Location
Spain

Main issues must be clearly stated

The Government of the Canary Islands has announced the road map that is being developed to promote the decarbonization of road infrastructures in the Archipelago, through the incorporation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures to the projects that are being developed in this area. To meet this objective, they have drawn up an action plan.

Location:

Canary Islands, Spain

Main facts/points outlined in body of text

  • The Canary Archipelago has good climatic conditions and renewable resources, the use of which would reduce its current dependence on fossil fuels from abroad.
  • That is why the Government of the Canary Islands has set itself the objective of consolidating the transition to renewable energy sources to reduce the environmental footprint and promote sustainability in roads, bridges, tunnels and functional elements, whose construction and operation are linked to a high environmental impact and non-renewable energy consumption.
  • The action plan 'Strategy for energy efficiency and renewable energies in road infrastructures' of the Canary Islands has been drawn up through a commission to the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias (ITC).
    • This plan will analyze different aspects of road infrastructures of regional interest, such ascurrent energy consumption and the adoption of energy efficiency measures to reduce them, through the replacement of lighting fixtures with more efficient ones or the installation of lighting control systems, among others.
  • A diagnosis will also be made of the photovoltaic potential existing in road infrastructures, with and without energy storage; and the use of other technologies that may be more suitable depending on the location and conditions of the installation, such as wind turbines or the use of piezoelectric elements to generate electricity with the passage of vehicles, will also be addressed.
  • Once the strategy has been drawn up, a conference will be held to present the results in order to establish a road map and share it with the rest of the island and municipal administrations.
  • In the medium term, the objective is to carry out a pilot project that will be a benchmark for sustainability in the Canary Islands, bringing together various technologies, such as integrated photovoltaics, where different applications are represented, such as lighting, intelligent communication, signage and even electric vehicle charging infrastructures.
  • This new strategy will be introduced in the bidding documents for both new projects and those already being drafted.