First it was Cádiz, and now it's Barcelona. The Catalan capital has decided to forgo traditional electricity companies and establish its own municipal public energy supplier. Called Barcelona Energía, it will only purchase electricity generated from renewable sources. The City Council estimates it will save half a million euros annually. Barcelona Energía will be operational in the summer of 2018.
The Barcelona City Council approved the creation of Barcelona Energía last Friday with the support of all municipal groups except the PP, which abstained. The new energy supplier will operate through the public company Tractament i Selecció de Residus SA (Tersa) and will be the largest 100% publicly owned electricity company in Spain.
The launch of the energy supplier reflects the City Council's commitment to playing an active role in the energy market, as stated on its website. Its objective is to lead the transition to energy sovereignty , based on increasing local renewable energy generation, reducing energy consumption, using energy rationally, and guaranteeing its supply for all.
Barcelona Energía can also become the market agent for energy surpluses produced in municipal self-consumption facilities. In addition, the city council is studying the creation of three main tariffs in the local electricity market: the first, for city councils and municipal corporations; a second for small customers (including those who generate electricity) and a citizen tariff, which will take into account a specific price for people in a situation of energy poverty.
Economic savings as one of the pillars of Barcelona Energy
One of the most important points highlighted in the creation of Barcelona Energía is savings. The municipal government estimated a saving of around 500.000 euros per year in the cost of purchasing electricity. This amount is due to the reduction of intermediaries in the purchasing process and the acquisition of energy directly from renewable producers.
In addition, transparency in billing and the elimination of safety margins that large retailers usually apply will mean that Barcelona Energía will offer more competitive rates. These savings will not only be reflected in the City Council's coffers, but also in the bills of end consumers, which will lead to a significant change in access to clean and affordable energy.
Barcelona Energy's long-term vision and objectives
Barcelona Energía aims not only to supply energy, but also to drive a profound and radical change in how the city relates to energy. The long-term goal of this energy supplier is to promote self-generation through solar photovoltaic self-consumption and maximize the use of clean energy throughout the municipality.
This effort to promote self-consumption includes the development of infrastructure for solar energy, both in homes and businesses. Through different incentive programs, citizens and companies are encouraged to install solar panels in their buildings, becoming consumers and producers of energy (prosumers).
Barcelona Energy: benefiting both businesses and citizens
Since 2019, the energy supplier has extended its service to the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), representing a significant step towards energy decentralization. Barcelona Energía currently supplies electricity to over 12.000 points of supply , including both municipal and private facilities. This has also allowed for greater tariff flexibility, with rates designed to meet the needs of each type of consumer.
- The classic fixed rate: an option for those citizens who prefer to pay the same price for electricity regardless of the time of day.
- The variable rate: for those who wish to pay at market price, with the advantage of obtaining lower prices during off-peak hours.
- The solar tariff: Designed for homes with a photovoltaic installation, allowing for maximum savings and efficiency.
In addition to these tariffs, Barcelona Energía has also designed a plan for shops and small businesses, offering options such as the solar tariff for businesses , which encourages the installation of solar panels on the premises to reduce energy costs and contribute to solar self-consumption.
Comparison with other public marketing companies
One distinguishing feature of Barcelona Energía compared to other electricity companies is its focus on sustainability and close customer relationships. Barcelona Energía's management model can be compared to other public energy retailers, such as Comercializadora de Cádiz or the public company Enercoop in Alginet, Valencia. However, some of these have more limited models, as they do not manage such extensive supply points or do not focus on 100% renewable energy.
Other companies like Endesa or Iberdrola , although they market renewable energy, do not have the same levels of transparency in tariffs nor the significant metropolitan reach that Barcelona Energía has.
This makes Barcelona Energía a model for other public companies to follow in the field of renewable energy and price transparency.
Challenges and opportunities in the future of Barcelona Energy
As Barcelona Energía expands its consumer base, it also faces significant challenges, such as demand management and investment in renewable infrastructure. Furthermore, in the current context of climate change and instability in global energy markets, it is imperative to continue moving in the right direction.
The expansion into other municipalities in the metropolitan area is a key opportunity , as it will not only allow for greater penetration of renewable energy, but will also consolidate Barcelona Energía as the largest and most efficient public energy supplier in Spain, setting a precedent.
Through bilateral agreements with renewable energy producers and the use of biogas and solar photovoltaic energy , Barcelona Energía plans to meet a significant portion of the local energy demand. The construction of new power plants is just one step toward this goal. Collaboration with other entities and municipal councils is expected to increase clean energy production capacity, ensuring a constant and increasingly independent supply.
Vision for the future: energy as a social right
Barcelona Energía doesn't focus solely on energy efficiency or cost reduction. A key pillar of its philosophy is the fight against energy poverty . This public energy supplier has implemented a social tariff , designed to help vulnerable citizens by ensuring that access to energy doesn't depend on the user's financial means.
This tariff has been designed to meet the needs of families or individuals at risk of energy poverty, offering reduced prices and a guaranteed supply.
Finally, the Decidim Barcelona Energía participatory platform allows citizens to play an active role in decisions that directly affect energy management. Through this participatory model, the aim is to increase transparency and ensure that energy policies remain aligned with the needs of the population.
Olot (Girona) creates the first air conditioning network based on three renewable energies
The Olot City Council, in the capital of the Garrotxa region of Catalonia, has just launched the first renewable trigeneration heating and cooling network . It was inaugurated by the President of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont. The system, which supplies heat, cooling, and electricity to the center of Olot and features an automated intelligent control system, was implemented by a joint venture between Gas Natural Fenosa and Wattia.
The project makes this city in La Garrotxa the first in all of Spain with a renewable energy trigeneration system, representing a major step forward for energy sovereignty and the efficient use of local energy resources. The system combines geothermal, photovoltaic, and biomass technologies and has the capacity to heat and cool multiple buildings, resulting in significant savings in both emissions and energy costs.
Environmental and social impact of this new infrastructure
Beyond energy efficiency, this infrastructure will also have a positive impact on the environment . It is estimated that the new system will save the equivalent of 750 tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 290 hectares of forest can absorb.
An advanced energy distribution network
The Olot air conditioning network, which is approximately 1.800 metres long, has been designed to provide air conditioning to a total of 7 key facilities in the city, including the old Sant Jaume Hospital, the Garrotxa Regional Museum, the Montsacopa residence and the Municipal Market.
Future perspectives for Olot and renewable trigeneration
These types of projects offer great opportunities to replicate the model in other municipalities across the country and even in larger cities. Thanks to the technological involvement and the use of local forest resources, the use of renewable heating and cooling is expected to continue growing in the coming years.
Barcelona and Olot, despite being projects of different scope, represent a clear example of how the transition to renewable energy can be managed at a local level with an inclusive and sustainable approach. The success of these projects will motivate other cities to follow the same path in their energy transition towards a sustainable, fair and efficient model.
In short, both Barcelona Energy and the Olot trigeneration project are outstanding examples of how the fight against climate change can be led by municipal management. The creation of public infrastructure and suppliers not only favours the reduction of emissions, but also empowers citizens, giving them tools to actively participate in the transition towards a sustainable and fairer energy model.