One of the main activities at Monte Cerro is building the SolarVillage on a 5 hectare part of the property at Tamera. The technologies exist, and we can start building.
The SolarVillage is a settlement model for a future community or peace village. It can be generalised and can be established at any place on earth that has a fair amount of sunshine. The model that has been planned so far is a largely self-sufficient settlement for 50 people. It guarantees a self-sufficient supply of water, self-sufficient food production and a self-sufficient energy supply. These energy technologies, which are being used for the first time, go far beyond today's commercial solar systems. The spectrum of the further research and the possibilities for its use is so enormous that we are discussing building a special Technical School specifically for this. Here, people from all over the world could be trained.
In the SolarVillage, of which the first prototype is to be created in Tamera, two basic models of future existence have been brought together: a social and a technological model. Thanks to the cooperation with Jürgen Kleinwächter and his "Sunvention"Company, we are able to combine both models. In this way, the apprentices and students in Tamera can gain deeper insights into the concept of future forms of living together. The goal of the Sunvention technology is not only to guarantee a self-sufficient energy supply for communities, but also to use a technology that is independent of large industries and that creates interesting new jobs.
Currently, the following pilot plants are almost finished: a water pump that operates purely with solar thermal energy (i.e. without using photovoltaics), a Stirling machine for making electricity that also operates purely with solar thermal energy, a solar thermal plant for manufacturing building elements made of sand (for example walls for housing), a combined greenhouse facility (called the "envelope") that generates heat (for example for cooking and heating purposes), produces electricity and increases plant growth by increasing photosynthesis. These technologies are excellently suited for all sun-rich parts of the earth and they make it possible for regional development to be independent of globalisation.
The Sunvention technologies have been presented at various universities and institutes in Portugal, where they have elicited great interest. Cooperation is being established between Tamera and the Universities of Lisbon, Evora, Beja and Faro.
From the summer of 2007, Tamera will also participate in the international "Gaia University" and will take on the status of a "Campus of the Gaia University". It will be accredited with the IMCA (International Management Centers Association) and Revans University. The students could receive Bachelor's or Master's degrees within this framework.
Contact: Barbara Kovats - B.Kovats ( AT ) tamera.org
