From Guest Blogger Emie-Claude Lamoureux: First Self-Consumption Solar Energy Project in Girona Province, Spain
The municipality of Viladamat (pictured) – a quaint village with a population of 440 – launched an innovative crowdlending project. Located in the province of Girona, in the north-east of Catalonia, Viladamat is the first municipality in the country to ever use crowdlending to finance a self-consumption solar installation.
It is the first time in the history of Spain that a town council sought crowdlending services to upgrade their community hall. If you think of the wealth of cultural landmarks that surround Viladamat, it seems only fitting that they embrace a new historical milestone.
Self-Consumption Solar Installation
When it comes to upgrading a building, few things are essential than implementing a self-consumption solar installation. A self-consumption solar installation holds all the key ingredients to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity bills.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the upcoming self-consumption solar installation in Viladamat, Girona.
What is self-consumption?
Self-consumption uses on-site solar energy production to provide for its own electricity needs. When electricity is consumed at the same location where it is generated, it no longer has to be transported over the grid.
To clarify, the electricity that is typically needed for consumption no longer has to be purchased via the public power grid. For residents who grow weary of the volatile electricity costs, self-consumption solar installations prove to have a significant return on investment.
Viladamat Community Hall
On March 6, 2017, ECrowd! launched the first crowdlending phase to finance the self-consumption project in Viladamat. It involves the installation of 12 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules on the roof of the community hall. The campaign was more than successful – it is already fully financed!
Self-consumption solar installations are gaining ground throughout Europe.
For this reason, the town council suggested using ECrowd! as a means to finance the investment. ECrowd!’s crowdlending platform prizes investing in local self-consumption projects as they ensure future energy savings and show concise economic gains for the community.
But there is more to it than alternative financing. The town council wanted to engage the residents of Viladamat to take part in this energy transition. Accordingly, ECrowd! only accepted loans from Viladamat to fun this self-consumption solar installation.
Local Contributors
SUNO – a Girona-based firm that specializes in energy engineering services – was in charge of putting together a study and proposal for the self-consumption solar installation. In total, 8800 euros were required to finance it.
For Viladamat, ECrowd!’s crowdlending campaign was strictly local, also known as a Km Cero campaign. The town council of Viladamat wanted to instill a democratic approach. This meant that the smallest contribution a moneylender could offer was 50 euros and at most 500 euros. Setting limits on the contributions ensured that the maximum amount of Viladamat residents could participate in this exciting innovative project. Residents can expect their loans to be reimbursed over a period of 3 years with a yearly interest rate of 3.5%.
It’s pretty amazing that the town council chose to invest in a self-consumption solar installation financed by its own local residents! Overall, 12 solar PV modules with a peak power of 270 W will be set up on the same sloping roof of the community hall. This will be enough electricity to fully power the community hall.
Energy Savings
Solar PV panel installations are quite popular as they bring an efficient and consistent source of electricity. For once the costs of solar PV panels is equal to or less than the cost of conventional energy from a wall outlet. It makes sense for municipalities like Viladamat to take the lead on this transition!
Putting in place the solar PV panels enables the community hall to decrease its yearly consumption by 20%. This implies that each year, the town council will save up to 1000 euros. Furthermore, the community hall will decrease its CO2 emissions by 2.5 Tons per year.
How do solar photovoltaic (PV) panels work?
Solar PV panels convert solar energy into electricity by the use of photovoltaic cells that collect the energy. Today, these cells are generally made up of silicon. When the sun strikes the molecules in the photovoltaic cells, it knocks electrons loose. As they circulate through the panel they produce electricity.
Once electricity is produced, it creates a direct current (DC) that is carried on through a power cable. This direct current (DC) is thus converted into an alternating current through an inverter. An inverter is an electronic device that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
The alternating current (AC) is then used to power the community hall electric appliances. These include the heat pump, air conditioning, lighting, elevator, computers and other small appliances.
Installation Details
SUNO will place the inverter in the community hall garage, which will link the underground cable to the meter cabinet. This self-consumption project is composed of a three-phase solar inverter.
In other words, the installation includes solar PV panels, an inverter, and a monitoring system. A three phase solar inverter ensures solar energy harvesting and greater electricity production. It is important to mention that the community hall will not release or sell any excess electricity production back to the local electrical grid.
Self-Consumption in Viladamat
In the end, everyone gains. Local residents invested in a self-consumption project that offers a higher interest rate as opposed to a bank’s saving account. Correspondingly, the town hall engaged Viladamat residents in participating in this exciting clean energy transition. And SUNO – a local Catalonian company – acquired a new contract without the financial burden of deferred revenue. In whole, the members of an entire community are now active players in the self-consumption transition.
For more information on Viladamat’s self-consumption project, including its investment details, go to the project page.
