Sustainable energy generated in partnership with the community

Affordable, high-quality renewable electricity through community engagement

​​

Providing electricity to low-income consumers is a major challenge. High rates of non-technical losses, such as theft, resulted in losses of around R$ 5 billion in Brazil in 2021 alone, according to ANEEL. That figure is equivalent to the energy consumed by all industrial sectors or double the country’s public lighting demand. These losses drive up costs and reduce electricity quality.

​

​To meet the challenge of delivering clean, affordable energy in low-income areas, with direct community involvement and tangible benefits, hubz launched the Solar Pilar project in 2021, supported by the UK-Brazil Energy Programme and Light’s R&D program under ANEEL.

​

The first community to benefit was the Pilar neighborhood in the Rio de Janeiro metro area. Despite being a vulnerable population, many of its residents don’t qualify for the Social Tariff. An international public call selected suppliers to provide on-site and remote solar generation, battery storage, and intelligent consumption monitoring systems.

 

...How can these systems impact a community and the environment?
By providing equipment that enables direct generation and storage of high-quality, low-cost renewable energy with strong community engagement, the result is greater access to electricity, formal inclusion in the energy system, and the refinement of models to optimize operational parameters — all of which benefit both people and the environment.

 

...What hubz can deliver for you?

​Main innovation
With no comparable model or system in Brazil, Solar Pilar marks a significant step forward in economic, social, scientific, and technical understanding of distributed energy generation, electric systems, and smart grids. It also enables a regulatory sandbox of interest to the energy sector and regulators. The model empowers low-income consumers to participate directly in system operation and manage their energy costs independently, easily, and transparently.

 

Applications and benefits

• Reduction of energy costs

• Reduction of delinquency

• Formalized access to electricity

• Greater efficiency in the energy sector

• Social and environmental impact through job creation and emissions reduction

​

Technology readiness level
The technology has reached TRL 7, as demonstrated by the delivery of affordable electricity and the innovative configuration of proven electrical devices.