Tech Roundup: Solar power by subscription

Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories in technology and innovation in Brazil and Latin America. This week: Connecting solar power producers and end users by subscription. 

Solar power without photovoltaic panels — by subscription

A federal law passed in Brazil in 2022 made it so that consumers who requested access to the electricity grid for their solar energy setups by January 2023 would be exempt from the so-called “solar tax” until 2045. 

Previously, solar energy surpluses were converted into credits that could be used as discounts on producers’ electricity bills. The new legislation introduced a progressive taxation of these credits. 

State of play. The solar tax, which started at 15 percent last year, will increase to 30 percent this year and reach 90 percent in 2028. But the thing is, even with the taxation, solar energy is still much cheaper than power from traditional utilities.

Why it matters. The new law also consolidated the regulation of the shared energy model within the distributed energy segment, which allows the same generator or installation to serve multiple properties. 

• While the new law encouraged many consumers to install new panels in their homes and businesses before it took effect, it also motivated existing generators to look for ways to sell their surplus production to pay less in taxes, creating new business models.
• Nextron, a startup that has just raised...