Firm solar: Brazil with the second lowest cost in 2035 according to IRENA

Solar with batteries has come to be measured by the cost of delivering energy outside sunlight hours as well. According to IRENA figures released by ABSOLAR on 16 October, Brazil would have in 2035 the second lowest cost of firm solar among the markets assessed, USD 41 per MWh, behind China, at USD 33, at 95% reliability.

The report 24/7 Renewables: The Economics of Firm Solar and Wind, published by IRENA in 2026, places Brazil and South Africa between USD 65 and USD 80 per MWh in 2025, on a trajectory to USD 38 to USD 44 per MWh in 2035.

The fall in cost shifts attention to after construction. Batteries lose capacity with use, and sustaining reliability over the contract requires planned replacement, known as augmentation. For the 2026 capacity auction, BNDES states that augmentation provided for in the original project will not need to comply with local content and that the rules are still to be defined before the auction.

The 2035 figure serves those who already budget battery replacement as an operating cost. Cheap installation opens the door. The maintenance plan keeps the energy firm.