Now you can sign up to consume municipal solar energy
Local people and businesses in Barcelona can now sign up for the new shared self-consumption service, with registration open from 25 November to 23 December. This initiative will make solar energy available that is produced by photovoltaic panels in public space. The project will help bring savings on energy bills and combat climate change.
Barcelona City Council has opened up the registration period to apply for the new municipal shared self-consumption service. Local people and businesses within a maximum distance of 1,000 metres of two power-generating infrastructures can apply: the pergola above the Ronda de Dalt, in Passeig Vall d’Hebron, in the district of Horta-Guinardó, and the one in Plaça Alfonso Comín, in the district of Gràcia.
Applications for the service will be fulfilled through a public competition on the municipal website launched to provide support for people in the process. Two information sessions are also planned for local people, the first at the Espai Putxet (C/ Marmellà, 13) on Monday, 2 December, at 6.30 pm, and the second at the Centre Cívic la Teixonera (C/ Arenys, 75) on Thursday, 12 December, at 6.30pm.
In all, service will be provided to 86 consumers in the public competition, with 41 places reserved for vulnerable households, which will not need to carry out the administrative procedure, with an assessment conducted according to social criteria through the Area for Social Services. The service has an associated public price of 70 euros a year for every 500W of shared energy, which will be 100% covered in the case of vulnerable households.
The requisite for accessing the service, for all users, are:
- Being the named holder of an electricity supply contract.
- Having an electricity meter within a maximum of 1,000 metres of the photovoltaic installation.
- Changing the supply contract to self-consumption (this does not entail a change of company). Barcelona City Council will assist new users during this process.
- Using the service for a minimum of one year and a maximum of four.
Assessment criteria:
- In the case of families, the process will take into account the number of people living in each household, up to a maximum of 15 points.
- For tertiary consumption, assessment will also account for a maximum of 15 points. Five points if users have been part of the Comerç + Sostenible network for more than two years. Five points for staying open continuously (without closing at lunchtime) and three points for split opening hours. And, up to five points for contracted power rating: five points for under 10kW of contracted power, three points for between 10 and 20kW of contracted power and two points for more than 30kW.
The goal of the measure is to make solar energy available to citizens which is generated by photovoltaic installations in public space. The City Council will thus be sharing this clean and sustainable locally produced energy with local people, without these having to invest in photovoltaic structures. The City Council will execute the installation, maintain it and ensure its optimum use.
The new public service is an instrument that contributes to energy transition in the city as part of the Climate Plan. With this initiative, Barcelona becomes a leading city in offering the first municipal shared self-consumption service with citizens. The forecast is for households using this service to be able to save around 100 and 150 euros a year on their electricity bills.
Two photovoltaic generation infrastructures
The pergola above the Ronda de Dalt is located in Passeig Vall d’Hebron, in the district of Horta-Guinardó. It has a power rating for 43.25 kWp and an estimated generation of 54,063 kWh a year. The installation should provide service to 56 households via the public competition and 26 vulnerable households. The City Council will use 2.25kWp to supply municipal facilities in the vicinity.
As for the pergola in Plaça Alfonso Comín, in the district of Gràcia, this has a power rating of 24.32kWp and an estimated generation of 30,400kWh a year. In this case, the installation should supply 30 homes through the public competition and another 15 vulnerable households. The City Council will reserve 1.5kWp to supply municipal facilities in the vicinity.
The intention is to launch this municipal pilot project in the next few months, once the administrative process is completed. The results and methodology will be assessed to continue rolling out the service at other points in the city with municipal infrastructures installed in public space.
