Solar Energy in Portugal

Reasons for Solar Energy  Portugal imports about 80 percent of its primary energy fuels, the remaining 20 percent comes from domestic production.    Renewable energies, without hydro electric power generated from large hydro plants, account only 6 percent.

Demand for energy is growing. The need for a higher reliance on solar energy and other renewable energy sources is evident by the following facts: 30-40% of total energy demand in OECD countries is from buildings. Demand for energy is growing. Concern over climate change is growing. Countries are committed to meeting their Kyoto targets. Solar and other renewables are large, inexhaustible energy sources.

Solar Resource Potential  The level of solar radiation in Portugal is comparable to the European Mediterranean countries. Only in the interior of North Africa can significantly higher values be found.

Back to the past...

Sun Machine Father Manoel António Gomes, also known as Priest Himalaya because of his large stature, devoted his life to promote the use of solar energy.   Over his lifetime, he invented a series of devices, such as the Sun Machine, which won the Grand Prix at the 1904 Universal Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Priest Himalaya was a visionary for his time. This sun machine was a solar furnace that could reach 200º. His plans were to use this machine to produce potable water in desert places, to produce steam for industrial machines and even to produce nitrated fertilizers for agriculture.    Unfortunately, after all these years, solar energy is still in its very early stages. Priest Himalaya was a visionary for his time.

Nowadays...

Passive solar systems   When sunlight strikes a building, the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation. These basic responses to solar heat lead to design elements, material choices and placements that can provide heating and cooling effects in a home. Additionally, the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces.

This living laboratory is still used for research and demonstrations. The Engineering Faculty of Porto University have worked over the past 20 years on passive technologies. One of the early projects was the first Portuguese passive solar house at Porto. This living laboratory is still used for research and demonstrations. The passive Solar house of INETI in OPorto

Active solar systems

Solar Thermal It’s the conversion of solar radiation into heat for technological, comfort heating, and cooking purposes. Solar thermal heating is applied to water, air or structural materials. Conversion of light to heat can be achieved through passive systems or active systems (mechanically transferring heat by means of a working fluid such as oil, water or air).

Houses very close to our school

Non-imaging optics Solar collectors using non-imaging optics have been developed. Applications using this technology include solar cooking, domestic and industrial water pre-heating, desalination, and solar cooling.

On November 3rd we had a demonstration of a solar oven.

Http://www.sun-cook.com

 Photovoltaic (solar cell) systems Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar cells are often used to power calculators and watches. They are made of semi conducting materials similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect

Bus stop In the municipality of Peso da Régua the photovoltaic systems is used to produce the energy for the lightings inside of 43 bus-stop.

What about the future?

Portugal has conducted and supported important solar energy research, unfortunately, the market response has been somewhat weak. An effort is underway, however to reverse the situation.

(It will be the biggest of the world!!!) There’s a project for a big photovoltaic plant in Moura (Alentejo- South of Portugal) (It will be the biggest of the world!!!) It should be ready in 2007. Some fiscal incentives have been initiated.

Thank you for being patient, and for your attention.

Web site links www.agores.org www.iea-shc.org/newsletter/2001_Jun_SolarUpdate.pdf www.mysolar.com www.energiasrenovaveis.com http://www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/photovoltaic.html http://www.amvdn.pt/are/en/Fotovoltaic.htm http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/publications/doc1/rej_12.pdf