Valmont Industries, a global provider of engineered products and services for infrastructure development and irrigation equipment and services for agriculture, has announced the purchase of a majority stake in Energia Solar do Brasil (Solbras), a solutions provider in the photovoltaic (PV) energy sector. Effective immediately, the company will go to market under the Valley brand.

Len Adams, president of Valley Irrigation, said, “This acquisition allows us to expand our product offerings to include a sustainable, low-cost energy source to provide power to our advanced pivots with Valmont Solar Solutions."

Solbras was founded in 2013, with locations in São João da Boa Vista (SP) and Goiânia (GO). They offer solutions in photovoltaic solar energy, efficiently converting the sun’s rays to clean electric power. Their services include distributed or centralized generation of photovoltaic energy; approval, design and engineering of detailed technical projects and consulting on new PV plants focusing on agri-business. In addition, every Valmont Solar installation includes remote monitoring and control capabilities.

According to the Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR), the installed power of solar photovoltaic generation in Brazil grew by around 1 GW between January and May this year. The country's total volume reached 5.5 GW.

Renato Silva, General Manager of Valmont Irrigation – Brazil, adds that photovoltaic energy has several benefits for the automation of irrigation systems, in addition to an important role in reducing environmental impacts. “Growers can optimize the efficiency of their operation, saving on energy expenses and reducing water usage.”