Solar panels in Rio de Janeiro
A 6 kWp home system in Rio de Janeiro is modelled to produce about 8,041 kWh a year, or 1,340 kWh per installed kWp, from PVGIS climate data at the city's coordinates. The municipality of Rio de Janeiro is in the concession area of the distributor Light, according to Light's published list of served municipalities and neighbourhoods. Among our 2 Brazil cities, Rio de Janeiro comes first on yield. For comparison, São Paulo reaches 1,293. Year-one savings come to about BRL 6,448, for a simple payback of 4.8 years. PVGIS finds the best fixed angle here is 25 degrees facing north, 1.3% more than the standard 35 degrees.
Month by month in Rio de Janeiro
Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing north (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005 to 2023).
| Month | kWh | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 681 | 8.5% |
| February | 688 | 8.6% |
| March | 746 | 9.3% |
| April | 708 | 8.8% |
| May | 667 | 8.3% |
| June | 631 | 7.8% |
| July | 684 | 8.5% |
| August | 698 | 8.7% |
| September | 645 | 8.0% |
| October | 630 | 7.8% |
| November | 604 | 7.5% |
| December | 659 | 8.2% |
- Best month: March (746 kWh). Weakest: November (604 kWh), a 1.2x difference.
- March, April, August produce 26.8% of the year; June, October, November produce 23.2%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 288 kWh (3.6%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 1,861 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Rio de Janeiro
Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.
- City of Rio de Janeiro
Distribution utility: Light
The municipality of Rio de Janeiro is in the concession area of the distributor Light, according to Light's published list of served municipalities and neighbourhoods.
Source: Light Serviços de Eletricidade, Área de Concessão Light (JAN 2023), linked from 'A Distribuidora do Grupo Light' (checked 2026-09-25)
How Rio de Janeiro compares
Rio de Janeiro ranks 1 of 2 for yield among the cities we model in Brazil, and 19 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.
| City | kWh per kWp / yr | Payback (BRL) |
|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | 1,340 | 4.8 yrs |
| São Paulo | 1,293 | 5.0 yrs |
| National reference point (country page) | 1,354 | 4.8 yrs |
Closest yield abroad: Houston (1,341 kWh per kWp), New York (1,350 kWh per kWp), Osaka (1,299 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Rio de Janeiro
Power you use yourself is worth the retail price (R$0.95 per kWh); power you export earns R$0.75. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).
| Used at home | Year-1 savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | R$6,289 | 5.0 yrs |
| 30% (our default) | R$6,448 | 4.8 yrs |
| 50% | R$6,766 | 4.6 yrs |
| 70% | R$7,085 | 4.3 yrs |
- Net system cost after incentives: R$30,000 for 6 kWp.
- Incentive modelled: No federal capital grant; value is net metering (SCEE) under Lei 14.300/2022 (Fio B transition).
- 25-year net savings at our default: R$157,513.
Best panel angle in Rio de Janeiro
At latitude 22.91°S, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.
| Setup | Tilt | Facing | kWh per kWp / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard roof (used on this page) | 35° | north | 1,340 |
| PVGIS optimum | 25° | north (5°) | 1,358 |
The optimum adds 1.3% a year over the standard roof in Rio de Janeiro. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.
See the full Brazil picture on our Brazil solar page, or the national incentives in our Brazil solar guide.
Sources and method
Figures computed 2026-09-25 for a 6 kWp system, 35° tilt, 14% system losses, terrain shading on. An estimate, not a quote: your installer's quote will be exact.
- PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (PVGIS-SARAH3), European Commission JRC (checked 2026-09-25)
- Brazil tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Light Serviços de Eletricidade: Área de Concessão Light (JAN 2023), linked from 'A Distribuidora do Grupo Light' (checked 2026-09-25)
Calculate your exact savings
Free, no sign-up. Your address gives payback, NPV, incentives and a 25-year cashflow for your roof in Rio de Janeiro.
Calculate your exact savings →