The Energy Efficiency Program (EEP), regulated by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) and implemented by energy distributors throughout the national territory, is the largest source of energy efficiency resources in the country, with investments in the magnitude of R$570 million/year (about 85 million euros). The projects related to this program aim to encourage the preservation and rational use of electricity, as well as to stimulate the use of new technologies.

EDP efficiently targets all the resources needed to promote the implementation of energy efficiency projects, significantly contributing to the progress of the energy economy and the use of renewable sources, thereby reaffirming its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

In 1998, EDP Brazil conducted its first actions under the Energy Efficiency Program, which was established in the year 2000, through Law 9.991, which mandates that part of the net operating revenue of the companies be invested in energy efficiency projects.

In 2013, the 556/2013 resolution was published, which created the Public Project Call - PPC, in order to make the process of selecting EEP projects more transparent and democratic, thus promoting greater society participation. In addition, the PPC made it possible for the proponents and/or concerned clients to contribute to the efficiency results and investments in the projects, without depending exclusively on the resources of the EEP.

A real difference

Commerce, industries, public and private buildings, hospitals, charitable institutions and public lighting projects, all these areas are defined by the National Electric Energy Agency as areas of action under the Public Call. The idea is that conscious and safe use of energy should be present in all areas.

Despite the variety and size of the projects, which implies very different results, EDP Brazil has already supported projects whose savings were up to 10 or 15%, but it has also supported other projects, such as the hospital of children with cancer, in which the obtained gains were about 50%.

The most recent edition of the Public Call released its winners in August 2020: In total, EDP Brazil will subsidize 16 projects, worth 9.5 million reais, selected through an EDP committee.

The 2020 projects

Five of the winning projects are located in the Vitória, Cariacica, Montanha, Aracruz and Sooretama municipalities - belonging to the EDP Espírito Santo'a area of influence, a concession with 70 municipalities -, and will allow a reduction of the beneficiary institutions' energy consumption of around 3.153 megawatts-hour (MWh/year), the equivalent to the average yearly consumption of around 1.311 families.

Caritas, Cariacica Prefecture, Mountain Prefecture, Attorney of the Republic and Solidarity Efficiency (municipalities still contemplated to be defined) thus saw their projects approved.

Finally, the project Solidary Efficiency, a traveling service station that invests in the awareness of residential customers on the efficient use of energy, enabling the exchange of normal, inefficient lamps, by LED, will also replace 40 thousand old lamps, in municipalities yet to be defined.

EDP São Paulo - concession with 28 municipalities - will support 11 projects: Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Pindamonhangaba, IP of the municipalities of Poá, Mogi das Cruzes, Potim, Roseira, Caçapava, Biritiba Mirim, ETEC Cruzeiro and the Eficiência Solidária project, a roaming service station that promotes consciousness on clients for the efficient use of energy, allowing for the exchange of inefficient light bulbs for LED's - going through the substitution of 60 thousand bulbs across several municipalities, still to be chosen.

These projects provide savings of around 6,800 MWh/year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 2,835 households.

"Much remains to be done in Brazil, particularly at the level of tax incentives that the State could give for the client to opt for renewable energies and invest in energy efficiency. I think we still have a long way to go," says Thiago Lemme Lafalce, manager of Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption.

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