The country's first solar community for a village, promoted by Iberdrola España, is recognized as Europe's best sustainability initiative

• SolarPower Europe's Solar Sustainability Award 2023 recognizes the "visionary project" of the first self-consumption energy community installed for the 400 inhabitants of a village.

• The awards were presented in Brussels and recognize the best sustainability players for their work to maximize the positive impact of solar energy on communities, the climate and the environment.

The community solar project launched by Iberdrola España in the town of Cedillo has been awarded as the best European initiative at SolarPower Europe's Solar Sustainability Award 2023, which was presented on December 7 in Brussels and recognizes the best sustainability players in the industry for their work in maximizing the positive impact of solar energy on communities, the climate and the environment.

The aim of the award is to highlight and share the industry's best practices in sustainability and thus advance the industry as a leading sustainable energy technology and was open to any company that has undertaken significant activities to improve sustainability through the use of solar energy. In the case of the solar community promoted by Iberdrola España in Cedillo, the jury highlighted its status as a "visionary project" for setting up a self-consumption solar community in a town of 400 inhabitants, "which all the neighbors can join and benefit from savings of up to 50% on their bills".

The SolarPower Europe's Solar Sustainability Award 2023 organization selected two other finalists in this edition, together with Iberdrola España's initiative in Extremadura (Trina Solar and Fronio), although the award finally went to the solar community installed in the town of Cáceres, the first in Spain for an entire village.

Cedillo Solar Community

Iberdrola España started up the Cedillo solar community last June, which has been awarded this European prize. It is a system of small photovoltaic plants that the company has installed on the roofs of seven municipal buildings and on land provided by the City Council, with a combined nominal power of 355 kW of renewable energy. Since then, the local residents and businesses that have joined the solar community have been able to start saving the equivalent of 50% of the municipality's annual consumption on their bills.

With the creation of this first solar community for an entire village, Iberdrola España aims to contribute to the development of this town of 450 inhabitants and to tackle depopulation by attracting new residents to the municipality. Thus, new residents will be able to benefit from this measure for the next five years. Likewise, neighbors who have not yet registered will be able to join the community within a year.

The Cedillo energy community project recently received the Iberdrola Convive Awards, with which the company recognizes and gives visibility to initiatives, alliances, companies, actions or local entities that exemplify the integration of renewable energies with socioeconomic development and nature in Spain.

The town of Cedillo is an example of the contribution of renewable energies to the sustainable development of rural areas. Socioeconomic development and biodiversity conservation are two key elements of Iberdrola's decarbonization strategy, thus demonstrating that clean and sustainable energy supply can and must coexist in harmony with people and nature.

Iberdrola España already has more than twenty renewable energy facilities in Extremadura, and the region is a key enclave for the development of solar energy. More than 30% of the power that the company will install in the country during the period 2020-2025 will be deployed in the community, which will mean more than 2,800 MW and an investment of more than 1,700 million euros.

The region currently has more than 5,200 MW installed, 4,100 of which are renewable, of which more than 2,000 MW correspond to the 15 solar plants in operation in both Cáceres and Badajoz. Some of them are as emblematic for the company as Núñez de Balboa or Francisco Pizarro.

Commitment to renewables

As part of Iberdrola España's commitment to renewable energies, it has already started up two photovoltaic plants in Cedillo, with a combined installed capacity of 100 MW; the Majada Alta (50 MW) and San Antonio (50 MW) plants, which have been operational since August 2022.

Another large photovoltaic project is also underway in Cedillo, with 375 MW, which will have the capacity to supply 178,000 homes with clean energy and will prevent the emission of 77,000 tons of CO2 per year when it comes into operation. This facility will have more than 576,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels, which are more efficient as they offer more useful surface area for capturing solar energy. The estimated production of this plant is 582,456 MWh of 100% green energy per year. 

Extremadura has become one of Iberdrola Spain's growth regions, with nearly 5,500 MW installed, 4,500 of which are renewable, including hydroelectric, solar and battery stations.