Environment

"Pioneering" renewable energy scheme for tourist resorts

Seeking to install solar panels on official and tourist buildings (hotels). | R.L.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma15/08/2019 04:01

Town halls in the Balearics are to be invited to present pilot projects for the creation of what the regional government calls "renewable energy communities" in tourist resorts. This scheme will have an initial budget of 21 million euros, and it was announced on Wednesday by the energy transition minister, Juan Pedro Yllanes.

The idea is for resort areas to develop self-consumption that will enable clean electricity to be supplied to hotels as well as to public offices and private residences, especially those with people in vulnerable circumstances.

Yllanes explained that once all the projects have been submitted, five to ten of them will be chosen for the pilot scheme. The funding will be made up with 16 million euros of tourist tax revenue and five million from the private sector - hoteliers, most obviously. The minister stressed the importance of energy transition to the current government and of installing solar panels on official and tourist buildings (hotels).

Meetings with hoteliers are to be held at which the scheme will be discussed. Yllanes described it yesterday as "pioneering", adding that he believed that the hotel sector will be interested in being part of the energy transition in the Balearics. He noted that even when hotels are closed in winter they could gather solar energy that can be available for distribution.