Production line supplied with solar panels.
Icaro Carvalho
news reporter
Margaret Grilo
Economics Editor
The energy that comes from the sun has been a game changer for many small businesses in Rio Grande do Norte, helping to reduce costs and increase profitability. Examples multiply every year. The São Paulo businessman based in Natal, Bruno Talarico, 35 years old, decided to invest heavily and modernize his company in search of savings and to increase his profits. He invested in a solar plant. And the cost of energy, which was one of the main costs in coconut extraction for the production of coconut snacks, fresh grated coconut and coconut flour, ended up reducing and increasing the profit margin of your business.
“We have engines, a physical lighting and refrigeration structure. We had an average consumption of R$1,000 and today we pay the minimum tariff to the electricity company. This economy generates not only an increase in employability, but also investments. As we are an industry, we always need to be investing in equipment and professional qualifications. With this surplus we have more margin on our products, as costs are reduced”, reports the businessman.
According to data from the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), energy costs for micro and small entrepreneurs can reach up to 20% of the total expense budget.
In Rio Grande do Norte, the use of solar energy is already a reality in 11,083 commercial, rural or industrial companies, according to data from the Solar Energy Observatory, released by the Potiguar Renewable Energy Association (APER-RN). Considering studies by the Federation of Industries of RN (Fiern) and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), pointing out that around 90% of businesses installed in RN are micro and small entrepreneurs, the large portion of this public would be MPEs.
According to Alexandre Ramari, acting superintendent of Banco do Nordeste (BNB), micro and small companies have invested in solar energy as a way to maximize profits and have clean and sustainable energy in their businesses. BNB was one of the first banks to create solar panel financing lines for legal entities.
“What entrepreneurs talk about most when they come to us is the issue of the economy, seeking to maximize their financial resources. The cost of energy has started to rise and businesses, in order to become more competitive, want to minimize these costs”, he mentions. In some cases, small businesses can increase their revenue by up to 30%.
From urban to rural areas
Solar energy has also won over rural entrepreneurs, representing 3.2% of generations in the State. This is the case of Marcelo Rodrigues de Paiva, 50 years old, who has owned a flour mill for 13 years in the rural area of Serra Caiada for processing and packaging tapioca starch for sale at open-air markets and in small markets in the region. The solar panels were installed a year and a half ago and financed by BNB over a period of five years. Previously, Marcelo paid up to R$1,900/month on his electricity bill.
“I was the first of the seven brothers to be placed here in the rural area. I advised them to put it on too. I have a flour mill and a confinement of oxen and cows, as well as plantations. I fatten the cattle and use equipment to grind the feed, grass, shredder, forage harvester, and cassava peel handling. It’s another energy saving”, reports the rural producer.
Lorena Roosevelt, manager of the RN Renewable Energy Acceleration Hub, a hub of information, connections, training and strategies led by Sebrae-RN, states that energy costs are always between the second and third variable costs of a business.
“In fact, investing in solar energy will always be a smart alternative”, he comments. She highlights, however, that the entrepreneur needs to consider some factors: whether the property is owned and whether it has a suitable structure and area for installing a photovoltaic system; and whether you have already taken any measures aimed at energy efficiency, such as adapting the business layout.
She also mentions two important points. Analyze whether energy-intensive equipment, such as ovens, cold rooms, air conditioning, are calibrated and be careful when choosing financing and the installation company. “The entrepreneur must analyze proposals from different companies, their know-how and technical qualifications to ensure the safety and quality of the installation,” she says
RN leads insertion rate in the Northeast
The use of solar energy by small businesses is part of a national trend and tends to grow, according to Lorena Roosevelt, manager of the RN Renewable Energy Acceleration Hub. “In recent years, solar energy has gained scale and scope throughout the country, taking second place in the Brazilian energy matrix with 18.2% of the energy generated, despite the majority of connections being residential, small businesses have been making use of this input. clean and renewable”, comments the manager.
According to her, some factors favor this growth, such as the wide dissemination of technology, the sales strategies of integrating companies and the trend towards cheaper photovoltaic kits.
“We believe that the market tends to grow, considering that solar energy represents only 2% of installed power and Brazil is an immense territory with a large potential market”, analyzes Lorena Roosevelt.
In the case of small businesses in Rio Grande do Norte, there is a large margin for growth. Currently, the State has 238,903 small businesses, and, according to the Pulso dos Pequenos Negócios study, prepared by Sebrae and IBGE, only 14% of small businesses use solar energy. This data is from 2022, being the most recent available.
In general, photovoltaic solar energy gained scale and made Rio Grande do Norte the State in the Northeast with the highest penetration rate of Distributed Generation, which is the number of consumer units with photovoltaic systems in relation to the total number of consumer units, according to Lorena Roosevelt. The manager explains that RN currently has a distributed generation penetration rate of 3.3%, the highest in the Northeast and higher than the national average, which is 2%.
According to Cássio Maia, president of the Potiguar Renewable Energy Association (Aper), the expectation is that 2024 will be the best year in history, reaching the mark of 25 thousand new connected projects. “This shows how much solar energy can still grow and has a market, as it allows a reduction in electricity costs by up to 90%, depending on the case”, says Cássio Maia.
He says that the adoption of the solar energy system for self-generation is a more than proven reality. “There is a lot of satisfaction with the investment because the results are immediate. In the month following the operation, a reduction in energy costs can already be seen”, he comments. Furthermore, Cassio Maia highlights, the systems have a useful life of more than 25 years, if they undergo periodic maintenance.
He cites the case of a chain of pharmacies in the interior of the State that, after purchasing the solar system, installed, without fear of increased costs, an air conditioning system in all its stores, an initiative that increased the flow in stores by more 20% in the first few months.
“Cases like this have made the search for a solution continue to grow, to the point that March and April of this year, according to the Solar Energy Observatory, were the second and third best months in the history of the distributed generation market”, he says. . According to the president of Aper, the tendency is for this growth to continue, being encouraged especially by the fall in the price of equipment and the reduction in the basic interest rate, making credit more accessible.
Solar energy distributed in Rio Grande do Norte
RN has a distributed generation penetration rate of 3.3%, the highest in the Northeast
