Solar Community Project Vale de Santiago

The Solar Community Project in the village of Vale de Santiago, Odemira - Beja - is structured as a Renewable Energy Community (CER), called CER Monte Alegre, consisting of a Renewable Electricity Production Unit for Self-Consumption (UPAC), without energy storage, which aims to provide solar energy to five users:

• Three (3) Residential Buildings, namely, three single-family housing buildings existing in the village of Vale de Santiago;
• Two (2) Commercial and Service Buildings, namely a local commercial building (grocery store) and a private sector service building (bar-cafeteria)

Through this pilot project, Monte Alegre aims to fight against the depopulation of Vale de Santiago, diversifying the village's economy into innovative and sustainable sectors, and starting to change the narrative in rural areas, taking advantage of the enormous solar resources available in Alentejo.

The long-term goal of CER Monte Alegre is to transform Vale de Santiago into the first 100% sustainable village in the Alentejo, with a smaller carbon footprint and less volatile to economic fluctuations or future energy crises. This is especially true considering that the Alentejo is one of the European regions with the most hours of sun per year.

Monte Alegre Association, which is promoting the pilot project, believes that this project is not only a necessary step but also a paramount one towards achieving a more energy-independent and cleaner Alentejo.