With the Solidarity Solar project, EDP is bringing new energy to schools, under served or rural communities in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, the United States and Greece, expanding the path of energy transition and social transformation.
The sun is a powerful and inexhaustible source of energy. And if today it is possible to use this clean energy even more efficiently, the premise of a greener and more sustainable future, it is also true that access to this source can still be a privilege for many, especially for those who live in disadvantaged communities. That's where Solidarity Solar comes in, an EDP project that aims to make solar energy accessible to everyone. With this initiative, EDP is not limited to providing electricity – it also helps to create opportunities in these communities, contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive tomorrow.
Solar energy contributes to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming and climate change. Its use also helps reduce dependence on fossil energy sources, which are finite and non-renewable. And, in addition to being environmentally friendly, it is also distinguished by the economic advantages it offers, which can result in significant savings on electricity bills.
It is precisely with the aim of expanding access to this energy that EDP created the Solar Solidário project, yet another social impact initiative by EDP Y.E.S. – You Empower Society. In partnership with several organizations, this project promotes the installation of self-consumption solar panels in needy and rural communities in different countries where the group operates.
Ensuring access to clean and renewable energy in areas that do not have adequate electrical infrastructure is, in fact, the purpose behind the project, whose effects are reflected in the promotion of sustainability, social inclusion, improvement in the quality of life of residents and in local development.
Global Impact
As part of this project, more than 1,700 solar panels have already been implemented in communities and schools around the world, having already impacted more than 6,300 people and avoided the emission of more than 220 tons of CO2.
In Spain, in 2019, Cáritas de Vigo (Galicia) and the NGO Una Ciudad para Todos, in Gijón (Asturias) were the first to be awarded the initiative, followed by the Caritas centers of Córdoba, Osma-Soria, Andújar and Mondoñedo (Andalusia), and it is expected that other buildings in more regions of Spain will also benefit. With the installation of solar panels, these buildings start to generate clean and renewable energy, reducing electricity costs and contributing to the preservation of the environment and to the improvement of the quality of life of many people.
In addition, the project also promotes education and awareness about the importance of using green energy in the transition to a more sustainable economy. With the installation of solar panels, these buildings start to generate clean and renewable energy, reducing electricity costs and contributing to the preservation of the environment and to the improvement of the quality of life of many people. In addition, the project also promotes education and awareness about the importance of using green energy in the transition to a more sustainable economy.
In Brazil, a small solar power plant is being created to supply a community with 210 families in São Paulo. In this community that faces several challenges, including lack of access to basic services, such as water and electricity, EDP's initiative is also installing solar panels in many houses and carrying out environmental education activities about the use of sustainable energy.
Finally, in Portugal, the Solar Solidário project started in 2022 in the neighborhood of Cova da Moura, a community located on the outskirts of Lisbon, which faces challenges related to the lack of basic infrastructure, namely electricity. Ensuring access to renewable energy in communities that do not have adequate electrical infrastructure is one of the objectives of EDP's solidarity project. In this first action of the EDP project, around 150 families in the neighborhood each received two solar panels for energy production and an efficient refrigerator as a complement.
In 2024, Solar Solidário also reached needy communities in Kansas (USA) and Lycros (Greece), where almost 300 solar panels were installed in community infrastructures, mostly educational, from schools to universities.
