Brazil has announced a new 2 GW solar strategy. The country plans to build 2 million affordable housing units by 2026, and each household will deploy two sets of photovoltaic modules to provide 1 kilowatt of electricity.

This week, under the leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian government relaunched the Minha Casa Minha Vida (My Home, My Life) affordable housing project . The project was initially launched by Lula's government between 2003 and 2011 before being interrupted by Jair Bolsonaro's government.

As before, the new project also includes large-scale deployment of photovoltaic systems. Its goal is to build 2 million affordable housing units by 2026, and each household will deploy two sets of solar modules to provide 1 kilowatt of electricity.

According to data released by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSolar), the project will add 2 GW of distributed photovoltaic installed capacity, thereby reducing household electricity bills by 70%. The service covers households with a monthly income of BRL 8,000 (US$ 1,660) in urban areas and BRL 96,000 in rural areas.

In June, Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approved the new plan, allowing funds from the Severance Payment Compensation Fund (FGTS) to be used for public lighting, basic sanitation, public roads and stormwater drainage projects.