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Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by codecamper on Friday May 20, 2016 @05:27AM (#11736522)
That's pretty amazing. I'm actually here in Portugal, down in the Algarve & you don't actually see very many solar panels or wind turbines around. Though there is a big geothermal plant not too far from here.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by jventura on Friday May 20, 2016 @06:42AM (#11736813)
Afaik, mostly relevant sources of geothermal power in Portugal are in the Azores islands (wonderful place to visit, btw). Regarding wind power, the highest locations are on the northern part of the country (above Lisbon), so most wind turbines are there. Same thing for water dams, as it is natural that most rivers and streams are on mountain's valleys.

Only solar power is quite pervasive, as Portugal is known to have a very high average number of days of solar exposure. I live some 3/4 kms of a quite big solar power array that is the source of the majority of electrical power in the nearby houses. And in Alentejo (just north of Algarve), you can find the Amareleja power station which in 2008 was considered the largest solar power array in the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moura_Photovoltaic_Power_Stati...).

Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by joaoaccarvalho on Friday May 20, 2016 @07:59AM (#11737063)
As others said you'll find more wind and hydro power in the north. As far as solar power is concerned, there's not so much in Portugal, because it was expensive until some couple of years. Nowadays we have a remuneration scheme that allows you to consume directly from your solar panel, thus not increasing the accumulated tariff debt (it is currently at ~5billion€. Spain is worse at ~27billion€. They invested in solar power too early)
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by ocschwar on Friday May 20, 2016 @02:51PM (#11740458)
A pity.

Portuguese solar can take a big bite out of French peak demand. The sun sets on Marseilles, and everyone's coming home for dinner, but there's still some sun in PT.

Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by bubuga on Saturday May 21, 2016 @04:42AM (#11743831)
IIRC, France has been very adamant in refusing to get its energy from spain and portugal due to political reasons. This became patently obvious in the EU's energy union negotiations, and in the way France insisted in forcing the so called Pyrenees power bottleneck (the only limitation to Spain and Portugal's ability to supply electrical energy to France)

http://www.reuters.com/article/france-spain-electricity-idUS...

Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by ocschwar on Saturday May 21, 2016 @11:21PM (#11747257)
Insane. The French prefer depending on Nigerois uranium instead of Portuguese solar? Unreal.

Learn a new thing every day.. Thanks

Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by griffinheart on Friday May 20, 2016 @05:37AM (#11736564)
I'm Portuguese but far from knowledgeable in matters of energy. Going north from Lisbon you'll start to see many wind turbines while in the freeway and inner roads.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by lagadu on Friday May 20, 2016 @05:43AM (#11736582)
You'll see a lot more in the centre of the country than in the south.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by glaberficken on Friday May 20, 2016 @05:33AM (#11736544)
That's probably a thermal-electric (gas/other type of fossil fuel burning station) To my knowledge there are no geo-thermal station in Portugal.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by nusq on Friday May 20, 2016 @05:44AM (#11736590)
Just so you can improve your knowledge, Portugal as geo-thermal power plants in Azores.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by glaberficken on Friday May 20, 2016 @07:08AM (#11736915)
Sorry had that edit open in a tab i ended up not submitting, you are of course correct =). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power_in_Portugal
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by bubuga on Saturday May 21, 2016 @04:37AM (#11743816)
> To my knowledge there are no geo-thermal station in Portugal.

There are,mainly in the Azores islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power_in_Portugal

Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by ascorbic on Friday May 20, 2016 @07:10AM (#11736922)
In the north they're everywhere.
Re:Portugal runs for four days on renewable energy alone by nelmaven on Friday May 20, 2016 @10:16AM (#11737936)
In Algarve, between Lagos and Aljezur there's quite a few wind turbines.