Barcelona City Council carries out a pilot test with the photovoltaic paving developed by Sorigué
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Barcelona City Council carries out a pilot test with the photovoltaic paving developed by Sorigué
April 28, 2021
The sustainable urban innovation promoted by Sorigué takes an important step forward with the installation of 50 m² of solar paving in Plaça de Les Glòries in Barcelona.
Barcelona City Council has unveiled the first pavement that captures sunlight and transforms it into electrical energy. Developed by Sorigué and the Hungarian company Platio, this technology is a specific proposal for sustainable urban innovation that not only generates clean energy, but also reuses resources for its production.
The initiative was the winner of the competition “Generating pavements: How can we incorporate local renewable generation into the city's pavements?”, promoted in 2019 by Barcelona City Council, through the Energy Agency and the Commissioner for Digital Innovation, with the support of the BIT Habitat Foundation. The aim of the competition was to identify potential solutions for local renewable generation in pavements and to analyse the feasibility of implementing them in streets, squares and access roads in Barcelona.
The competition began with a pilot test presented this Wednesday on a plot of land next to Plaça de Les Glòries in Barcelona, where 50 m² of photovoltaic paving has been installed to determine its potential.
Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor for the 2030 Agenda and Digital Transition, Eloi Badia, Councillor for the Climate Emergency and Transition on behalf of Barcelona City Council, and Joan Pons, Head of Innovation at Sorigué, participated in the presentation of the project, along with other authorities from the city council and representatives of the company.
"We promote an open innovation programme that seeks to align our knowledge with the interests of external actors. The project is the result of this process. The solution we are implementing today follows the sustainability criteria we seek in each of our activities: energy efficiency, low environmental impact and excellence in quality," said Joan Pons.
Solar pavements
Designed with electrical wiring and covered with highly resistant, non-slip glass, the new modules operate like normal urban paving stones that can be walked on. However, their uniqueness lies in the fact that they have a power of 9 kWp, which allows them to generate 6.7 kWh of energy.
The initiative was the winner of the competition “Generating pavements: How can we incorporate local renewable generation into the city's pavements?”, promoted in 2019 by Barcelona City Council, through the Energy Agency and the Commissioner for Digital Innovation, with the support of the BIT Habitat Foundation. The aim of the competition was to identify potential solutions for local renewable generation in pavements and to analyse the feasibility of implementing them in streets, squares and access roads in Barcelona.
The competition began with a pilot test presented this Wednesday on a plot of land next to Plaça de Les Glòries in Barcelona, where 50 m² of photovoltaic paving has been installed to determine its potential.
Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor for the 2030 Agenda and Digital Transition, Eloi Badia, Councillor for the Climate Emergency and Transition on behalf of Barcelona City Council, and Joan Pons, Head of Innovation at Sorigué, participated in the presentation of the project, along with other authorities from the city council and representatives of the company.
"We promote an open innovation programme that seeks to align our knowledge with the interests of external actors. The project is the result of this process. The solution we are implementing today follows the sustainability criteria we seek in each of our activities: energy efficiency, low environmental impact and excellence in quality," said Joan Pons.
Solar pavements
Designed with electrical wiring and covered with highly resistant, non-slip glass, the new modules operate like normal urban paving stones that can be walked on. However, their uniqueness lies in the fact that they have a power of 9 kWp, which allows them to generate 6.7 kWh of energy.
In this first pilot test, the pavement was connected to a nearby Bicing point in self-consumption mode to monitor the energy generated in real time. The installed surface area is expected to generate 7,560 kWh/year, which is the total energy consumption of three households. This represents a saving of 2,722 kg of proportional carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Over the next six months, the Barcelona Energy Agency will monitor the installation to assess compliance with the planned objectives and determine the possibility of replicating the model in other parts of the city. The monitoring committee will be made up of representatives of the Barcelona Energy Agency, BIT Habitat, the Commissioner for Digital Innovation, Espai Urbà, BIMSA, the Sant Martí district, Sustainable and Social Urban Innovation and Sorigué.
Sorigué Challenge results
The promising energy solution presented in the city of Barcelona has its origins in the Sorigué Challenge, a platform promoted by the group's Innovation Department to encourage talent in different fields. The Hungarian company Platio was one of the four start-ups chosen in that challenge and since then, it has worked in partnership with Sorigué for the exchange of knowledge and the generation of new products such as photovoltaic paving. This work responds to the new urban challenges and forms part of the business group's Strategic Plan in its Innovation section.
The solar pavement is a benchmark in architecture and sustainability that is easy to integrate into the urban space thanks to its modular design. This zero-emission energy solution also uses sustainable waste, such as recycled plastic and glass, for its production. A high-quality engineered product, this paving guarantees high resistance to impacts, loads, abrasion and harsh weather to establish itself as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. In addition to its use in urban spaces, Sorigué and Platio have designed this solar paving to be installed in buildings and for residential applications, such as pool lights and home energy, among other options.
Over the next six months, the Barcelona Energy Agency will monitor the installation to assess compliance with the planned objectives and determine the possibility of replicating the model in other parts of the city. The monitoring committee will be made up of representatives of the Barcelona Energy Agency, BIT Habitat, the Commissioner for Digital Innovation, Espai Urbà, BIMSA, the Sant Martí district, Sustainable and Social Urban Innovation and Sorigué.
Sorigué Challenge results
The promising energy solution presented in the city of Barcelona has its origins in the Sorigué Challenge, a platform promoted by the group's Innovation Department to encourage talent in different fields. The Hungarian company Platio was one of the four start-ups chosen in that challenge and since then, it has worked in partnership with Sorigué for the exchange of knowledge and the generation of new products such as photovoltaic paving. This work responds to the new urban challenges and forms part of the business group's Strategic Plan in its Innovation section.
The solar pavement is a benchmark in architecture and sustainability that is easy to integrate into the urban space thanks to its modular design. This zero-emission energy solution also uses sustainable waste, such as recycled plastic and glass, for its production. A high-quality engineered product, this paving guarantees high resistance to impacts, loads, abrasion and harsh weather to establish itself as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. In addition to its use in urban spaces, Sorigué and Platio have designed this solar paving to be installed in buildings and for residential applications, such as pool lights and home energy, among other options.
