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The objective is to give families some autonomy in the event of power cuts. The Government program should have a format similar to E-Lar.
The Government wants solar panels supported through future voucher systems integrate storage batteriesinvesting in photovoltaic mini-generation as a way of reinforcing families’ energy autonomy. The intention was announced by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, at a press conference.
According to the official, the Executive is studying a support model aimed at small-scale photovoltaic systems, associated with batteries, intended for single-family homes and apartments. The objective is to allow consumers to have access to a minimum level of energy autonomy in situations of interruption of electricity supply, with special focus on more vulnerable or isolated areas.
“We want to be flexible and don’t impose too many limits“, explained Maria da Graça Carvalho, quoted by .
The mechanism under study should be based on a voucher system, similar to other instruments already used by the State to encourage energy investments in the residential sector, such as the E-Lar gas appliance replacement program. This format would allow quick application of support and more direct access for consumers, reducing the time between application and equipment installation.
Program financing It’s not closed yet. Among the hypotheses being evaluated is the use of remaining funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), although the Government does not exclude other sources of financing that may be considered.
The focus on mini-generation with storage reflects a broader strategy to reinforce energy resilience in Portugal. Recently, the European Commission published a report that points to Portugal “as an example in energy renewal and the fight against energy poverty”, with more than 85 thousand energy renovations in residential buildings and the launch of the National Energy Poverty Observatory.
