofuels, investments were reduced in 26 percent in 2013, reaching its lowest level in nine years: 8 billion dollars. Biomass and energy from waste materials also received lower investments (28 percent less), as well as small hydroelectric projects, that received 16 percent less, a total of only 5 billion dollars used in programs that generated about 50 megawatts.

For the international Agency of Energy—independent organization with worldwide action—that works to ensure a reliable, accessible and clean energy for 29 countries, what may be observed is—in spite of the reduction occurred in 2013—a quick increase of the use of alternative sources and a drop in the generation costs. This could be partly due to the action of emerging markets that were stimulating the global increase of alternative sources of energy. The Agency works in four main areas: energetic safety, economic development, environmental conscience and whole-planet involvement. It highlights the need of consistent and long-term encouragement policies to be carried out by the governments of the countries involved.

Solar energy: Brazil in the fifth place

Talking about potential for the use of solar energy, Brazil is a privileged country. To have an idea, the worst irradiation in the whole country occurs in the state of Santa Catarina, that is 30 percent above the average of Germany. Despite this, we are in the fifth place among the largest markets of the world. In 2012, the national production of collectors for heating systems based on solar energy increased 11.82 percent, with more than 1.15 million square meters.

In accordance to historic surveys, the total area of collectors installed in the country is above 8.42 million sq.mt. This performance could be much better if we had official policies turned to the reduction of technology costs.

The production of collectors has a non-stop growth since 2006, in an average yearly rate of 17.6 percent. The lowest rate of growing in 2011 was basically caused by two factors: the transition of federal and state governments (and the changes in their public policies) and the expectation and apprehension of the productive areas in face of the crisis of other economies.

In addition to the collectors, other indicator of the growth in the area is the production of thermal reservoirs, another important component of the solar-powered heating systems. A total of 123 thousand unities were produced in 2010, corresponding to a storage volume of 45.2 million liters. In 2011, 128.8 thousand unities were produced, enough to store 50.6 million liters of water. In 2012, the production was still higher: 31.09 percent more than in the previous year, corresponding to 168,825 unities with average capacity of 107 liters per sq.mt., a record for the industry.

Adding this new volume to that already installed, our country reaches more than 5 million sq.mt. of solar collectors. This area generated thermal energy enough to prevent a yearly emission of 1.85 million tons of CO2, the same result that would be obtained with the planting of 9.27 million trees between 2011 and 2012.

Evolution of the Brazilian Market of Solar Heating

Thermal reservoirs