AIP Foundation Group and EDP create Portugal's largest energy community | edp.com

Demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and efficient energy use, the AIP Foundation Group and EDP Comercial have signed a contract to install a 5.1 MWp solar power plant on the roofs of the four pavilions of the Lisbon International Fair (FIL). 

Over an area of 44,000 m2 that is not visible from outside of the building and following the iconic undulating shape of the roof, more than 9,000 photovoltaic panels will be installed. These panels are expected to produce around 6.8 GWh/year, avoiding 1,250 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions that would be captured by approximately 57,000 trees.

Located in the eastern part of Lisbon, this central will host Portugal's largest Energy Community, actively engaging local communities in the energy transition. While FIL will only use a portion of the energy generated by the panels on its roofs, it has allocated the remaining space to EDP for installing additional panels to be shared with families and businesses within a four-kilometer radius, all connected to the same electricity grid substation. 

The AIP Foundation Group will consume close to a third of the energy produced by the plant through its activity such as fairs, congresses, and other events at FIL, enabling approximately 50% independence from the electricity grid. This partnership also allows the Group to achieve savings of more than 60% on its electricity costs at FIL, significantly reducing its environmental footprint and promoting the use of renewable electricity in the community in which it is located. Neighbours participating in this project will receive up to 35% discount on their monthly electricity consumption in their homes, stores, or businesses, while contributing to the energy transition in their neighbourhood.

"The promotion of solar neighbourhoods in Portugal has been a priority for EDP, aligning perfectly with our core objective of accelerating the energy transition in Portugal and Europe by involving as many families and companies as possible. Partnering with FIL, which shares these same values, allows us to take advantage of unused space to generate renewable energy from the sun, with no visual or environmental impact, benefiting over five thousand neighbours. EDP has been a pioneer in creating Solar Neighbourhoods, and we are very proud to collaborate with the AIP Foundation, to establish the largest such neighbourhood in Portugal, located in an iconic area of the capital," says Vera Pinto Pereira, executive board member of EDP.

These solar panels will make a significant contribution to making Lisbon a more sustainable city, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting the fight against climate change.

Carlos Duarte Oliveira, Vice-President of the AIP Foundation, explains, “For the Group, it is essential to reduce its carbon footprint, comply with ESG indicators, and implement sustainable practices across all areas of activity. All these projects align with the significant growth expected in the group's activities over the coming years, always in alignment with sustainability ideals and optimizing energy usage. For example, since last March, the group has operated a solar power plant on the roof of the Lisbon Congress Centre (CCL), which now supplies 42% of its energy consumption. Additionally, the recent establishment of a dedicated area within the organization aimed at implementing best market practices in sustainability, aligned with ESG indicators, is also noteworthy."

Since 2020, EDP has been developing Solar Neighbourhoods in Portugal to boost the transition for numerous companies and families. Currently, EDP has contracted around 3,400 energy communities with customers, with the potential to add over 100 MWp of solar capacity to Portugal and share benefits with up to 90,000 neighbours. Applications to join the FIL/EDP Solar Neighbourhood will soon be available on the EDP Comercial website.