Community solar subscription in Brazil
Homes and businesses in Brazil can buy solar energy without a single panel on the roof: they subscribe to a share of a solar farm in the same utility area and receive the energy as credits on their own electricity bill, paid at a discount.
How it works
- A solar farm is built in your utility area. Companies, cooperatives and consortia build solar plants and register them with the utility as shared distributed generation.
- You subscribe to a share. The share is sized to your average consumption. You sign with the farm operator, not with the utility.
- The credits arrive on your bill. Every month the utility offsets your share of the farm's generation against your consumption. You pay the farm for that energy, at a discount on the tariff.
The legal basis: Law 14,300/2022
Brazil's Distributed Generation Legal Framework (Law 14,300/2022) and ANEEL rules allow energy generated in one place to be offset in other consumer units of the same utility area. In shared generation, several consumers join a consortium or cooperative that owns or rents the plant; remote self-consumption does the same for units of a single holder. Both use Brazil's net-metering system (SCEE).
For new connections the law phases in a charge on the Fio B component of the distribution tariff on offset energy. That is why an honest simulation never promises the advertised discount on the whole bill. See grid connection and net metering in Brazil for the full rules.
Subscription or own system?
| Aspect | Solar subscription | Own rooftop system |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront investment | None | Equipment and installation |
| Typical saving on offset energy | 10–20% | Up to almost the whole energy portion |
| Roof or land needed | No | Yes |
| Contract | With the farm operator, with an exit clause | You own the system |
| Best for | Renters, flats, shaded roofs | Owners with a good roof |
If you own a house with a good roof, compare with a rooftop system in the solar calculator.
How much would you save?
An honest estimate: the discount applies only to the energy that is actually offset — not to the whole bill.
The utility keeps charging the minimum availability fee (30/50/100 kWh by connection), public lighting and, under Law 14,300, 60% of the Fio B grid component on offset energy in 2026 (100% from 2029). Real offers depend on the utility, the farm and the contract.
Frequently asked questions
What is a solar subscription in Brazil?
It is shared distributed generation under Law 14,300/2022: a solar farm in the same utility area injects energy into the grid and the subscribers receive their share as credits on their own electricity bill, paying the farm a price lower than the utility tariff.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Nothing is installed at your home or business; the farm is elsewhere in the same utility area. The utility stays the same and keeps delivering the energy.
How much can I save?
Offers usually discount 10% to 20% on the energy that is offset. The minimum availability fee, public lighting and the part of the Fio B grid charge set by Law 14,300 stay on the bill, so the saving on the total bill is smaller than the advertised discount.
Who can subscribe?
Low-voltage consumers (homes, shops, small businesses and rural properties) in a utility area where a farm has available capacity. Large high-voltage consumers have other options, such as the free energy market.