From the favelas: the rise of rooftop solar projects in Brazil

New regulations open up an unexplored market for solar in heavily populated areas such as favelas, led by co-operatives, social startups and small businesses

Sunny days have long been considered a competitive advantage for Brazil. Before the 2014 World Cup, the country's tourist board set up a website allowing visitors to compare the number of sunny days in US and European capitals to cities in Brazil (eg Brussels 103, Rio de Janeiro 212). But while tourism may have been capitalising on the sunshine, the solar industry has not.

According to statistics from the Brazilian electricity regulatory agency, Aneel, solar accounts for just 0.02% of the country's energy. The bulk of the country's energy generation (70%) is from hydropower.