Portugal's First Public Community of Renewable Energies
About this good practice
The concept of Renewable Energy Communities has only come into effect on Portugal's law in 2020. Notwithstanding, Vila Boa do Bispo Municipality started drafting the ideas for this project in 2019
Bringing together the local Town Hall, Casa do Povo (a charity institution working in the fields of culture, sports, and elders care), and Marco de Canaveses Voluntary Fireman, Vila Boa do Bispo will host Portugal's first community of public buildings powered by renewable energy.
Considering this initiative's potential, Vila Boa do Bispo gathered expertise, support, and funding from the Coopernico association and Marco de Canaveses Hall.
Thus, the steps became:
1- Obtain budgets from power and installation supplying companies, as a way to calculate investment rates.
2- Identify funding sources, be they from the institutions involved or third parties.
3- Set an internal regulation system, as indicated in Portuguese law.
4- Determine the Managing Entity for Collective Self-Consumption.
Resources needed
As perceived by the project steps, the needed resources center around:
1- Technical partnerships (Expertise entities, such as equipment suppliers and funding institutions).
1.1- Means of financing.
1.2- Expertise (for impact and potential assessment)
2- Managing Entity
Evidence of success
Sucess and potential can be remarked in the expert analysis carried out beforehand, where it is indicated that there are expected annual savings ranging from 4 950EUR to 5 400EUR, just with an initial investment of 25 500EUR e 34 000 EUR. Moreover, the support this project gathered is also an indicator of success, since both public and private organizations show interest in this kind of initiative.
Potential for learning or transfer
Just like the standard concept of Renewable Energy Communities, this project and its steps show great transferability potential to other small communities and geographically close complexes of public buildings.
Considering its innovative profile, this project became a learning opportunity for communities in Marco de Canaveses Municipality. Thus, this proposal holds learning potential for many other small communities and town halls in Portugal, which share common organizational structures, and in all of Europe.
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Freguesia de Vila Boa do Bispo