Brazil: Solar Thermal Market Diversifies in 2013
In 2013, the Brazilian solar thermal market grew significantly in both the unglazed segment of swimming pool absorbers and the glazed collector segment of solar hot water systems. According to the annual market statistics gathered in February 2014 by DASOL, the Solar Heating Department of the Brazilian Association of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Heating, ABRAVA, the glazed collector market continued its steep increase with another 20 % of growth last year. Regarding the unglazed market segment, the anonymous survey of the Brazilian market reveals that 2013 was a strong year, showing a growth rate of 18 % after two stagnating years (see the chart on the left). The total newly installed solar collector area was 1.38 million m2 – 20 % more than in 2012 (see 2012 market statistics). The share of glazed collectors was again at around 55 %.
Source: DASOL / ABRAVA
77 % of DASOL / ABRAVA’s members took part in the survey. The gathered data was extrapolated and represents the evolution of the national market as a whole in 2013, the authors of the study confirm. “We estimate that 80 % of the market is covered by member companies,” Marcelo Mesquita, Head of DASOL / ABRAVA, explains.
Vacuum tube collectors not even 1 % of total collector sales
According to the survey’s results, last year’s growth was the result of a prospering construction sector, the government`s social housing programme Minha Casa Minha Vida and the mandatory laws in larger cities, which stipulate the use of solar water heaters in new-builds and in case of renovations. In addition, the survey recorded vacuum tube collector sales as a separate figure for the first time, and they added up to 9,909 m² – not even 1 % of the total collector area sold last year.
Another novelty of this year´s statistics was the presence of solar process heat, which shows up on the pie chart of application segments with a 3 % share (22,700 m²) in solar thermal collectors installed in the industry in 2013. In DASOL / ABRAVA’s 2013 market report, the residential market accounts for 60 % of the total collector area installed, whereas the social housing segment is responsible for 19 %. “Due to the different structures of the participating companies, the study does not allow direct comparisons between shares in 2013 and shares in 2012,” Mesquita says.
2013 collector sales broken down by segment
Source: DASOL / ABRAVA
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