Portugal's photovoltaic power generation exceeds the 1GW milestone

    Portugal has a photovoltaic operating capacity of more than 1.03 GW, making solar energy the third largest renewable Complete Home Solar System energy source after hydropower (7.1 GW) and wind power (5.4 GW). However, photovoltaic power generation is still the country's resource with the greatest growth potential.

    The Portuguese General Administration of Energy and Geology recently released the latest statistics on renewable energy, including data from the autonomous regions of Azores and Madeira.

    As of the end of October, the country's installed renewable energy capacity reached 14.5 GW, of which photovoltaic power generation accounted for about 1.03 GW. The newly installed solar power generation capacity in the first 10 months was 124 MW, mainly unsubsidized large-scale photovoltaic power plants that were integrated into the Portuguese grid this year.

    The country’s installed photovoltaic capacity accounts for about 3% of the country’s total electricity demand. However, as the Portuguese authorities allocated approximately 2 gigawatts of solar power in the first two photovoltaic auctions in the country, this proportion is expected to increase substantially in the next few years.

    In addition, 3.5 GW of solar power generation may also be adjusted in the next few months, because the grid operator REN promises that if the developer assumes the responsibility of strengthening the transmission grid, it will approve more large-scale solar power plants to connect Power grid. An example of this type of project is the 257 MW power plant planned by Spanish national power company Endesa and Portuguese developer Hyperion to develop in the city of Evora. The Divor power plant will be built with 57,111 solar panels and a 10 MW energy storage system, with two hours of autonomy. The estimated annual power generation capacity is 400,000 MWh.

    As of the end of 2011, the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in Portugal was only 174 MW. This means that in the past ten years, the country's cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation has grown at an average annual rate of more than 50%.