In 2022, the Municipality of Porto launched several initiatives to promote energy sustainability in municipal neighborhoods, including the installation of two photovoltaic systems in the Agra do Amial neighborhood and the Agra Primary School. These efforts are part of the “Asprela + Sustainable” project, co-financed by the EEA Grants, aiming to create renewable energy communities and foster local energy self-sufficiency. The photovoltaic systems in the Amial neighborhood have already helped families reduce their monthly electricity bills by around 40%.
Building on this project, on February 24, 2025, the Porto City Council unanimously approved the construction of four additional renewable energy production units for collective self-consumption in the neighborhoods of Mouteira, Francos, Lordelo do Ouro, and Fernão Magalhães, benefiting over 3,000 residents. Porto’s Deputy Mayor, Filipe Araújo, highlighted the positive impact already observed and expressed the intention to replicate the initiative in other communities. However, he also pointed out bureaucratic challenges, noting that while storage batteries were installed in June 2024 in the Agra do Amial neighborhood, the municipality is still waiting for authorization to activate them—delays that are preventing families from fully benefiting from the project.
The responsibility for constructing and maintaining these new units has been assigned to Águas e Energia do Porto, with an estimated base cost of €1.7 million, an investment that will be financed by the Porto City Council.
