Energy Communities
Agriculture
What is the project?
The Tools4AgriEnergy initiative, coordinated by INESC TEC, aims to explore the complementary relation between the activities of the agricultural, livestock and agrofood sectors, focusing on SMEs and the establishment of Renewable Energy Communities and Collective Self-Consumption; the endeavour will also foster the development of collaborative networks and a digital platform for the management of said communities and consumption model. The different activities planned for the next two years are another step towards decarbonising the energy system:
- Technologies and business models;
- Business models;
- Financing.
Who are the participants?
Committed to valuing Renewable Energy Communities and exploring synergies, entities part of this innovation network (companies and industrial agents) aim to make better use of locally produced energy and reduce power and water supply costs.
This project, part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Innovation Agenda for Agriculture 20|30 – Terra Futura, brings together several entities: INESC TEC, EDIA, FENAREG – Federação Nacional de Regantes de Portugal, National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, COTR – Irrigation Technology and Operating Centre, the SMEs Figueirinha, Fortune Melody, Lia Orelha, Ptachio, Queijaria Vasco and Pacheco and Risca Grande. The consulting company VALOR also supports this project.
Pilot project concept
EDIA's primary responsibility lies in water supply, resulting in high energy consumption for pumping. The objective is to build a REC with EDIA as CM and investor on floating PV panels in the waters reservoirs to power the pumping system. Since watering occurs mainly in dry months, electricity surplus can power other local industries that have their maximum activity when the watering season ends, profiting from the potential complementarities between the resources and industrial activities.
