POWERTY: energising communities to combat poverty

In Torreblanca, Seville, unity is strength  when it comes to energy transition. Five European regions, including Andalusia, have taken part in POWERTY, a project under the Interreg Europe initiative that supplies energy from renewable sources to the most vulnerable communities. But POWERTY goes further, according to Joaquín Villar, Head of Internationalisation, Innovation & Singular Projects, at the Andalusian Energy Agency.

"Energy poverty is a problem that affects 50 million people in Europe," he explains. "Torreblanca's motto is not to be known for poverty, for theft, for everything else, but to be known as a district that is committed to renewable energy, to energy communities, in other words, we give power to the municipality."

Torreblanca is the the fourth poorest district in Spain. Around 18,000 people live here. The Torreblanca Ilumina association had set itself the challenge of creating an energy and education community by 2020, following a donation of solar panels. Some of these have now been installed in two of the district's public schools.  POWERTY provided the resources and the management, and also hope, says the association's Macarena Luque Guillén: "With the roofs of the two primary schools that the town council has allowed us to use. The idea is that these two roofs can be filled with photovoltaic panels so that many more families in the neighbourhood can benefit."

For the pilot project, just a few solar panels were installed in two state schools.** (Principe de Asturias and Vélez de Guevara.) Together they produce 15 kilowatts of energy, which the primary school pupils use at home and in class. Marcos Sánchez López, Head Teacher, of Vélez de Guevara primary school says the panels do more than provide