Portugal GHI Solar-resource-map GlobalSolarAtlas World-Bank-Esmap-Solargis

Solar power is a growing source in the Portuguese energy mix. At the end of 2020, solar power installed capacity totalled 1.03 GW and represented 3.6% of total power generation in 2020. Portugal has set a goal of between 8.1 GW and 9.9 GW in installed capacity by 2030.

Photovoltaic Plants

The Serpa solar power plant is an 11 megawatt plant covered and employs 52,000 PV panels. The panels are raised 2 meters off the ground thus allowing grazing to continue. The plant provides enough energy for 8,000 homes and saves an estimated 30,000 tonnes of

carbon dioxide emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and la ...

per year. On 9 October 2021, the largest solar power plant in Portugal was inaugurated in

Alcoutim Alcoutim () is a town and a municipality in southeastern Portugal near the Portugal–Spain border. The population in 2011 was 2,917, in an area of 575.36 km². It is the least densely populated municipality in Portugal. The municipality is ...

. With an installed capacity of 219 MW, the power plant has 661,500 solar panels and can power the needs of 200,000 homes. It occupies an area of 320 hectares and will prevent the emission of 326,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year. It surpassed the 62 MW Moura Photovoltaic Power Station.

Recent and future auctions

In 2019, a competitive auction for a new PV plant saw a worldwide record low bid of

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...

14.76 per MWh, well below other generating technologies. The auction awarded 1.150 MW of solar capacity to various companies, significantly more than the total installed capacity at the time. A 2020 auction saw a price of €11.16 per MWh. Solar power interest is growing exponentially in Portugal. João Galamba, the State Secretary for Energy, announced that more solar auctions would take place, including one in the second quarter of 2020 as well as that there were over 80,000 MW (80 GW) in projects awaiting analysis and approval. Another solar auction is set to launch between October 2021 and November 2021. A total of 400 MW in floating solar power at dam reservoirs will be auctioned.

Rooftop solar

In addition to tenders for large scale power plants, Portugal has set a framework for the installation of small scale rooftop solar installations which came into force in January 2020.

Floating Solar Power

In November 2016, an

EDP Group EDP - Energias de Portugal (formerly Electricidade de Portugal) is a Portuguese electric utilities company, headquartered in Lisbon. It was founded in 1976 through the merger of 14 nationalised electricity companies. History EDP was founded as '' ...

pilot-project of 840 solar panels with a total capacity of 200 kWp began to produce power on the reservoir of the Alto Rabagão dam with an annual production of 300 MWh. At the end of 2021, a floating solar power project at the

Alqueva Dam The Alqueva Dam is an arch dam and the centrepiece of the Alqueva Multipurpose Project. It impounds the River Guadiana, on the border of Beja and Évora Districts in south of Portugal. The dam takes its name from the town of Alqueva to its right ...

reservoir is set to begin production. 12,000 solar panels with a total capacity of 4 MW will produce 7 GWh of power annually.

Total installed photovoltaics

References

External links

Solar power in Portugal
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