Portugal
2 November 2023
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.