Iberdrola España and the Santos Mártires Diocesan Foundation set up the first solar communities in Cordoba with which 1,200 families will cut back their electricity bills
- Generating an annual energy of 1,225 MWh, they will reduce the electricity bills of families who will be able to make use of renewable self-consumption without making any investment.
- The installation, which generates 100% sustainable energy, is located on the roof of the educational centres and will be available to the people of Córdoba.
Iberdrola España and the Santos Mártires de Córdoba Diocesan Foundation have set up nine solar communities in several of the institution's schools in the province of Córdoba.
The solar communities are installed on the roofs of the schools of Trinidad, Trinidad - Sansueña, San Rafael del Sr. Obispo, San Acisclo and Santa Victoria in the capital of Córdoba and in the schools of Ntra. Sra. De Gracia in Almodóvar del Río, San José in Priego de Córdoba and Divino Maestro in Carcabuey in the province.
A total of 1,750 panels were installed, for up to 850 kW, of which 25% will be used for the schools’ own consumption, allowing them to use 100% renewable energy free of emissions. The remaining renewable energy will be used for the first 1,200 families that sign up to use for themselves, so they can cut their energy consumption by up to 40%.
Annually, 1,225 MWh is expected to be generated, all of which will be 100% sustainable and local, which will prevent the emission of 6,700 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere over the next 30 years, equivalent to planting 340,000 trees.
These solar communities will benefit students' families and neighbours living up to two kilometres from the schools by signing on to them without any installation or investment necessary and with guaranteed savings by consuming the 100% renewable energy produced locally.
"This project is an emblematic example of Iberdrola España's investment to innovation in energy solutions, sustainability and commitment to the areas in which we operate by making self-consumption available to all residents. It is also a unique opportunity to consume locally produced energy, without any investment needed and enjoying the savings from the very start", says Borja Cañas Rodríguez-Rubio, Iberdrola's Sales Representative in Andalusia.
Alfredo Molero, Technical Secretary of the Santos Mártires de Córdoba Diocesan Foundation, highlighted the educational institution’s commitment to promoting and consuming its own clean energy, "which not only leads to economic savings for families and our own facilities, but also to greater energy efficiency benefits to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Following Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si', through this project we take care of our common home, our planet Earth".
The Santos Mártires de Córdoba Diocesan Foundation manages 16 schools, with a total of 5,000 pupils and 500 teachers, and is an educational model in the province of Cordoba. The Foundation is an initiative of the Diocese of Cordoba, which teaches the values of the Gospel to set itself apart in the educational panorama and works with families on the quality comprehensive and integrating education of their children.
What is a solar community and how does it work?
Iberdrola España's solar communities are based on collective self-consumption and consist of two main actors. The first are the owners of the roof who rents out unused space to install solar panels and generate 100% renewable energy to help them save on their electricity bill (in this case nine Santos Mártires Foundation schools in Cordoba).
Then there are the neighbours, who must be within a radius of up to 2 km from the roof, who can consume clean, local energy without any investment, installation or permanence through a subscription model, like any digital platform’s. In this case, it will allow 1,200 families in Córdoba to save on their electricity bills by accessing self-consumption without the need for any installation at home.
How to join the solar communities in Córdoba
Anyone interested in joining the solar communities can get information at the Iberdrola España Service Point in Córdoba, at Calle María Cristina, 2 (corner of Alfonso XIII), or by calling 607 23 45 30 (WhatsApp), where you will receive a personalised explanation on how to access this type of clean energy and the economic savings involved.
You can also join the solar community through the Iberdrola España Solar Communities website or by calling 900 92 33 33 33 free of charge.
Iberdrola España already provides more than 100,000 homes with their own self-produced energy through solar communities in Spain, of which 15,000 are in Andalusia.