Analysis of the Electricity Generation Potential by Solar Photovoltaic Source in the State of Parana - Brazil

The theme of Sustainable Development has gained more and repercussion in the society spheres contributing to a greater awareness of the need for natural resources conservation and in the challenge of keeping promoting the socio - economic development of all the regions. One of the key issues for the development in a modern society is the electric power generation and in the current time, the increasing use of renewable energy with less harm to the environment. In this scenario, the state of Parana historically has been one of the largest producers of electricity from renewable sources in Brazil, almost entirely through hydroelectric plants due to the large watershed in the state. However, this source is in decline due to the hydric potential exhaustion, and also due to the pressure from society related to the environmental, social and economic impact. To overcome these limitations, other sources have been researched and among them, the photovoltaic. Recently, the ANEEL (Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency) regulated the electricity generation through Grid-connected Photovoltaic Power Systems. These systems have been widely employed in the urban environment as electricity generators near to the distributed point of consumption as they usually require no additional area, since they can be installed on the roof of the building or be integrated in it. They are intensely applied in many countries, especially in Europe, where the hydric resources are limited. This paper aims to present the Photovoltaic Map of the Parana State (Brazil) which represents the potential for generating electricity through Grid-connected Photovoltaic Power System with values concerning to the annual daily averages and the seasonal daily averages. For comparison, it was used data from Germany Photovoltaic Map that is one of the largest country with potential installed capacity with the objective to demonstrate the potential obtained in Parana. This information may enable the creation of specific programs to improve research and development of this important renewable energy source in the State of Parana.