Iberdrola has installed the largest community solar program in the state after reaching an agreement with the El Palmeral community of property owners. The plan began with the rollout of the first photovoltaic solar energy systems on the roofs of twelve residential blocks in the Palm Grove area, according to the company.
The solar plants empower residents to access renewable energy for self-consumption without needing personal installations or upfront investments, with Iberdrola acting as the project executor.
This community self-consumption model enables users to receive 100% renewable energy produced from the twelve rooftops that host the installations. The system comprises 533 panels with a total capacity of 246 kilowatts, sufficient to generate about 369 megawatt-hours per year. Over the next thirty years, these solar facilities are projected to prevent roughly two thousand tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Through these solar communities, 512 homes and 40 facilities will participate via El Palmeral subscriptions, allowing residents to reduce electricity bills by consuming a portion of the energy generated locally. In addition to savings from the installation itself, participating homes will enjoy favorable terms with additional discounts on their electricity supply.
The article notes that some of the solar panels have been installed, with ongoing work and further information available.
Joaquin Longares, Iberdrola’s commercial representative for the Valencian Community, described the project as a turning point and a socially meaningful initiative. It demonstrates a concrete agreement between the neighboring property owners of El Palmeral and Iberdrola, offering innovative, sustainable energy solutions that also create local employment during construction and provide self-consumption energy to nearby residents.
Iberdrola’s activity creates a significant impact in the Valencian Community
The company also highlights improvements in tasks related to customer billing for excess energy through innovations in energy products. Individual customers with Iberdrola plans can invest surplus energy beyond the consumption period, enabling the possibility of a zero-euro bill and the benefit of applying surplus value to another home owned by the same customer.
Calculations from the company estimate annual bill savings from self-consumption at about 30% for neighborhood communities, 50% for companies and businesses, and up to 70% for detached houses. These savings come from three sources: energy produced by the installation that the user does not need to purchase, compensation for excess energy exported to the grid, and tax advantages that reduce overall costs.
Another photo shown features a view of the El Palmeral buildings in Alicante, illustrating the ongoing project.
Iberdrola is described as leading the photovoltaic self-consumption market in Spain by serving about 40% of customers using this approach, according to the company. In 2015, the firm became the first in its sector to integrate self-consumption solutions into its service portfolio.
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In the current year, the power company has positioned itself as a top player in this segment, with a notable year-over-year expansion of its self-consumption portfolio. Through the Smart Solar initiative, Iberdrola offers services to a wide range of customers, from households to large industrial users.
Collective self-consumption solutions enable service across all customer types, whether or not they possess their own insurance coverage. These customers also have access to a Solar Power Plan, which provides a competitive electricity tariff during periods when the sun is not shining, ensuring energy drawn from the grid only when necessary during daylight hours when self-supply from on-site installations is insufficient.