The shares of Coopérnico are not subject to any kind of taxation.
However, if there is a distribution of dividends, they are subject to a definitive withholding tax, at the rate of 28% for the year 2018.

Cooperatives are autonomous, non-profit-making, free-constituent collective bodies with varying capital and composition, aimed at meeting the economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations of their members, and which are governed by a set of common principles based on solidarity and democracy.

The seven cooperative principles are: 

1. Free and voluntary membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations open to all people without social, racial, political or religious and gender discrimination. 

2. Democratic management by members
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by cooperators, who participate actively in policy-making and decision-making, and are guaranteed the right to vote, on an equal footing with all members.

3. Members' economic participation
Members contribute equitably and democratically control the capital of their cooperatives. At least part of this capital is normally common property of the cooperative. Cooperators shall receive, when appropriate, limited remuneration for subscribed capital as a condition for membership and shall allocate surpluses to one or more of the following objectives:

• development of their cooperatives, possibly through the creation of reserves, some of which at least will be indivisible;
• benefit of members in the proportion of their transactions with the cooperative (return);
• support for other activities approved by members. 

4. Autonomy and independence
Cooperatives are autonomous self-help organizations controlled by their members.If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or resort to external funds, they should ensure democratic control by their members and autonomy as cooperatives.

5. Education, training and information
Cooperatives shall promote the education and training of their members, elected representatives, managers and workers so that they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They should inform the public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and advantages of cooperation.

6. Cooperation between cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members more effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, regional, national and international structures.

7. Concern with the community
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities, through policies approved by their members.

It is the economic participation of the members. The members contribute equitably to the capital of the cooperative and control it democratically. This capital is usually common property of the cooperative and condition for membership. The minimum entry may not, however, be less than the equivalent of three equity shares which, in the case of Coopérnico, have a value of € 60. Only after the adhesion, and payment of the respective titles, can a member be involved in activities and participate in projects of the cooperative.

There are several ways to participate in our project, namely: 

1. You can become a member of the cooperative. In order to join, just fill in the form and buy at least 3 shares, with a total cost of 60 €;
2. You can be an investor-member participating in our projects: investment in Coopérnico´s renewable energy projects has interesting long-term returns that combine economic benefits with environmental and social benefits;
3. You can participate in a working group: Coopérnico seeks to evolve through the contribution of its members;
4. You can cooperate voluntarily, if you have knowledge and/or experience that you believe may be useful to us;
5. You can be potential partner/supplier. We always try to turn to local suppliers, so we appreciate you sending all the information that you deem appropriate.

These bonds do not necessarily have a fixed remuneration and can only be remunerated if there is distribution of surplus resulting from the activity. Such surpluses may also be earmarked for the development of the cooperative, possibly through the creation of reserves, to the benefit of members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative, or to support for other activities approved by members after fulfilling all legal obligations established for cooperative organizations.

We are often asked, "What do people gain by becoming members of the Coopérnico?" 
And the answer is always the same: "There are multiple benefits." And it's true. There are those who join Coopérnico because they believe in a decentralized, renewable model or because they want to be part of a civic movement and change to a reality where people can be part of the decision process. There are also those who come because they see a good opportunity to use their savings in a positive way through investing in renewable energy production projects. And there are those that review themselves a little in all of the above. Still, we always ask, "Should there be more benefits for Coopérnico members?" Faithful to our mission and vision for the energetic future, we want to go even further and give people more reasons to join us. That´s why, from 2015 we will make renewable energy enter our homes and businesses, making possible the purchase of green electricity, at a fair price, through the cooperative of which we are all owners.
Coopérnico, the first social company, to provide green electricity in Portugal.

Based on the bylaws, members may be individuals over the age of eighteen and legal persons who, commensurate with the objectives of the Cooperative, are admitted as such by the management.Admission as an effective member of the Cooperative is made through a written request, electronic mail or platform made available on the cooperative's website.Once the application has been submitted and payment of the equity shares has been made, the proponent is conditionally admitted as an effective cooperator, and the Director must, within a period of sixty days, ratify or revoke the said conditional admission, without the need for a statement of reasons. In the event that the Board decides to revoke conditional admission, the cooperative shall return the amount of subscribed social capital to the tenderer within seven working days without any other compensation.

