The Professor Sebastião Teixeira Basic School, in Salir, is already taking dividends from the photovoltaic plant that was installed on its roof. Since August 2019, when the solar panels were installed, this educational establishment has guaranteed “a saving of more than three thousand euros on the energy bill”, in addition to having avoided “the emission of more than ten tons of equivalent CO2”. according to the Chamber of Loulé.
The Padre João Coelho Cabanita School Group, from Loulé, was «a pioneer at national level in the creation of a school energy community», through the installation of this photovoltaic power plant with a connection power of 40 kW.
Months after the installation of the panels, there are the first gains. “But this project is even more ambitious as it foresees the sale of the surplus to the public service electricity network, with the objective of, soon, supplying an energy transition fund that will allow the financing of energy efficiency measures in the Padre João Coelho Schools Group Cabanita», revealed the municipality.
According to Vítor Aleixo, the mayor of Loulé, “so far there is no similar project at national level that follows these guidelines, so the Municipality of Loulé can make a contribution to the energy transition through an innovative participatory model , which is fully self-sufficient, translating into new projects for decarbonization».
The School Energy Community project emerged within the scope of the Local Council for Monitoring the Municipal Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change of Loulé (CLA of EMAAC de Loulé), more specifically of the Working Group on Energy, having been developed by the Municipality of Loulé in partnership with AREAL – Regional Agency for Energy and Environment of the Algarve.
«In addition to the installation of the photovoltaic plant in this school, an effective participation of the school community is also foreseen, actively involving its members (students, teachers, parents, the Municipality and entities with competences in the matter) to dynamize new projects associated with decarbonization of the school group, fed by the energy transition fund, an activity that is expected to start in the next school year with awareness-raising actions at the Basic School Prof. Sebastião Teixeira», announced the Chamber of Loulé.
The project also has "a pedagogical character, as students will be able to learn more about photovoltaic/renewable energy technology, supporting the maintenance of the plant, through basic tasks and working with their data in a classroom context".
The local authority now intends “that the School Energy Community project be expanded to other schools in the municipality of Loulé, with the installation of 1 MW of power to generate electricity from solar energy by the end of 2021, allowing to avoid the emission of more than 450 tons of CO2 eq per year.
According to Vítor Aleixo, the mayor of Loulé, “so far there is no similar project at national level that follows these guidelines, so the Municipality of Loulé can make a contribution to the energy transition through an innovative participatory model , which is fully self-sufficient, translating into new projects for decarbonization».
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