Portugal's renewable energy boom

Each of the 2,520 giant solar panels at Amareleja, Moura district, are the size of a house and as technically sophisticated as a car Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

The solar farm is expected to supply 45MW of electricity a year - enough for 30,000 homes Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

The reflective heads of the solar panels tilt to the sky at a permanent 45 degrees as they track the sun through 240 degrees every day. Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

“We need to act urgently to avoid irreparable damage to the planet. What seemed extravagant in 2004 when we decided to go for renewables now seems to have been a very good decision”, says Manuel Pinho, Portuguese economic minister Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

Alto Minho wind power park in northern Portugal is the largest wind park in Europe, with 130 turbines Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

A German company now employs more 1200 local Portuguese people to build 600 fibreglass wind turbine blades a year, each 40-metres long Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

In less than three years, Portugal has quadrupled its wind power, thanks to long-term price guarantees from the state, and lack of planning delays Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

Half the workforce are women who used to work in the declining textile industry Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

Companies are expected to invest £10bn in renewable energy in Portugal by 2012 Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

Employees paint the huge wind turbine blades. Portugal expects to lift the proportion of its electricity provided by renewables from 20% in 2005 to 60% in 2020 Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

“When you have a programme like ours there is no need for nuclear power. Wind and water are our nuclear power," says Pinho Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian