Solar power in Portugal


Solar power is a growing source in the Portuguese energy mix. At the end of 2018, solar power had a total installed capacity of 828 MW. It represented 2.2% of total power generation in 2019.

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 per year.
In February 2014, a solar plant was inaugurated in Coruche and it will generate 170 MWh per year. The owner, Society for Agroindustrial Development, expressed disappointment in the Portuguese laws which limit the production capacity for microgeneration and said that they only installed 1/10 of what they wanted. The plant will save 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
In 2019, a competitive auction for a new PV plant saw a worldwide record low bid of €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.
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 in projects awaiting analysis and approval.

Total installed photovoltaics