Global reports on energy storage markets point out that the United States (specifically California) and Germany stand out in the storage of electrical energy generated by means of photovoltaic, due to large generation and consumption.
Despite Chile's investments (it is the most advanced country in this sector, in Latin America, with 50 MW already installed) and some developments in Puerto Rico, Latin America is still the smallest market in energy storage on a global scale. The increase in the number of solar projects in the region, as in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, can become a propeller of the energy storage sector.
The Brazilian market for energy storage systems is estimated at 95 GW, sufficient volume to meet the country's load for one hour (data from the Brazilian Association of Storage and Power Quality - Abaque). According to Abaque, in August 2015, the installed total was 185.3 GW, reaching 187.3 GW in March of this year.
South America presents one of the five largest solar potential areas in the world and the growing share of solar energy, together with other renewable energy sources, announces the beginning of a structural change with challenges in energy legislation and policies, as well as the challenge itself of storage technologies, intelligent transmission systems and demand management.
The need for structuring regulatory frameworks and the evolution of suppliers' business models with a view to making energy marketing flexible to incorporate broader services in the sector will be addressed in Intersolar South America, which is in its 5th edition and will be held between the 22nd and 24th of August at the Expo Center Norte.
The exhibition consolidates technologies aimed at this market, as well as important discussions relevant to the development of the country in this scenario. The main areas of interest of this year will be photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage and thermo-solar technologies.
In addition to more than 200 national and international exhibitors, the event will be accompanied by a three-day conference in order to discuss the future of both distributed and centralized solar power generation, as well the challenges and constraints faced by the domestic Brazilian PV market. The conference will focus furthermore on the strategic importance of Solar Thermal Energy in Brazil discuss PV technologies, PV financing, and energy storage.
According to Mônica Carpenter, director of Aranda Eventos, the company that organizes Intersolar South America 2017 in Cooperation with Solar Promotion International and FMMI, Brazil has an immense potential in this segment and the event is fundamental for the dissemination of globally applied technologies. "Each year, Intersolar consolidates itself as a meeting point between specialists and players, national and international, who have great responsibility in this market growth that we have perceived in the country," the executive adds.