There is sufficient evidence in this regard: Betting on solar energy could be a very effective strategy to reduce global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions. The use of the sun as an energy source is one of the main ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a democratic alternative, capable of having a positive impact on other areas, far beyond the electricity sector.

Why should we invest in solar energy?

Due to current human dependence on fossil fuels, the planet has already warmed by more than 1 °C compared to pre-industrial periods. The evidence comes from the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in August 2021.

The document places the burning of fossil fuels as one of the main causes of global warming. Therefore, investment in clean energy sources is one of the main recommended actions for sustainable development, according to the United Nations (UN).

In addition to the climate emergency, the current energy crisis (fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing international conflicts) highlighted the need to “clean” the global energy matrix.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) points out that solar and wind energy must be a priority in the energy sector for the next eight years, that is, until 2030. This responds to the objective of limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5 °C, as established in the Paris Agreement concluded in 2015.

How does photovoltaic solar energy work?

Photovoltaic solar energy is the direct conversion of solar radiation into electricity through the photovoltaic effect, a method discovered in 1839 by the French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel. However, solar energy technology close to what we know today is relatively new.

In 1954, the first solar energy cell was formally presented during the annual meeting of the United States National Academy of Sciences in Washington, and the first official use of photovoltaic energy occurred four years later, in 1958, on the occasion of the launch of the Vanguard I satellite, which used a small solar panel to power a radio.

Today, to generate energy from sunlight by this means, it is necessary to install photovoltaic modules (or panels). Formed by solar cells, made of semiconductor materials such as silicon, their function is to transform sunlight into energy.

But how does this happen?

The semiconductor material present in these cells contains free electrons that react to the radiation present in sunlight. When illuminated, these electrons are agitated (in other words, “charged”) and are directed to one side of the semiconductor due to the material's permanent magnetic field.

With Brazil at the helm, the solar energy sector in Latin America is in full development and has a high potential to transform the way in which the region produces and consumes electricity, focusing on the decarbonization of energy matrices.

Solar energy has the capacity to be the flagship of this change. It's an increasingly popular technology; the future of Brazil, Mexico and all of Latin America will be solar.

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