Brazil: renewable energy and system preferences from Trends Report 2025

A look at Brazil's renewable energy sector

The largest country in South America, Brazil, is making noteworthy strides in renewable energy. 

In 2024, Brazil’s power capacity increased by 10.9 GW, and 91% of the 301 new plants installed were renewable energy power plants, but its journey to renewable success wasn’t always easy. 

Brazil’s abundant water resources and landmark renewable energy projects like the Itaipu Dam created a strong foundation for hydropower generation and made its electricity supply susceptible to climate change. So, it expanded into wind, solar, and biomass while modernizing its grid and becoming a global pioneer in biofuel production. 

Today, after decades of investment in research and innovation, Brazil now leads the G20 with 89% of its power derived from renewables, and industry experts believe there is a good potential for further growth. 

According to a survey carried out for the RatedPower 2025 Trends: Renewable Energy & Solar Research Report, 29.4% of renewable professionals identify Brazil as a key player poised to significantly expand its renewable energy sector, particularly in solar and wind energy investments. This places Brazil as the fourth most promising country, just behind China, the USA, and Australia.

Let’s jump into the report to see how Brazil is making real strides toward a greener tomorrow.

About the renewable energy industry survey

In 2024, RatedPower conducted a survey to get a clearer picture of the renewable energy landscape. We gathered insights from over 140 industry experts across 41 countries, focusing on legislation, current trends, innovations, and key challenges.

With 93.7% of the respondents working or being associated with the solar sector and many others involved in storage and wind power, this survey provides a comprehensive overview of where the renewable energy industry is heading.

Brazil’s solar and renewable energy preferences

The latest RatedPower report unveils compelling insights into Brazil’s preferences for solar power and renewable energy solutions.

Over 97% of Brazil’s solar installations use bifacial modules

Bifacial modules lead Brazil’s solar industry and are used in 97.22% of projects. This marked preference distinguishes bifacial from monofacial modules, which comprise the remaining 2.78% of the market.

Possible reasons for their popularity are that higher energy yield (especially in high albedo environments) can produce up to 27% more than monofacial modules, better performance in low-light conditions, and reduced LCOE (up to 16% reduction) despite higher initial costs. Bifacial technology allows an average energy production gain of between 6% and 9% compared to traditional monofacial panels, considering factors such as the albedo, the elevated height of the structure, and the Ground Cover Ratio (GCR).

54% of Brazilian solar power projects use central inverters

Brazil shows a slight preference for central inverters, which are used in 54.03% of projects, compared to 45.97% for string inverters. They’re especially favored for large-scale PV farms.

But why lean towards central inverters? A solar inverter converts the DC power from solar panels into AC power, which is necessary for supplying the grid. Central inverters are notable for their ability to manage inputs from multiple solar arrays efficiently.

Central inverters connect multiple PV strings and are typically positioned centrally to optimize connections. Although this setup can lead to some efficiency losses due to module mismatch and slightly higher cable costs, it’s chosen for its reliability and the ability to manage large numbers of panels on a single multi-power point tracker (MPPT).

Trackers dominate Brazil’s solar projects with 95% usage

Trackers dominate Brazil’s utility-scale solar sector, with 94.85% of installations opting for this technology. In contrast, fixed structures are used in only 4.32% of projects, and East-West configurations make up a minor 0.83%.

Trackers are the top choice due to their ability to adjust panels throughout the day to face the sun optimally, maximizing solar energy capture with the potential to increase the energy yield of a solar system by up to 32% compared to fixed systems. This method is particularly effective in Brazil’s diverse climates, with significant daily and seasonal variations in sunlight. Despite their higher initial cost, the increased energy output and lower long-term costs make trackers a preferred option.

In contrast, fixed structures, though less prevalent, are used for their simplicity and lower upfront costs and don’t require the additional mechanical parts that trackers do. They are typically set at a fixed angle, aimed toward the equator, making them suitable for areas with consistent sunlight. 

The minimal use of east-west structures reflects their niche application, which is ideal for locations with spatial constraints. They allow more panels to be installed close together by facing them in opposite directions to capture morning and evening sunlight.

Brazil prefers AC-coupled Battery Energy Storage Systems

About 91.09% of Brazil’s battery storage setups use AC-coupled systems. While still used, DC-coupled options are less common, making up just under 10% of the installations.

AC systems are particularly valued for their flexibility and ease of installation, as they can be integrated into existing solar setups or new installations. These systems also allow batteries to charge from both the grid and solar panels, providing a backup power source regardless of solar output. 

Despite their popularity, it’s interesting to note that only 12.12% of Brazil’s hybrid solar plants include any form of BESS. This suggests a cautious approach, possibly due to cost considerations and the complexity of managing such systems effectively. However, these numbers will likely increase as BESS technology becomes more widely adopted.

In November 2024, RatedPower released its Standalone BESS and BESS Arbitrage features. These updates allow users to design standalone BESS systems without the need to integrate them with PV plants. Users can then calculate the charging and discharging (dispatch) of a BESS to maximize its benefits, taking into account energy prices, the number of charge and discharge cycles, degradation, PV production, and more.

Although not included in this year’s report, in the three months since these features were released, we saw that 2% of all BESS simulations on the RatedPower platform were standalone designs, and Brazil was one of the leading countries using these functionalities alongside Chile, South Africa, Australia the USA, and several countries from Europe. We are excited to see how their usage develops over the coming year.

Watch this webinar about Standalone BESS with our Product Owner to learn more.

Take your solar projects to the next level. RatedPower’s software helps you design with precision and enhance overall performance.