Minha Casa Minha Vida

March 19, 2019
New Brazilian government has no appetite for solar

Brazil has just been through a tough election process: The new government is quickly shifting focus, abandoning nearly 16 years of social policy in favour of economic development. Now, the main objective is to improve the economy, which has been in crisis mode since 2014. As a consequence,...
October 25, 2017
Belo Horizonte – Brazil´s Solar Capital

Belo Horizonte, a municipality about 600 km north of Sao Paulo in the state of Minas Gerais, is also known as the solar capital of Brazil. Not only does it have a population of about 2.5 million, but solar water heater installations on many of its high-rise multifamily buildings. The photo...
September 6, 2017
Brazil: Energy Ministry with Big Plans for Solar

The focus of the Intersolar South America in Sao Paulo: photovoltaics. Increasing electricity prices in Brazil and net metering options have generated interest among PV manufacturers from all over the world. The fair organisers, German-based Solar Promotion, said that the number of...
April 30, 2017
Brazil: 2016 Market Statistics by Newly Founded Industry Association ABRASOL

A recently introduced annual statistic by Brazil’s newly established industry association ABRASOL based in São Paulo shows that in 2016, the country was again the one with the third-largest number of new installations and the largest solar thermal market in South America. The 1,304,922 m²...
September 29, 2015
Brazil Offers New Green Building Credit Terms

Since June 2015, the CAIXA bank owned by the Brazilian government has been offering improved financing conditions for energy-efficient housing projects built under the social housing programme Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV) to promote energy saving. As growing electricity demand is constantly...
February 18, 2015
Brazil: Mandatory Certification Postponed to September 2015

Originally, the Brazilian Labelling Program, PBE, was supposed to become mandatory in July 2014. Now, in 2015, the industry is still waiting for the so-called compulsoriedade...
July 25, 2014
Brazil: Solar Thermal Market Diversifies in 2013

In 2013, the Brazilian solar thermal market grew significantly in both the unglazed segment of swimming pool absorbers and the glazed collector segment of solar hot water systems. According to the annual market statistics gathered in February 2014 by DASOL, the Solar Heating Department...
March 27, 2014
Brazil: Rising Electricity Prices Put Spotlight on Solar Thermal

Because Brazil has been using hydropower to generate more than 75 % of its electricity, constant droughts have increased average electricity costs tremendously. What seems to be bad news for the end customers could turn into an opportunity for the solar thermal sector. DASOL, the Solar...
November 7, 2013
Brazil: Two Different Types of Social Housing Projects and Their Approach to Quality

The social housing segment is one of the market drivers in Brazil. In 2013, state programme Minha Casa Minha Vida (My Home My Life) is said to account for 17 % of the more than 1.2 million m² of newly installed glazed and unglazed collector area. These are the latest market...
July 24, 2013
Brazil: Residential Demand Drives Market

In 2012, the Brazilian market of glazed collector area increased by 21 % to 625,866 m², whereas the unglazed swimming pool market segment only grew by 3 % to 525,508 m². According to the market statistics of the Solar Heating Department, DASOL, of the Brazilian Association of...
March 11, 2013
“I appreciated the initiative of introducing a new standard”

Elizabeth Duarte Pereira can look back at 40 years of solar thermal research in Brazil. Today, she is Professor at the UNA University Centre in Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais and is about to help set up a new test facility in Brazil - the third in her research career. During...
December 23, 2011
Brazil: New Requirements for Solar Installations on Social Housing

The Brazilian social housing programme 'My Home My Life' has now entered its second phase (2011/2014). Despite new rules, installing a solar water heater remains mandatory for all single-family houses whose owners have a wage lower than Brazilian Real (BRL) 1,600. The sector had to wait...