A renewable cooperative is a cooperative whose objective is to promote sustainable development and a cleaner energy sector by investing in renewable energy, thereby satisfying the social, economic and environmental needs of all citizens.

Renewable energies have many advantages: 

• They are sources of clean energy, without direct emission of any pollutants.
• They use renewable sources, which means they do not contribute to the depletion of the planet's resources.
• They do not contribute to climate change because they do not cause Carbon Dioxide emissions. 

Coopérnico's projects, by promoting the production of renewable electricity through small projects, also promote decentralized production, contributing to the decrease use of electricity grids and therefore less waste of energy during its transport throughout the power grid.

According to the statutes of the cooperative, more specifically under Article 16 (1) (b), only natural persons over 18 years of age and legal persons who, by committing themselves to the objectives of the Cooperative, are admitted as such by the management can be members. However, it is possible to transmit the titles by endorsement by signing the same titles signed by the transferor and recorded in the record book of the cooperative, once the minor reaches the age of majority according to number 2 of article 23 of the articles of association.

You can send us a message with your questions in the "contacts" option of our web page or through the following means:
E-mail: info@coopernico.org
Phone: (+351) 213 808 236 

The person in charge will try to answer your questions as quickly as possible.

Please confirm that you have correctly entered your e-mail adress and password. If you have forgotten your password, you can try to recover your password through the link that says: Forgot your password?

In order to become a member of Coopérnico, you must acquire at least three Coopérnico shares (60 €). You can make the purchase through the Participate menu of this site.

As a member of the Coopérnico you can actively participate in policy-making and decision-making, and you have the right to vote, on an equal footing with all members.You can also participate directly in the renewable projects for the development of a sustainable economy and through this participation receive an interest rate that the said investments will generate, investing in other projects, raising or giving another use to its amortized capital.You will promote sustainable development and a cleaner energy sector and, in addition to being profitable for investment savings, you will also help the environment.

The interest on the capitals applied in the cooperative will be deducted at the rate in force at the time of payment. This rate currently stands at 28%.The payment to investors in Coopérnico projects is made with the partial return of the capital over time, as exemplified in the simulations available on our website, on any project page: http://coopernico.org/en/projects

Coopérnico finances its projects through the investment of its members. Members use part of their savings in investments in small renewable energy projects in which each one can own the part that he/she wishes. The minimum amount to invest and investment conditions may vary from project to project. Our goal is for projects to have a return for investors of 3% per year and the minimum amount to invest right now is € 250.

If management is requested to anticipate the reimbursement, the cooperative may proceed to make the totality or fraction of the amount requested available on the secondary market.If there is another cooperating party interested in making available the equivalent amount to reimburse in advance, it may, by written agreement, operate the substitution, without being subject to any penalty and upon payment of interest due up to the date of such reimbursement.

Coopérnico's projects were developed under the legal regime applicable to the production of electricity from renewable resources, through mini-production units, regulated by Decree-Law nº34 / 2011 of 8 March.The miniproduction regime, which has since ceased to exist, allows the sale of all the energy produced to the public service electricity grid (RESP) at a subsidized rate, with a 15-year contract being established for this purpose. This subsidized regime, coupled with the fact that in Portugal the number of hours of solar exposure is very constant and high, makes investments in Coopérnico projects at almost zero risk. Although the legal framework has changed, the contracts signed are honored by the State and the payment of tariffs is assured until the end of them.

The partial return of the capital invested over the investment period is defined according to the investment plan and allows the anticipation of capital and investment in other projects of the Coopérnico or the withdrawal from the same (see in the simulator available on the page of any project: http://www.coopernico.org/en/projects).

In order to participate in Coopérnico projects, you must first become a member of our cooperative.

