The Albaterense Charitable Electric Cooperative has taken a key step in its history with the launch of new solar farm 'Manuel Serna Serna'A photovoltaic installation located in the municipality of Albatera aims to change the way residents consume energy. After nearly a century of supplying electricity to the town, the company is reinforcing its commitment to a more sustainable, local, and economical model.
The official opening was held on Tuesday, April 21st, at 12:00 pmIn an event that brought together top-level institutional representatives and the cooperative's management, the solar farm not only represents a historic investment for the organization, but also marks a turning point in its history. collective self-consumption in the Valencian Community, with a direct impact on the finances of hundreds of member families.
An institutional act that reinforces the role of the cooperative
The presentation of the 'Manuel Serna Serna' solar farm was attended by a broad political and social representation, reflecting the relevance of the project for Albatera and the surrounding area. The event was attended by the President of the Valencian Government, Juanfran Pérez Llorca; the President of the Alicante Provincial Council, Toni Pérez; the Mayor of Albatera, Ana Serna; and the President of the Board of Directors of the Albatera Charitable Electric Cooperative, Manuel Serna Cánovas.
During the event, institutional leaders emphasized the importance of promoting renewable infrastructures linked to the territorymanaged locally with direct participation from residents. The mayor highlighted the impact the new community garden will have on the reduction of electricity costs of the households in the municipality, while the president of the Generalitat described it as the beginning of a broader strategy to extend this type of initiative in the Valencian Community.
For his part, Manuel Serna Cánovas focused on the collective effort that made this installation possible, recalling that it is the largest investment made by the Cooperative throughout its history. He also took the opportunity to thank the partners for their support and patience during the years of the project's development, marked by administrative procedures and technical management.
A historic investment: 2,5 million euros and 3,1 MW of power
The origin of this solar farm dates back to 2017, when the price of energy It began to experience a series of continuous price increases that affected the cooperative's members. Faced with this situation, the entity decided to make a strategic shift and consider generating its own electricity through a photovoltaic plantthus reducing dependence on the wholesale market.
With the support of the members' assembly, it was agreed to allocate 2,5 million euros of own financing to this project. In 2020, the land, located in the municipality of Albatera, was purchased, and the adaptation of the site and the necessary procedures to build the new energy infrastructure began.
The result is a solar farm that features a area of ​​67.271 square meters, on which a total of 6.154 photovoltaic panels have been installed. This configuration allows for achieving a installed capacity of 3,1 megawatts (MW), placing the Albaterense Charitable Electric Cooperative as one of the benchmarks of collective self-consumption at the local and regional level.
According to data provided by the entity, the plant is designed to produce around 5,1 million kWh per yearThis renewable generation will also allow a significant reduction in polluting emissions, estimated by the cooperative at approximately 1,3 tons of COâ‚‚ less released into the atmosphere each year thanks to the operation of the solar farm.
Collective self-consumption and savings: up to 500.000 euros per year
Beyond the technical figures, one of the most striking aspects of the project is its model for distributing the energy producedClearly geared towards collective self-consumption. The recent expansion of the permitted self-consumption radius to 5.000 meters has been key to making it viable for a large number of the Cooperative's contracts to directly benefit from the garden's production.
As explained by management, each of the Cooperative's member contracts will have an assigned proportional share of the photovoltaic plantIn the words of Manuel Serna Cánovas, it is "as if solar panels were installed in each home or associated business," but concentrating the infrastructure in a single location, which simplifies management and reduces costs.
This design will allow us to achieve a estimated total savings of around 500.000 euros per year on members' electricity bills. This reduction is mainly due to the lower cost of energy during daylight hours and the decrease in tolls and charges typically associated with conventional supply.
The installation was therefore created with a very clear purpose: to protect members against the volatility of the energy marketOffering more competitive energy and predictable economic advantages in the medium and long term, the Cooperative hopes this project will also serve as an impetus for future expansions or new photovoltaic initiatives in the area.
The legacy of Manuel Serna Serna, a tribute to dedication
The solar farm is named after Manuel Serna SernaA key figure in the history of the Albaterense Electric Charity Cooperative. Linked to the entity for decades, he served as vice president from 1974 to 1999, a period in which he contributed decisively to the development and consolidation of the cooperative project.
As the current president recalled during the inauguration, Don Manuel combined his teaching job in the mornings with his dedication to the cooperative in the afternoons, spending long days in the office and personally addressing any incidents or problems that arose. This daily involvement left a deep mark on the internal workings and culture of the organization.
The Governing Council believes that a significant part of what the Cooperative is today is due to its commitment, perseverance and a vocation for serviceFor this reason, the decision to name the largest investment in the cooperative's history after him is intended as a lasting recognition of his career and a way to keep his memory alive among new generations of members.
In his speech, Manuel Serna Cánovas himself emphasized the symbolic nature of this gesture: the family of Manuel Serna Serna thus receives, in some way, a return for years of involvement, effort and selfless work at the head of the entity, now materialized in a project with a vocation for the future.
A cooperative with almost a century of history in Albatera
The inauguration of the 'Manuel Serna Serna' solar farm is better understood if it is framed within the long history of the Albatera Charitable Electric CooperativeIts origins date back to the late 1920s, in a context in which hundreds of electric cooperatives emerged in Spain, of which only a few dozen survive today.
In the case of Albatera, the cooperative was established in 1929 under the name 'La Albaterense'Since then, it has evolved into a business group comprising three companies: the Albaterense Electric Cooperative – Charitable Coop. V., Eléctrica Albaterense SL and Distribuidora Eléctrica Albaterense Nuestra Señora de la Luz SL
According to recent data from the entity, in 2025 the cooperative managed a total of 5.257 contracts through their marketing companiesThis figure represents approximately 75% of the group's total supply. In total, across all lines of business, the number of contracts reached 7.017 last year, highlighting the importance of this structure in the municipality's electricity supply.
Throughout these almost 100 years, the Cooperative has maintained a philosophy based on the closeness, direct treatment and in-person attentionThese elements continue to differentiate their service from other market operators. The new solar farm fits into this same logic, reinforcing local energy independence and maintaining a management model in the hands of the users themselves.
Social commitment, sustainability and energy future
Beyond its role as an energy supplier, the Albaterense Charitable Electric Cooperative stands out for its social vocation and its involvement with the life of the municipalityThe organization allocates approximately 30% of its annual profits to supporting the cultural, sporting and associative fabric of Albatera, contributing to the financing of local activities and projects.
In addition, the cooperative has a specific social bonus for the most vulnerable members, a tool that helps alleviate the electricity bill for households with greater economic difficulties and that reinforces the entity's commitment to the fight against energy poverty.
In the environmental field, the commissioning of the 'Manuel Serna Serna' solar farm represents a qualitative leap forward in the local renewable and sustainable energy productionThe energy generated will be solar, clean and local, reducing the carbon footprint associated with electricity consumption in Albatera and aligning the municipality with the ecological transition objectives set in Spain and the European Union.
During the inauguration, it was emphasized that this project is not an end point, but a starting point for further expanding renewable capacities of the cooperative. The president of the Generalitat pointed out that experiences like that of Albatera can serve as a reference to extend similar models of collective self-consumption in other municipalities of the Valencian Community.
With this new infrastructure, the Albaterense Charitable Electric Cooperative reinforces an energy model based on proximity, partner participation, and price stabilityThe 'Manuel Serna Serna' solar farm thus stands as a symbol of the combination between cooperative tradition and technological modernization, underpinning the energy future of Albatera with a clear commitment to solar energy, economic savings and social responsibility.
