The National Electric Energy Conservation Program (Procel) was responsible for saving about 22.73 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in 2021, which corresponds to 4.54% of total electricity consumption in Brazil.
This volume is enough to serve 11.49 million homes for a year. The reduction in electricity consumption is equivalent to the energy generated by a hydroelectric plant with a capacity of 5,451 MW, reveals the Procel Results Report 2022 – base year 2021, released today (20).
The document indicates that this economy means almost half of the production of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Pará, or 2.5 times the production of the Angra 1 and 2 nuclear plants together, located on the Costa Verde of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The actions developed by Procel last year also helped Brazil avoid the emission of 2.87 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the emissions generated by 987 thousand vehicles in a year.
With an investment of just over BRL 300 million, the results achieved by Procel in 2021 were considered “highly satisfactory”, in view of the country’s scenario last year, with a wave of covid-19 cases in the first quarter and the largest energy water crisis in 91 years.
It is estimated that the actions promoted by the program contributed to reducing demand by 7,508 megawatts (MW). The annual cost avoided, due to the energy results provided by Procel’s actions in the year, reached around R$ 4.261 billion.
promotion
The manager of the National Energy Conservation Program, Marcel da Costa Siqueira, commented that, given the scenario of energy insecurity, the results obtained showed that the program played its role of promoting public policies of the State by allocating the application of public resources to projects that can give immediate return to society. According to him, there are more than 150 projects that are in progress simultaneously.
Siqueira also recalled another important point that “it is the multiplier effect of the program that the numbers do not show, since the methodologies and professionals trained by the program serve the market in general, regardless of the direct investments of Procel”.
The report also records the amount committed in 2021, of R$ 306.6 million, for the development of new projects for the coming years. These resources come from Law No. 13,280/2016 (Procel Law), which determines its own permanent budget for the program to invest in energy efficiency projects. Thanks to the law, Eletrobras, which is the legal entity executing Procel, does not need to invest its own resources in the program’s projects, and is later reimbursed for administrative costs and personnel assigned to Procel’s work.
Since its foundation in 1985, Procel has accounted for investments in energy efficiency of around R$ 3.89 billion in Eletrobras’ own resources, the Global Reversion Reserve (RGR), other investments by international funds and, since 2016, with resources from Law 13,280. The energy savings provided in these 36 years reached 217.9 billion kWh.
innovative projects
One of the highlights of Procel in 2021 was the allocation of resources to innovative projects, such as the Procel Lab Program, part of the 2nd Procel Resource Application Plan (PAR-Procel 2018/2019), whose objective is to accelerate energy efficiency solutions. In 30 months of activities, focusing on startups (emerging companies) and micro and small companies, Lab Procel was carried out through an agreement between Eletrobras and Firjan/Senai, with resources in the amount of R$ 16.670 million for the acceleration and technological and business pre-acceleration of innovative solutions. Of this total, Procel participated with R$15 million.
For the Eletrobras engineer, Thales Terrola e Lopes, a member of the Lab Procel coordination team, “the results achieved by the Lab Procel Program show the assertiveness of this project, whose main result is the offer to the national market of energy efficiency solutions equipped with of high technological grade and capable of bringing energy benefits to its users”. Terrola e Lopes also noted that participating companies are now better prepared to face market challenges.
Another innovative initiative implemented by Procel is the project to develop the Center of Excellence in Energy Efficiency in Industry. A pioneer in Latin America, the project is an offshoot of the activities of the Aliança Program, a partnership between Procel and the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) and sector entities, to bring energy efficiency actions to industries energy intensive. With the conclusion of the first cycle of the Aliança Program, in which 12 industrial plants participated, energy savings of around 175 billion kWh were achieved.
New projects
The Procel Report 2022 – base year 2021 presents, in the chapter ‘What’s to come’, some activities started last year and that will be completed in the coming years. One of the most anticipated projects is the “Smart Selo Procel – Blockchain Platform Applications for Energy Efficiency Certification”. Approved at PAR Procel (2020/2021), the project innovates by providing for the establishment of applications and functionalities, on a blockchain platform, to support the energy efficiency certification process and technological repositioning of the Procel Seal.
Another eagerly awaited project is the Survey of Possessions and Habits of Use of Electrical Equipment in the Commercial and Service Class (PPH Comercial). The PPH Comercial is unprecedented in Brazil and constitutes the first survey by Procel dedicated to identifying the consumption habits of electricity in the commercial and service classes. Expected to be completed in the second half of 2023, the Commercial PPH will be held in person in all 26 state capitals in Brazil, in addition to Brasília.
In the buildings segment, we highlight the Solar Esplanada Project, whose objective is the installation of photovoltaic solar plants in the Esplanada dos Ministérios buildings, in Brasília. R$ 31 million will be invested in the construction of these plants. Beneficiary ministries will commit to implementing low and medium cost energy efficiency measures, in addition to an Energy Management System.
