After five years without the controversial daylight saving time, the Electricity Sector Monitoring Committee (CMSE) has recommended that the Federal Government return to the practice in order to reduce the demand for electricity consumption in the country.
At a press conference on the 20th, Alexandre Silveira, Minister of Mines and Energy, said that there is no risk of an energy crisis in the country, as the volume of rain should normalize in the coming days. Even so, the measure contributes positively to energy sustainability and is a good practice applied in other countries, such as Canada, for example.
How does daylight saving time work?
In principle, daylight saving time is an advance of one hour on Brasilia time. So, during the summers in which the mechanism is applied, we start our routine an hour earlier.
It starts at 00:00 on the first Sunday in November and lasts until 00:00 on the third Sunday in February of the following year. In other words, if the practice is approved by the government later this year, it will last from November 3, 2024 to February 16, 2025.
How does daylight saving time affect Brazil?
This mechanism aims to promote better use of sunlight. This reduces electricity consumption among users. After all, in large cities like São Paulo, overloading the electricity system can be harmful.
According to studies carried out by ONS, the National Electricity System Operator, around 2.9% of maximum night-time demand would be reduced by applying daylight saving time. The research also considers weekdays and weekends and various temperature conditions.
The first time daylight saving time operated in Brazil was in 1931, and it became fixed in 2008. In 2019, the government abandoned the practice and now, in 2024, we may see it return to everyday life in Brazil. Are you for or against daylight saving time?
