Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Some 86 solar energy projects are now under way at buildings and around party walls in public spaces. The new projects will see the current production of 3.52 MWp from solar panelling rise to 7.2MWp, meaning an overall saving equivalent to 3,192 tonnes a year.

The generation of local renewable energy is one of the main areas of action for the city to achieve the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions set out in the Climate Emergency Declaration it signed in January 2020-

The city currently has 102 solar energy installations on the rooftops of municipal buildings and facilities, 15 on façades and party walls and 17 on pergolas in public spaces. All municipal solar energy installations are monitored so that production data can be gauged by the Barcelona Energy Agency.

Energy production public space

Solar energy generation on façades and party walls is particularly important for the visibility they represent and because they can be integrated with greenery. Examples include the Plaça de les Dones del 36, in Gràcia, and the party wall in Plaça de Tísner, where the Betevé headquarters are.

Out of the five new projects currently being worked on, one has now been finalised for the party walls of three homes around Mas Guinardó. The rest of the projects in the pipeline correspond to various walls by the ring roads, where the integration of solar panelling and greenery is being looked into.

The installation of energy producing pergolas in public space, the reconversion of existing ones and even energy generating pavements are good examples of using public space to create power.

Two projects of this type are currently in progress. One is the reconversion of the pergola in Plaça de Pilar Miró, in the Bon Pastor neighbourhood, which is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2021 and should provide local renewable energy for a nearby facility.

Three pergolas with solar panelling at the Ronda de Dalt

This week saw the completion of three solar pergolas in the new section covering the Ronda de Dalt, between the Mercat de la Vall d’Hebron and the Institut d’Hebron, in the district of Horta-Guinardó. The structure has two large panels with an area of 2,000 square metres just in front of the market, and two smaller ones along the avenue. The work required an investment of 1.7 million euros.

The structure has a power rating of 50 kM and will generate around 75,600 kWh, equivalent to the energy consumption of 33 households. The energy generated will be used for a local facility, making it a networked self-consumption installation.