Solar panels in Gipuzkoa /
Half of the municipalities in the territory are already working on projects to save and generate energy in homes through a network of solar panels
Gipuzkoa has gotten its act together in the face of the energy crisis, with Russia cutting off gas as the ultimate consequence, caused by the War in Ukraine and inflation. And to charge them, it begins to use renewable energy and zero kilometer energy. 45 municipalities in the territory, half plus one, are immersed, to a greater or lesser degree, in energy community projects to generate electricity through solar photovoltaic panels. Most of them are towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants, but little by little, with the encouragement of the Provincial Council and the Basque Government, larger municipalities such as Eibar, Pasaia or Errenteria are being added. In Donostia there are also a couple of projects underway to set up energy communities.
Three of them, in Orexa, Larraul and Zumarraga, are already operating at full capacity and generating electricity for neighbors through photovoltaic panels. The objective of the Diputación is that in a decade the 88 municipalities of Gipuzkoa have created their own community. A whole boom that was born before the Ukraine War caused an energy crisis, and that hopes to take hold to lighten an electricity bill that does not finish lowering. The map of the energy communities of Gipuzkoa is somewhat complex as different institutions and cooperatives intervene, which in turn, despite being private initiatives, have public aid and European funds, another of the pillars for the development of this strategy.
The pioneers are Orexa, independent with institutional help and which generates 70% of the electricity it needs, and Larraul and Zumarraga, under the regional umbrella. In the latter case, being a larger municipality, for now it generates only 25% of what they need. The Provincial Council also sponsors a total of 21 municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, most of them in the Tolosaldea region. The regional entity has so far allocated 3.5 million euros, of which one million come from European funds, and has recently approved another 400,000 euros in aid to create another fourteen new energy communities, many independently created, in municipalities such as Eibar, Errenteria, Andoain, Pasaia or Donostia itself in the Berio area. They are grouped under the name TEK (Tokiko Energia Komunitateak).
through the general network
The Basque Government, through the Basque Energy Entity (EVE), supports some of the most important under the Ekiola brand, such as in Donostia itself or in the Leintz Valley, which groups Arrasate and the municipalities in the area. Urretxu or Zumaia are others under the umbrella of EVE. All of them are being set up to come into operation in the coming months. Some will manage to start this year and others may take a little longer. In addition, there are several autonomous initiatives in different municipalities, which have both provincial and regional government aid, among which Hernani (Enherkom) or Azpeitia (Argindar) stand out. Another one is planned in Leitza, in Navarra.
The idea is to collect solar energy through the panels and distribute it through the general network so that it reaches subscribed homes and businesses, which must be located within a radius close to the installation, which is usually around 500 meters. The Provincial Council calculates that for this year a total of 5,000 families will benefit from the group of energy communities, both theirs and those of other entities.
District heating, an alternative to hot water in Beasain
The Basque Government and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council work hand in hand in the energy communities. The regional deputy for the Environment, José Ignacio Asensio, explains that he foresees more measures such as ‘district heating’ (urban heating through an energy center) as an alternative to the supply of heating and hot water, which is being promoted in Beasain . Asensio defends that these measures “fight against climate change and energy poverty.”