In 1999, the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) replaced a diesel generator on Ratones Grande Island, a small island in Florianópolis, with a 5 kWp off-grid photovoltaic system, using polycrystalline silicon modules with 10% efficiency.
22 years later…
The system, which operated continuously for more than 20 years, was replaced in 2022 by a new 10 kWp system with more efficient modules, doubling the installed capacity in the same area.
A second life…
The old modules, which still retained approximately 80% of their original power output, were technically evaluated through safety and performance tests. Of the 76 modules tested, 80% were determined to be suitable for reuse. Instead of being discarded, these modules
were reinstalled at the Laboratório Fotovoltaica /UFSC, where they are being monitored as part of a pioneering second life project for photovoltaic modules in Brazil.
