DISTRIBUTED GENERATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: AN OVERVIEW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN BRAZIL

Abstract

The growing energy demand and environmental challenges have driven the search for sustainable alternatives, among which distributed generation (DG) stands out as a strategic tool for diversifying the Brazilian electricity matrix. This study aimed to analyze the main DG sources – solar, wind, hydro, biomass, biogas, and hydrogen –, discussing primarily their potentialities. The methodology adopted was bibliographic in nature, with a survey and analysis of theoretical references and institutional documents addressing the impacts, advances, and challenges of the sector. The results show that DG contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increases energy security, decreases transmission losses, generates jobs, and promotes socioeconomic development. It was observed, however, that barriers such as high implementation costs, difficulty in accessing financing, and the need for technological improvement still limit its expansion. The discussion demonstrates that, despite these restrictions, DG shows a growth and consolidation trend in Brazil, especially with the advancement of green hydrogen and the strengthening of public policies aimed at energy transition. It is concluded that distributed generation, if properly incentivized, has the potential to become one of the pillars of energy sustainability in the country, contributing both to international climate commitments and to economic and social development at the national level.