Elhuyar bet on energy self-consumption by the Goiener cooperative
- Elhuyar has placed 126 solar panels on the cover of its headquarters.
- It will generate 35% of the energy it consumes annually and avoid the emission of nearly 17 tonnes of CO2.
- Works have been done to improve the energy efficiency of the building: rehabilitation of the façade and improvement of the thermal envelope.
In the Strategic Plan 2019-2023 Elhuyar was aimed to be a greener organization. In this sense, he has done work to improve the energy efficiency of the building and thus reduce its carbon footprint. The two main works have been to improve the insulation of the building and to take a step forward in energy sovereignty by using solar energy, through a self-consumption installation. To this end it has had the collaboration of the Goiener cooperative, of which Elhuyar is a partner, a relationship that has been consolidated in recent years. On the one hand, Goiener has offered support to Elhuyar to improve energy efficiency and, on the other, Elhuyar has shared with Goiener his knowledge in the fields of Euskera and citizen participation, while incorporating an approach to improve energy efficiency in scientific dissemination.
On the road to a greener entity, Elhuyar has placed 126 solar panels on the roof of its headquarters, covering a surface of 252 m2. These 47-kW follicles will generate 35 % of the annual energy consumed by Elhuyar, and 31 % will be an energy surplus to be incorporated into the network. This facility will avoid the emission of almost 17 tonnes of CO2 per year. The CO2 absorbed per year shall be equivalent to that absorbed by 1,882 trees. The self-consumption installation project has been carried out by the Nafarkoop cooperative of the Goiener group.
In addition to the installation of solar panels, works have been carried out to improve the building, both in isolation and in appearance, giving it a more modern image in the context of the 50th anniversary. Thus, the facade has been rehabilitated and isolated, the cover has been isolated and the windows have been changed. This improvement work is expected to reduce annual building energy expenditure by 24% and annual CO2 emissions by 16.8%.
Within this strategy the electric vehicle has also been chosen, with the installation of two charging points in the building and the jump to the use of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
In order to carry out this work, EUR 260,000 has been invested, 31% funded by the Basque Energy Agency.