Portugal
2 November 2023
Inspiring the Future Through Forests and Innovation
On Portugal’s Bioenergy Day, over 600 students from 26 classes joined a creative mission: to explore the power of renewable energy through art. Organized by AIMMP – the Portuguese Wood and Furniture Industries Association – in collaboration with ENplus®, the event raised awareness about the benefits of using wood pellets in schools as a smart, sustainable energy choice.
Through a national contest, children expressed their vision of bioenergy by creating artistic works using pellets. Their prize? A gift to the environment: marine pine trees to be planted at the kids’ school. More than a competition, the initiative planted seeds of environmental stewardship, teaching the next generation about the value of forests and the role of renewable energy in a cleaner future.
Battling Energy Poverty in Portuguese Schools with Tecpellets
In 2019, Tecpellets in Portugal launched a program that uses biomass from city green areas to provide affordable, sustainable heating to schools. It’s been successful in reducing energy poverty in public buildings and has gained local support and popularity among parents.
Energy poverty is a reality in Portugal and specially in public buildings such as schools. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children to have to wear jackets inside the classroom during the winter.
Starting in 2019, Tecpellets has a program for biomass exchange, receiving raw material from the city (which results of the cleaning process of green areas, as parks) and delivering pellets to some schools in the region, that have changed to biomass heating. Thus, providing cheap, sustainable and local heating and effectively fighting energy poverty in public buildings.
The program is so well received that the local authorities mention this initiative of Tecpellets in their public interventions.
In Tecpellets words, the project also had a marketing effect since parents understood how interesting pellets heating is and became users.
Portugal
2023
Bioenergy Day:
2
November
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