- These awards acknowledge the contribution of projects to the fight against climate change and their commitment to innovation in the field of sustainability.
Endesa's solar apiary in Carmona is the winner of the second edition of the Retina Eco Awards promoted by Prisa Media and CAPGEMINI. This is awarded to the five best projects executed in 2021 for their contribution to the fight against climate change and their commitment to innovation in the field of sustainability.
The awards ceremony was chaired by Queen Leticia together with the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, in a ceremony in which the awards were presented to the five best projects chosen by a specialised jury from the more than 100 candidates that were presented.
Endesa was given the award in the Sustainable Economy category for its solar apiary in Carmona The award was presented by the Queen to the company's general manager for Sustainability who was accompanied by Juan Ignacio, the beekeeper in Lora del Río who takes daily care of the bees in the first solar apiary launched by Endesa in Spain.
Endesa's solar apiary located in the Las Corchas plant is a pioneering initiative in Spain that enables bees to manufacture honey inside a photovoltaic plant. This sustainable economy project consists of 20 traditional hives to which have been added two others equipped with the latest technology, with sensors for opening and closing, scales to measure the weight of honey, temperature control and even a camera to provide live monitoring of the state of the honeycomb.
The hives are located in a secure, fenced off enclosure that provides ideal conditions to produce honey of excellent quality as it includes a plantation of aromatic plants that enrich the product. This followed a prior analysis of the terrain, the type of panels and the shadow they cast.
The honey that these bees are producing and whose label was designed by a local association in Carmona, is being delivered to the nuns in the Convent of Santa Clara in the municipality. They manufacture sweets whose sale is intended for social purposes, while a local baker is also using this traditional and at the same time innovative product to make sourdough bread following ancestral recipes.
For more information on the Endesa project go to https://www.endesa.com/es/proyectos/todos-los-proyectos/transicion-energetica/miel-solar-creacion-valor-compartido-fotovoltaicas-carmona
For more information on the winners of the ReTINA Eco Awards go to https://premiosretina.com/
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in Spain. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. In addition, the new line of business has been created. Endesa X Way is fully dedicated to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.