Minas Gerais invests nearly R$ 4 million in family farming.

Minas 247 - On June 19th, Cemig and the Government of Minas Gerais received representatives from the Family Agricultural Schools (EFAs) at the company's headquarters to officially include 18 units of these social organization's schools in the Intelligent Energy Program. EFAs are community schools, without economic purposes, formed from associations of family farmers to provide education for their children. Currently, Minas Gerais has 21 Family Agricultural Schools serving more than 2.300 students in elementary, middle, and adult education (EJA).

Cemig's initiative involves replacing the current lighting system (obsolete fixtures and lamps) with a modern LED-based system. This will benefit the EFAs (Family Farming Schools), among other things, with improved lighting quality and reduced maintenance costs for electrical materials and electricity. According to Thiago de Azevedo Camargo, Director of Institutional Relations and Communication at Cemig, the project aims to promote sustainable development through the rational use of electricity and improved lighting in schools throughout the state.

According to the executive secretary of the Minas Gerais Association of Family Agricultural Schools (Amefa), Idalino Firmino dos Santos, this program has much to contribute to schools, as it is capable of awakening in human beings a sense of collaboration with present and future generations. "That's what we hope this project can bring to the more than 2.300 adolescent and young students and their families. In other words, in addition to saving money, the project makes it possible to promote sustainability, which also involves social, political, environmental, cultural, and ethical aspects," he states.

According to the Energy Efficiency Manager, Ronaldo Lucas Queiroz, this initiative aims to spread a culture of conscious and sustainable consumption, as it reduces environmental impacts and generates benefits for the entire society. "The installation of LED lighting systems aims to postpone the need for investments in the site's electrical system, as well as disseminate the benefits of energy efficiency among the stakeholders involved (school staff, students, public authorities, community, among others), positively influencing changes in consumption habits," he explains.

Benefits
The Marianense Education Foundation, in Jequeri, is also already aware of the positive impacts of Cemig's Smart Energy Program, as explained by its director, Jaqueline Baião. "The advantage is the reduced need for maintenance and equipment replacement, which lowers costs for schools and generates less waste over time, in addition to improving the quality of lighting for students, teachers, and other users of the space."

Another school benefiting from the program is the Associação Escola Família Agrícola (Family Agricultural School Association) in Natalândia. The school's coordinator, Alex Pires Andrade, also emphasizes the importance of the Smart Energy Program for EFAs (Family Agricultural Schools). "Based on the premise that LED lamps have a longer lifespan, low energy consumption, are environmentally friendly, do not emit heat, and do not pose a risk of fire, explosion, or electrocution, we can highlight that these are principles that the Natalândia Family Agricultural School has been pursuing over the years. Therefore, we can say that the project is positive because it allows EFAs to meet environmental and financial sustainability goals."
Smart Energy Program

Cemig, through its Intelligent Energy Program, regulated by Aneel, will directly benefit thousands of students and teachers in the state public education system, in addition to creating the opportunity to redirect investments to other priority areas of the institutions. The company will replace equipment in 169 institutions across 161 municipalities in Minas Gerais, and the energy saved will be around 2.380 MWh/year, an amount sufficient to supply more than 1.600 homes for a period of twelve months. R$ 3,8 million will be invested in improving school lighting, including the replacement of 37 light bulbs, by May 2019.

*With information from the Press Office.