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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Brazil has lagged far behind in the shift to solar power, but the continent's biggest facility [phys.org] now being built in the south-east aims to give the country its place in the sun.

The plant in Pirapora, in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, has 1.2 million solar panels, covering the equivalent of more than 1,200 soccer fields.

It first began producing power in September, with the second of three phases in the project going online this Thursday.

The whole thing, operated by French energy giant EDF Energies Nouvelles, should be operational before the second quarter of 2018, boasting a capacity of 400 megawatts. That's enough to meet the annual demand of 420,000 households.

Brazil is already achieved energy independence [scientificamerican.com], so projects like this will help cement that.

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