- The initiative will enable this prestigious educational group, the fifth most important worldwide, to continue advancing along the path towards sustainability with the support and assessment of energy experts.
- The project is part of the Globeducate Eco Week programme and includes training sessions given by an Endesa X expert that have been organised in collaboration with teachers so that students are involved at all times with regard to the importance and effects of these solar self-consumption installations.
- Photovoltaic solar plants for self-consumption will be installed in a number of centres in mainland Spain, which will enable them to meet 30% of their energy requirements and reduce their environmental footprint.
To raise awareness of the environment and sustainability so that with the passage of time those who are now children and adolescents will transmit this from generation to generation. This objective has brought about a collaboration between Globeducate, one of the top 5 main educational groups worldwide, and Endesa X, Endesa's energy services subsidiary. Together they have created an educational project that includes everything from classrooms to rooftops, where photovoltaic solar plants for self-consumption will be installed in 9 schools in Spain.
Altogether there will be more than 2,040 photovoltaic modules that will be installed on the flat roofs of education centres, representing a total power of 1.1 MWp and this is expected to produce about 1,200 MWh/year for self-consumption. This will meet 30% of the education group's energy requirements in these buildings and represent significant progress on the path towards sustainability, since this will make it possible to reduce the carbon footprint by 293 tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of the annual absorption capacity of 1,755 trees.
This initiative will not only reduce traditional energy consumption and the corresponding environmental impact, but will also make the education community aware of the importance of adopting measures that generate a real impact on environmental protection, both locally and globally, while opening a new educational channel, by involving students in the installation of the panels and in monitoring the impact that this project will have on their local environments. "Our Shaping the World mission revolves around changing the world, and our students can and should be at the centre of this change, with the power to be able to take the reins. A clear example is the initiative that has resulted in the development of this ambitious and pioneering project", explained the CEO of Globeducate Spain and Andorra, Carolina Rodríguez Inciarte.
The action, which is being undertaken with the collaboration and assessment of Endesa X experts, involves the active participation of the students at the schools, who will be involved in all phases of the project, from the initial approach to the design, execution and measurement of its impact. "A comprehensive initiative that combines soft skills, so necessary to meet the challenges of the world in which we live today, and more academic content from the scientific branch. This included the measurement of energy consumption for the design of the project and the analysis of data for the subsequent measurement of its impact", added Ms Rodríguez Inciarte.
Endesa X already started training students in solar energy this week as part of Globeducate's Eco Week. Specifically, on Wednesday two in-person sessions were held at the Agora Granada College International School, one for primary education and one for secondary education, which also involved the connection in webinar format of more than 3,600 students and a hundred teachers from the other eight schools of the group participating in this project. Jose Carlos Fernández Rey, Head of the B2B Sales Channels at Endesa X, was responsible for giving classes with theoretical and practical content: First he talked a little about what renewable energies are and then he gave a detailed presentation adapted to his audience, of what a photovoltaic solar installation exactly consists of, how it works, and what is the best location and orientation.
"The most enjoyable part was when we proposed to the students two case studies that they would be solving in days to come: First we imagined that were installing photovoltaic solar panels in their homes or in one in the surrounding area and from there, using the tools and knowledge that we provided, they should make a study to decide how many panels could be installed to generate 30% of the energy needed at home. We also conducted the same study which involved dimensioning the photovoltaic plant for their schools and we raised a number of issues to be resolved, "said Mr Fernández Rey. So the students are now studying in the classrooms what power the solar installation that Endesa X will build should have, as well as what the best orientation should be, how much clean energy it will produce and the volume of CO2 emissions that will be avoided, etc.
The challenge of installing solar panels in the group's schools in Spain during this school year arose as the student community of Globeducate, led by the Eco Committees of the Eco Schools programme for each school, became aware of the importance of making their own small contribution to meeting this great challenge that involves mitigating the impact of climate change on our planet. Last October eight of the twelve Globeducate schools in Spain and Andorra were officially awarded the Green Flag of sustainability granted by ADEAC (the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education), acknowledging all the environmental awareness work undertaken both inside and outside the classrooms by the educational communities at the schools and that put the finishing touch to three years of work within Eco Schools, the largest programme worldwide working for sustainability in the educational field. Obtaining this acknowledgement was an incentive to continue working for the protection and sustainability of the environment. The installation of solar panels that will be undertaken now by Endesa X is an example of this.
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 the Spanish market. 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. It has also created a new line of business. 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-distribution, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR-related matters. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.
Endesa X is Endesa's business line dedicated to energy efficiency. Endesa X is a division of Enel X Global Retail and a leader in the development of innovative solutions in support of energy transition. It is aimed at consumers, companies and administrations, providing a modular and integrated offer based on their needs and promoting the electrification of energy uses and digitalisation as motors driving the creation of new value. Endesa X's ecosystem of solutions includes products and services for the optimisation and self-generation of electricity and premium energy efficiency solutions, with the aim of helping customers to create their energy roadmap. Globally, Enel X Global Retail manages demand response services, with 6.7 GW of total capacity. It has installed more than 2.8 million street lighting points worldwide and provides energy services to 62 million residential customers on a daily basis.
About Globeducate
At Globeducate schools every student is prepared to become a global citizen who can change the world. Globeducate is one of the world's leading K12 international education groups, a network of more than 55 premium international and bilingual schools, as well as online programmes, educating 31,000 students in ten countries.