Santa Cruz de Tenerife 19 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The Government of the Canary Islands inaugurated the Cándid Nice Institute of Secondary Education (IES) this Wednesday, a project initiated last July.
“The launch of this facility marks the beginning of an ambitious initiative where we count on invaluable and committed support for ecological transition, enabling all educational institutions under our jurisdiction to install photovoltaic panels,” stated Poli Suárez, the head of the Department of Education, in a press release.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano H. Zapata, praised the advancement of this initiative, emphasising the collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Education to meet energy efficiency targets in the educational establishments across the Canary Islands.
“Both councils are collaborating to install photovoltaic panels in 48 centres throughout the Canary Islands, funded by the Next Generation funds,” noted Zapata, who highlighted an additional 600,000 euros allocated for enhancing photovoltaic energy generation in educational facilities.
“With a total investment of around 2.5 million euros for this initiative, we are progressing towards our energy transition goals, which are particularly crucial for La Palma, where renewable energy penetration is a mere 8%, in contrast to the 21% across the Canary Islands,” he added.
Photovoltaic Panels in Seven Centres
The initiative includes the installation of photovoltaic panels at seven educational institutions in La Palma, managed by Beautiful Energy, aimed at reducing electricity consumption and enhancing energy efficiency.
Structured as a demand-driven agreement over twenty-five years, extendable in five-year increments up to a maximum of forty, this innovative concession enables Beautiful Energy to utilise the roofs of these institutions, which are owned by the Ministry of Education, for the installation and operation of photovoltaic panels.
The energy generated from these facilities will be allocated to the energy community and a portion of the production will be shared with the most vulnerable families in their respective communities.
This arrangement complements the ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Professional Training, Physical Activity, Sports, and Ecological Transition and Energy to further integrate renewable energy in the public sector, specifically for the development of photovoltaic energy aimed at self-consumption within Canarian educational institutions.
