Solar panels are one of the main investments for many countries in the race for renewable energy. The Fundão photovoltaic solar power plant in the municipality of Castelo Branco was recently inaugurated. The Spanish developer Dos Grados installed nearly 200,000 solar panels on 192 hectares near Alcaria, Pêro Viseu, and Valverde. This project, which represents an investment of €90 million, marks its entry into the Portuguese energy market and reinforces its commitment to the energy transition on the Iberian Peninsula. The facility has a capacity of 126.5 MW and is expected to produce between 215 and 220 GWh of electricity per year. These are ambitious goals.
The plan was also designed to boost the local economy and support Portugal’s goal of reaching 51% renewable energy by 2030
Dos Grados has worked to generate a positive impact on the local community, not only through employment and wealth creation in the area, but also through projects such as the restoration of the Pêro Viseu Bridge, as well as promoting environmental and energy education through school activities and university agreements. The total project cost €90 million, with the goal of providing more than just energy. The plan was also designed to boost the local economy and support Portugal’s goal of reaching 51% renewable energy by 2030. A date that is rapidly approaching, especially at a time when global warming is a problem affecting planet Earth in many ways.
The plant’s operational performance was subject to the rhythms of nature; that is, to an inherently unpredictable process
Since the panels were installed, unforeseen problems have begun to arise. Solar energy relies on sunshine patterns such as obstructions from clouds, rain, and winter, when daylight hours are reduced during the sun’s arc, creating variations in output. Storage and hybrid systems had been planned to function as backups in the event of weather conditions, but the project never came to fruition. Therefore, the plant’s operational performance was subject to the rhythms of nature; that is, to an inherently unpredictable process.
Ranchers were concerned about the land being taken over for grazing or farming
Recall that this project was one of those awarded in the 2019 renewable energy auction, which broke the world record for low prices at €14.8/MWh, and whose viability was highly questioned despite the then-Portuguese Secretary of Energy, Joao Galamba, stating that it would be carried out. Construction began in 2023 and covered almost 200 hectares, directly affecting the lives of those living nearby. Ranchers were concerned about the land being taken over for grazing or farming. Local environmentalists were concerned about the consequences for the ecosystem, as has happened in other places, where the reflection from the panels has been so severe that some birds were severely affected.
A complicated coexistence, as ecological, social, and local realities coexist ambiguously with photovoltaic, economic, and business needs
Furthermore, at the local level, there has been no increase in jobs or anything like that, so the plant’s future is worrying. The figures for megawatts generated, tons of carbon dioxide avoided, and hectares of panel coverage are impressive, but the real challenge lies in coexistence. A complicated coexistence, as ecological, social, and local realities coexist ambiguously with photovoltaic, economic, and business needs.
As we’ve discussed in previous articles, solar energy isn’t easy. The investment is monumental, and the benefits can be scattered. That is, the weather conditions may not go as planned; the jobs envisioned on paper may not be created; and coexistence with the locals, mostly rural people who work the land, may not be friendly. Furthermore, the costs may exceed the initial ambition of a project that was initially intended to be based on a greener future.
