Brazil Energy Programme - BEP
Renewable energy generated in collaboration with the community
A transformative initiative accelerates the shift to renewable energy through community engagement and management
Sustainable energy transition in partnership with vulnerable communities
How can electricity become accessible to consumers in poverty-stricken areas that do not qualify for subsidized tariff programs?
While Brazil stands out globally for its predominantly renewable energy mix, the continued growth in consumption and the expansion of renewables face major economic and structural barriers:
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Dominance of the biofuel market by large producers, negatively impacting small farmers and biodiversity
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Inequitable access to solar energy, which has grown mainly among upper and middle classes
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Lack of investment and incentives for waste-to-energy projects, despite resource availability and favorable legislation
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Absence of enabling conditions for offshore wind and renewable hydrogen, which discourages investment and slows the sector's development
Failing to leverage Brazil’s vast energy potential means missing the opportunity not only to drive a fairer and cleaner energy transition, but also to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure.
How hubz helps address this challenge
In 2015, the UK government launched the Prosperity Fund, allocating £1.2 billion to support partnerships aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Aimed at unlocking innovation and knowledge, including in emerging economies, the UK selects consortia with a proven track record and a clear proposal to deliver impact in energy, finance, infrastructure, health and education with the ultimate goal of generating lasting social value.
hubz, in partnership with Adam Smith International, Carbon Limiting Technologies and Fundação Getúlio Vargas, submitted a successful proposal to the Prosperity Fund. This led to the launch of the Brazil Energy Programme (BEP) in 2020, a joint initiative with Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The first pilot, implemented in May 2020, installed solar panels, batteries and smart monitoring systems to deliver low-cost, high-quality electricity to vulnerable families in a low-income neighborhood in the greater Rio de Janeiro area. The project included strong community engagement and was carried out in partnership with Light.
With a focus on regulatory, policy, market and technological innovation, BEP became a catalyst for significant change in Brazil’s energy landscape, aiming to make renewable energy inclusive, expand consumer access, create job opportunities for women, the poor and marginalized, and reduce the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable.
BEP coordinated a diverse ecosystem of national and international actors, including academia, government and civil society. It produced technical documents to support public policy and designed, organized and implemented scalable pilot projects to demonstrate social and technological innovations in the energy sector in low-income communities accelerating Brazil’s just energy transition to renewables.
What has been achieved
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Pioneering studies on offshore wind, solar energy, biofuels, hydrogen and waste-to-energy
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Demonstrations of emerging technologies through co-financing of scalable pilot projects using innovative low-carbon solutions
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First pilot featuring installation of solar panels, batteries and smart monitoring systems, providing electricity to low-income families in a metropolitan Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, with strong community engagement
Results
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Development of over ten original technical and social studies grounded in Brazilian data and evidence, focusing on regulatory, policy, market and technological innovation in biogas, solar, offshore wind and hydrogen
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Generation of strategic data on how low-income populations engage with distributed energy resource initiatives, informing public policy, regulation and sustainable business models
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Implementation of a hybrid distributed generation pilot project with smart systems in a favela in Rio de Janeiro
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