The Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa has launched a photovoltaic installation. This technology is already located on the roof of the building for the electrical supply of the offices and companies located in the Business Incubator "La Incubadora." This installation is the first shared self-consumption on the island and one of the first in the Canary Islands.
As reported by the Chamber of Commerce in a statement, the 72 panels produce a power of 33.12 kilowatts peak (KWp), which enables an estimated annual energy generated of 58,620 kilowatt hours (KWh). "With this, it will be possible to save just over 56 tons of CO2 to the environment per year, the equivalent of planting 340 trees or eliminating the pollution produced by 40 cars circulating daily for a year," the organization pointed out.
For the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, José Valle, "this has been an important achievement to show that it is possible to reduce emissions and offset the carbon footprint of the island and its economic activity. Precisely that is one of the main objectives of the Sustainability Cluster 'Canary Net Zero' that we lead from Lanzarote and with which we are including different institutions and companies from all over the Canary Islands," he said.
"It is possible and it is also profitable"
This is an innovative bet that opens the door to installations of this type in communities of neighbors, shared buildings and serves to demonstrate its viability. The Chamber of Commerce aims to be an example and make visible "that it is possible and it is also profitable, as it already did in 2012 with the installation of the Photolinera", he pointed out in a statement.
In this way, the new installation, together with the work of the Single Window of Renewable Energies of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, located in the Chamber, "intends to continue disseminating and promoting the development of the green economy on the island", the institution remarked. For this, in addition to being a visitable installation, it will be possible to follow the production in real time through screens that show the consumption and production data live.
Where does the energy that is produced go?
The 33 kilowatts feed several meters that are distributed among 17 offices of La Incubadora, the halls and classrooms of conferences and training, and the 16 jobs that are located in the building of the Chamber of Commerce, both adjacent buildings. The ecocubierta also supplies energy to the charging point for electric vehicles that was changed a few months ago for a more modern one, with fast charging.
Subsidy with NextGenerationEU funds
The Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote has benefited from a grant of 24,750 euros through the incentive program linked to self-consumption and storage, with renewable energy sources, as well as the implementation of renewable thermal systems in the residential sector within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union - Next Generation.