Sotavento was highlighted as an example of good practice by RENFORUS initiative (Renewable Energy Futures for UNESCO Sites).

The main objective of this initiative, which involves territories distributed in 117 countries around the world, is to provide the international community with global climate change field observatory sites involving the sustainable use of environmentally sound renewable energy sources in UNESCO Sites (Biosphere reserves and World Heritage Sites).

RENFORUS promotes good practice case studies, namely projects that have demonstrated positive results in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency and have the potential to be replicated.

Sotavento is a successful example of public private partnership initiative that combine their efforts in the field of renewable energy, linking power generation with the educational activity and the ability to create a smart offer for visitors in a biosphere reserve.

The Wind Farm is located in “Terras do Miño” Biosphere Reserve and it was included in the category of “RES – Education&Tourism” because it opens the possibility to develop new forms of intelligent and responsible tourism, where renewable energy knowledge becomes an attractive.

Its selection of Good Practices was made in respect to the following key criteria: Representativeness, sustainable energy governance, diversity of scope and outcomes, effectiveness and successfulness, environmental sustainability, economic feasibility and technical practicability, participatory approach, replicability and adaptability, relevance for local energy sustainability, etc.

For more information about RENFORUS initiative: http://www.renforus.net/

 

With more than 1.500 people on average per month, we continue being a referent in the field of the dissemination of renewable energies and energy efficiency in Spain.

Half of formal education centers of Galicia sometime visited our facilities and, in many of them, the activities of Sotavento are stable part of their educational programs.

The number of accumulated visitors is over 218.500 people from different parts of the Galician, Spanish and international geography.

University students and technical visitors were the most numerous groups of 2013. People in primary and secondary education, families, tourists, and other people complete the other visits.

Sotavento releases website with new design and new contents.

INTERACTIVE
The new website presents important news and a greater interactivity. In this field, users can access rea-time and historical data from wind farm renewable facilities. For example, we can see real, provided and historical data about speed, direction, frequency and predominance of the wind; production, efficiency and CO2 avoided of wind turbines, etc. It also contains comparisons between forecasts and real-time data.
On the other hand, a complete interactive area allows calculate our ghost and standby consume and help us choose an appliance and the more efficient lighting for each case. In addition, we can check systems to reduce water consumption.

R&D&I EXECUTED PROJECTS
The new design allows surfing the website in a simple and intuitive way and know in detail the research and educational projects by Sotavento.

WEBCAM AND 360º PHOTOS
A webcam located 20 meters high in the tower of a wind turbine can be connected to the facilities of the Wind Farm in real time. Furthermore, you can view spectacular 360º panoramic photos from the top of a wind turbine, control room, bioclimatic demonstration house and various outdoor areas.

EXPERIMENTAL WIND FARM VISITS
Through this new version you can manage the visit to Sotavento and you can download the photo of the visit.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE NEW WEBSITE
Technically the web, based on standard open source CMS (Content Management System), has Javascript and websockets technology and can be accessed from any current device.

Sotavento was this year the center of the Global Wind Day activities organized in Spain by The Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE) because Xermade, one of the municipalities in which it is located, was winner of the Eolo Award to rural integration of wind. This award, now in its second edition, is organized by AEE with the aim of highlighting the socio-economic values of the implementation of wind energy in rural areas.

The II Eolo Award was given to Xermade for being a model in wind development. Xermade is a town dedicated to subsistence agriculture and livestock that used the resources generated by wind power to create wealth and jobs.

Xermade, with about 2,100 residents, has three wind farms with a total of 82 MW installed, which directly or indirectly employs 20% of the total population. In addition, 20% of the municipal budget also comes from this energy source and it is used to improve the quality of life for residents: aid for birth, improvement of the social services, rehabilitation of buildings, social housing, etc.

The award was a video recording that reflects the benefits that wind power generated in Xermade. This video premiered at the Wind Convention that AEE celebrated in Madrid on 12 and 13 June and it was shown to the residents of the municipality in Sotavento on 15 June, coinciding with the Global Wind Day activities, in which over 300 people participated.

In addition to the various authorities invited to the event, other participants, divided in children and adults, visited different wind areas of the Wind Farm: control room, inside a nacelle, inside a wind turbine, Project of Accumulation of Hydrogen, etc. Younger also flew kites and, with adults, they could see a helicopter land and take off, a hot air balloon or the operation of a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

The event ended with the participation of all attendees at a balloon release where children wrote their wishes and wind transported them later.

 

Earth Day was celebrated on April 22 in different countries. The celebration of this event began in the United States in 1970 and now, 42 years later, it’s celebrated in most countries of the world.

This celebration was born to reflect on the problems of overpopulation, pollution production, conservation of the biodiversity and other environmental concerns to protect the Earth.

From the Sotavento Galicia Foundation we invite to reflect on the impact of human activities on environment and to carry out individual and collective actions to make more rational use of energy, reaching a sustainable development.

Posts navigation