Brazilian privileges and challenges regarding the energy issue


The Brazilian energy matrix is a privileged one as compared to other countries, but we still need to develop technology and educate consumers, including companies and the government, for a more conscious energy consumption. These were the conclusions reached at the panel “Sustainable Management of Energy Production and Consumption”, held at the 2008 Ethos International Conference.

According to David Zylbersztajn, director-president of DZ Negócios com Energia, in any situation, whether the energy is clean or renewable, there is always environmental degradation. In fact, in Zylbersztajn’s opinion, “there is no 100% clean energy”.

Brazil’s advantage lies in its possibility of using renewable alternatives, such as biomass, sun and wind to produce quality energy, stresses DZ’s director.

One of the problems faced by the country is the centralization of electric energy production, mainly considering the country’s territorial dimension and population distribution, concentrated in the Southeastern and coastal regions. “It doesn’t make much sense producing energy in the North to be consumed in the Southeast”, says Zylbersztajn.

Ideally, production should take place in a decentralized manner, according to Marco Antonio Saidel, professor at the Energy and Electric Automation Engineering Dept - University of São Paulo Polytechnic School (POLI-USP). “However, bureaucratic constraints should be removed so that we can, for instance, install solar-powered shower. Naturally, some will lose with the decentralization, once it will result in less demand for hydroelectric or thermoelectric plants”, notes the professor. Another constraint to the expansion of a decentralized production, such as solar water heating, is the current Brazilian legislation. “Laws regulating the soil use and occupancy are required because, if I install solar energy in my home and a building is erected beside me covering the sunlight, I’ll have problems”, explains Saidel.

North American businessman Titus Brenninkmeijer, founder of Solgenix – Solar Power to the People, also sees decentralization as the best solution. He notes that, especially in the case of rural areas, it is much cheaper in the long run to install solar than electric energy.

Nevertheless, according to Marco Antonio Saidel, just changing the sources or ways of producing energy is not enough. “Making the transition to renewable sources requires institutional and management changes, both in governments and companies. This means assessing how this energy is used”, suggests Saidel. In his opinion, it is necessary to invest and enhance research in technology to increase electric energy production without causing more impacts on the environment.

Source: Ethos Institute

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