Latin America. The region has imported $26 billion worth of Chinese panels over the past six years, most of which came from Brazilian acquisitions, according to consultancy Ember.
In Brazil, more than 86% of electricity comes from renewable sources. This achievement is attributable, among other factors, to the geography of the country, with abundant and mighty rivers, as well as a coastline characterized by strong winds.
At the same time, the trade of solar panels with China is evidence of the South American nation's efforts to consolidate its transition process to sustainable energy sources. Brazil accounts for 58% of all Chinese solar panel exports to Latin America, worth about $14 billion since 2017, when the independent group Ember began reporting this data.
Other leading countries
Chile stands out for having doubled its solar energy production between 2020 and 2022. This country has taken advantage of the abundance of solar rays, to the point of producing more solar energy than Mexico, which has six times the population of Chile and 2.5 times the territory.
For its part, Mexico doubled its annual generation between 2012 and 2021. But then it slowed down in 2022. The government established some rules that limited the development of "megaprojects" arguing that these were mainly led by large foreign corporations. In this regard, some voices have pointed out that these measures will allow smaller local companies to meet the country's solar needs.
