The five-day Congress, held from November 3 to 7, emerged as a platform dominated by photovoltaic technologies, with approximately 63% of nearly 400 scientific papers devoted to PV topics. This marked a shift from earlier editions that emphasized solar thermal applications and radiation measurement, reflecting the global surge in solar PV deployment that is reshaping electricity generation.
Brazil’s own solar power trajectory exemplifies this transformation. Since 2020, steep and sustained price reductions in solar technology have catalyzed unprecedented growth. Solar PV’s share of Brazil’s electrical capacity has expanded from a mere fraction in 2020—ranked seventh among generation technologies—to surging past coal, oil, and natural gas by 2022, and overtaking wind power to become the second largest installed capacity by 2023. By the close of 2025, solar PV is projected to constitute a quarter of Brazil’s energy mix, challenging the century-old dominance of hydropower.
This expansion fits into an even larger Latin American context. In 2024, the region added over 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity, representing 4.4% of the global total and accounting for nearly 83% of all new renewable capacity in the area. Brazil led this surge with more than 15 GW added last year, far outpacing other regional players such as Chile, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Chile ranked as the second most active country, while Panama and the Dominican Republic made noticeable additions bolstering their national grids.
At the SWC, young researchers and professionals—who comprised 45% of attendees—drew attention to the urgency of translating climate commitments into concrete renewable energy deployments, issuing a manifesto launched at COP30 that called for tangible action and meaningful participation in the energy transition. However, official climate negotiation documents remained cautious, diluting direct references to fossil fuels and leaving key funding mechanisms undefined.
Globally, the momentum behind solar PV as the dominant electricity generation technology is unrelenting. Projections presented at the Congress anticipate that by the end of this decade, solar PV will outstrip traditional sources worldwide, deeply shifting energy paradigms long reliant on fossil fuels and large-scale hydroelectric power.
Brazil’s hosting of the SWC and concurrent COP30 events positioned the country as a critical nexus for international renewable energy discourse and action. The dual events provided researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders the opportunity to showcase advances in solar power technology, strategies for grid integration, and pathways for scaling deployment while addressing climate adaptation financing challenges.
The growth of solar PV in Brazil and Latin America—a continent endowed with abundant solar resources and an increasing appetite for clean energy—illustrates the transformative potential of renewables in emerging markets. As solar costs continue to fall and supportive policies evolve, Brazil and its neighbors are set to play a leading role in the global pivot away from fossil fuels toward sustainable, secure energy futures.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
