A new law scheduled for approval by the end of the first half of 2019, set to take effect by decree in 2020, is expected to establish guidelines and objectives for solar energy use in the city of São Paulo. Regulations from Palmas, in the Brazilian state of Tocantins, and California, in the United States, served as benchmarks to technically develop a bill tailored to the city's needs.
“The use of solar thermal energy for water heating is already established. What is now on the agenda is photovoltaic solar power for electricity generation, which can feed back into the grid whenever there is a surplus,” says Douglas Messina, a technician at the Building Installations and Sanitation Laboratory of the Institute for Technological Research (IPT).
According to Messina, the objective is not to mandate compliance, but to incentivize solar energy use across the city. Through tax incentives—such as discounts on the property tax (IPTU) and the real estate transfer tax (ITBI)—or additional construction rights for expanding urban built areas, the municipality aims to support local solar companies and consumers, involving the entire supply chain. “Universities will provide support by offering courses in design and installation, while the IPT will act as the certifying body to guarantee product quality,” he explains.
According to Rodrigo Lopes Sauaia, executive president of the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (Absolar), it is time to accelerate: “The public sector has been slow to recognize solar energy as a development opportunity. This is changing, and citizens themselves have begun to demand action. Brazil currently generates less than 1% of its power from solar energy, and we must advance through incentive policies.”
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Mayra Rosa. The translation is powered by AI.
