Portugal's first Renewable Energy Community (REC) was completed in August 2021 in Mirandado Douro, a rural village in the north of the country. A year into operation, industry media interviewed Cleanwatts, the renewable energy developer building the project, to assess the current state of its operations. With an installed capacity of 73.3kW, this PV community saved €31,500 in electricity bills within one year of operation.
This renewable energy community project is one part of Cleanwatt's “100 Aldeias” project, which aims to address energy shortages in sparsely populated areas of Portugal. The current consumers of this Renewable Energy Community (REC) are the nursing homes and kindergartens of Santa Casa da Misericórdia, a well-known Portuguese charity, with a total of more than 100 members. Speaking to industry media after the community's one-year anniversary, Cleanwatts CEO Michael Pinto said, "This Renewable Energy Community (REC) is now in the registration phase. Our goal is to bring the benefits of renewable energy to as many people as possible.”
The photovoltaic system installed in this community has an installed capacity of 73.3kW, providing electricity for the institution's air conditioners, computers and other loads.