A farmer from Santa Maria D’Oeste/PR financed a photovoltaic system to produce clean energy, solar power, which will supply the family's house, the barn and the cooling chamber.
The system was financed through the National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (Pronaf) using the Mais Alimentos credit line. The investment was a large one, but it is estimated that the whole investment will be paid back in 12 years, considering that on the farmer's 14-hectare property the amount spent on energy is approximately R$400.00 and the financing taken out to install the photovoltaic system was 23,000 reais, to be paid off in six years.
How a photovoltaic system works is quite simple: sunlight strikes the photovoltaic panels, which in turn produce electricity. However, the energy generated by these panels is different from the energy supplied by the utility company, so it is necessary to install a device called an inverter, which converts the energy from the panels to supply the house at 127V or 220V, depending on the equipment used. So, with just the photovoltaic panels and the inverter, it is already possible to supply a home, but all the equipment must be sized to meet the property's energy consumption. Besides meeting the property's consumption, the energy can also be stored in batteries, but the cost of the investment almost doubles if one chooses to store the energy.
Source: http://www.mda.gov.br/sitemda/noticias/pronaf-financia-sistema-de-energia-solar
Reviewed by Silvia Cristina
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