Oportunidades e desafios da geração solar fotovoltaica no semiárido do Brasil

The Brazilian semi arid is often represented as a dry-climate region with poor socioeconomic indicators. Moreover, this region is likely to suffer from the water shortage in the future as a result of climate changes that the world is facing. The reduction of water supplies has recently caused problems for the electrical sector in Brazil due to its dependency on hydropower. One possible alternative to increase its robustness is by using solar energy. The potencial of the semiarid region in generating solar energy is two-fold: it figures among one of the regions with the highest solar irradiation in Brazil and there are plenty of available territories for the installation of solar systems. With this in mind, this work presents the technical potential of photovoltaic energy in the semiarid, along with discussions of its challenges, opportunities and public policies that aim to develop the region.