Brazil’s recent regulatory changes will allow 10MW of distributed solar power to start operating by December, distributed power generation (DG) cooperative Cogecom estimates.

Cogecom’s president Roberto Correa said that most of the DG expansion foreseen by the company will take place in rural areas in southern states. Some generatorsshould start operating in the next two or three months.

Power regulator Aneel approved new regulation for DG that determines how subsidies will be paid and sets deadlines for distributors to connect new projects to their networks.

The projects can now become a reality, Correa said. The new rules address how DG will work in rural areas not served by power distributors, but by licensees and cooperatives, a model more common in the south.

Brazil’s power matrix accounts for 7.7pc of DG, or 14,881MW, according to the ministry of mines and energy MME. The ministry estimates that central solar power generation — not including DG —will increase by 6,153MW by 2024.