The five distributors have replaced more than 630,000 light bulbs with LEDs in low-income communities. In Fernando de Noronha, a floating solar photovoltaic plant is due to be installed this year.

A protagonist of the energy transition in Brazil, Neoenergia has invested around R$152 million to encourage the efficient use of electricity in the concession areas of its five distributors - Neoenergia Brasília (DF), Neoenergia Coelba (BA), Neoenergia Cosern (RN), Neoenergia Elektro (SP/MS) and Neoenergia Pernambuco (PE). This year's actions should also include the installation of a floating solar photovoltaic plant in Fernando de Noronha, announced for 2022.

The funds were allocated by the Energy Efficiency Program regulated by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL). One of the highlights was the replacement of more than 630,000 light bulbs with LEDs in low-income communities, and around 140,000 light bulbs in more than 2,300 institutions in these areas.

Vale Luz, a project that exchanges solid waste for a discount on the energy bill, enabled the recycling of more than 2,500 tons of waste, which represents an increase of 13% compared to 2023. According to the company, the initiative has led to a reduction of more than R$1.4 million in the electricity bills of around 15,000 consumers.

"Energy efficiency actions are becoming increasingly necessary in the face of a global climate change scenario. That's why we're committed to investing in initiatives focused on an efficient, fair and supportive energy transition.We work every day to make people aware of how to use electricity more efficiently," says Ana Mascarenhas, Neoenergia's Energy Efficiency Superintendent.

In Bahia, in addition to the installation of 13 solar photovoltaic systems totaling 178.5 kilowatts-peak (kWp) in the Mané Dendê housing complex in Salvador, Neoenergia replaced 859 old refrigerators for consumers in municipalities affected by rainfall in the state.

Another highlight was the implementation of educational projects on the efficient use of electricity in public schools. The initiative trained more than 11,000 teachers and 240,000 students from almost 2,000 schools. In addition, around 60,000 people visited the Energy Museum in Salvador (BA), the Aulas de Energia Visitation Centers and mobile educational units at public events.

Efficiency projects in 1,720 public and welfare buildings (public schools and health units, such as hospitals, medical centers and philanthropic institutions) benefited 81 units in Bahia, 645 in Pernambuco, 155 in Rio Grande do Norte, 651 in São Paulo and 188 in Brasília, with more than 214,000 light bulbs replaced and 64 solar photovoltaic systems installed, totaling 6.5 MWp. A highlight was the Technical Cooperation Agreement for the construction of solar power plants on the roofs of the buildings attached to the main building of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in Brasilia.

As for public lighting efficiency projects, more than 46,800 IP points were replaced with LED technology in 65 municipalities. In public utilities, three motor-pump sets were replaced in two sanitation units: Embasa (BA) and CAERN (RN). A floating solar photovoltaic plant is also planned for Fernando de Noronha this year.

In the Conscious Consumption Platform, Neoenergia installed 310 meters. The initiative involves installing a device on the home's energy meter. The device collects data that is made available on a low-cost real-time consumption monitoring platform and offers interactions with educational content, alerts and guidance on conscious consumption for customers participating in the project.