by Martina Medina

Favela Marte, in São José do Rio Preto (in the state of São Paulo), will be the first slum in Latin America to use solar panels for energy supply. About 240 homes and shared spaces will receive over 1,000 panels by June 2023. The goal is to save on electricity bills and protect the environment.

“This slum was chosen to be a model for the Favela 3D project, which seeks to transform favelas into dignified, digital, developed environments,” explains Nina Rentel, director of social technologies at the non-governmental organization (NGO) Gerando Falcões, which is responsible for the project in partnership with companies and public entities.

Before installing the solar panels, better housing will have to be built for the slum’s residents. In this respect, the project will receive help from the state of São Paulo government, which will contribute 28 million reais. An additional 2.4 million reais will be provided by the NGO. The government of São José do Rio Preto has promised to allocate 15 million reais towards infrastructure projects in the slum, including water distribution.

Equipment to install the panels will be paid for by Banco Votorantim (BV) and Meu Financiamento Solar, a credit company for solar energy in Brazil. “BV and Meu Financiamento Solar will also collaborate to provide professional training to favela residents, through technical courses to train solar panel installers”, says Nina.

The initiative is set to grow. “We are very interested in expanding this project after a successful pilot. Today, Gerando Falcões is in more than 1,700 favelas throughout Brazil, so there is significant potential”, forecasts the director.

Questions
1) How many solar panels will be installed by June 2023?
a) 1,700
b) 240
c) 1,000
d) 1,240

2) What do you think about the growth of solar energy?

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