There are many reasons to participate in Coopérnico projects but we highlight the following:

1. Sustainable investment: investment in renewable energies has economic, environmental and social benefits;
2. Environmental advantages: investment in renewable energy contributes to combating atmospheric pollution and climate change. It also contributes to reducing the use of fossil fuels;
3. Social advantages: the projects developed between Coopérnico and social solidarity organizations are also a way of helping them to finance themselves, making use of unused spaces (roofs or vacant lots, for example);
4. Conscious investment and creation of real value: each investor knows exactly where the capital that he/she decides to invest is being applied on and that it is being used for a positive end;
5. Partial return of capital invested over the investment period: defined in accordance with the investment plan, allows the anticipation of capital and investment in other projects of Coopérnico or it withdrawal (see the simulator available on the page of any project: http://www.coopernico.org/en/projects);
6. Attractive interest rate without unexpected commissions: Coopérnico projects have an interesting remuneration compatible with the social and environmental scope of the project;
7. Investment safety: Coopérnico has experienced professionals in the planning and installation of PV solar modules. Also the number of hours of sun exposure is very constant and predictable;
8. Strong model: Although Coopérnico is an innovative initiative in Portugal, this is an economic model that has already shown positive results in countries such as Spain, England, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, USA, Canada or Denmark;
9. Promotion of local economy: Coopérnico gives preference to the contracting of Portuguese suppliers and, whenever possible, suppliers from the same places where the projects are implemented;
10. Portuguese sun: the source of energy used by Coopérnico, until now, is the sun. A resource that Portugal has in abundance and that will help our projects to produce more;
11. Success of previous projects: Coopérnico has 16 projects in full operation since 2013, some with results above initial projections;
12. Transparency and integrity: they are pillars of our way of being and functioning. Information on the cooperative and on investment projects is available online at our website.

Coopérnico is naturally interested in the collaboration that promotes the implementation of renewable energy projects, especially in the rooftops of IPSS (ONGs).In order to better evaluate the potential of the proposed projects we need to know some characteristics of the installation sites to better verify the conditions and potential. In order to expedite the process, if you are able to do so, we ask you to send us an electricity bill from the facility where you believe there is potential for electricity production infrastructures and an aerial image (if available). You can write to info@coopernico.org. We will give the best follow-up to your project idea and will contact the person who will best know how to manage the evaluation process and its requirements.

For a correct assessment we suggest that you just ask for an assessment of the potential of your home for self-consumption after it has been habited for at least 3 months, although the ideal period is 12 months of electricity bills.

For a correct sizing, you must send 12 months of electricity bills to the company you choose to supply the systems. It is customary for consumption to be different throughout the year and as such the system has to respond to these variations in the best possible way.

1. It is necessary to take into account the type of roof (flat or inclined).
2. In the case of sloping roofs it is necessary to know its orientation (preferably oriented towards the south).

Yes. You can choose to install a system of smaller dimensions to respond to the minimum consumptions you have during the day, which includes appliances such as the refrigerator. However, it is still relevant to send the electricity bills for better sizing of the system.

No. The self-consumption system is able to match the share of its consumption, but it never ceases to be connected to the national electricity grid. The part of your consumption that is not satisfied by the self-consumption system will be purchased from the network. The self-consumption photovoltaic system does not provide power to your home at night and during the day may not provide enough at peak consumption or in periods with or without sun.

No. Given the legislation for the production and self-consumption unit, the selling price for energy injected into the grid is so small that it does not become profitable at all. The UPAC (Self-Production Production Unit) is regulated by decree-law No. 153/2014 of 20 October.

Registration must be done with DGEG (Direcção Geral de Energia e Geologia), through the electronic portal of DGEG (http://www.dgeg.pt). The registration fees depend on the characteristics of the self-consumption unit, such as the installed power and if it intends to inject into the network. The periodic registration and inspection fees are in accordance with the provisions of article 19 of Administrative Rule no. 14/2015 (https://dre.pt/web/guest/pesquisa/-/search/66321164/ details / maximized).