Inevitably in a maturing, emerging market, some companies will blaze a trail and others will follow. At present, Renova Energia is seen as the pace-setter.

The pure-play renewables company has grown from a tiny start-up in 2001 into the country’s second-largest green-energy business — without a wealthy parent company behind it (unlike market leader CPFL Energias Renováveis, which has climbed to the top spot largely through project acquisitions).

Renova