The Diocese of San Pedro Apostol participates in the “Oliver Energy Community” project, which aims to Providing free, local and renewable energy to 56 homes in the Oliver neighbourhood, as well as 5 social entities and the parish itself. The Environment and Development Foundation (ECODES) has been promoting the project throughout 2023, a project which has been strengthened by the award of the BBVA Sustainable Future Prize that will allow financing for the project. This energy community is the first at the neighborhood level to be launched in Zaragoza and one of the first nationally.
This project, in which entities such as the Dawn Foundation, the Oliver Aragon Neighborhood Association, La Pezindala, the Oliver Park Coordinator, Consulida Oliver and Dialoga also participated, is considering its installation this summer on the roof of the building. Church of San Pedro Apostol (Plaza Lolita Barra) Some solar panels whose energy will contribute to reducing demand on the grid, and thus bills, supporting economic savings and improving the local economy. Participation is open to the entire neighborhood, but special attention is planned to be given to the most vulnerable groups. People attending the activities carried out by the Energy Office provided for in the project will also be direct beneficiaries.
The association “Oliver Comunidad Energética” aims to organize activities related to energy consumption and participate in the community life of the neighbourhood. Information sessions are organized to explain the electricity bill and open the way for those interested to consult their own cases to clarify whether they can save or benefit from the social reward.
The main activities of “Oliver Comunidad Energética” will be as follows:
- Collective self-consumption of light energy. The Energy Community will be the owner of the collective self-consumption facility to be located in Oliver which will provide solar energy to 56 homes, as well as 5 social entities located in the neighbourhood. This energy will help reduce demand on the grid and thus bills. This saving means an improvement in the local economy. To participate in self-consumption, you will only have to pay a small annual fee that will be used to maintain and manage the energy community.
- Support and learning process. Households participating in self-consumption will also receive a support and learning process that will help them reduce their bills through conscious and efficient energy consumption, as well as through modifications to their contracts. So the money they allocate will be less, and they will also reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Energy Office. The Energy Community will promote and organize the development of activities related to energy culture and sustainability such as workshops, conferences, advice points or participatory processes. It will be directed to all residents of the neighborhood.
