Spain's first air conditioning network based on three renewable energy sources is now a reality

Gas Natural Fenosa, in a joint venture with Wattia, and the Olot City Council have inaugurated the project, a pioneering initiative in Spain, which will supply heat, cooling, and electricity to a district network in the municipality of Olot using renewable energy and an intelligent, automated control system. The Olot Market Square will be the hub of this system.

district heating and cooling
project is Catalonia's first multi-energy district heating and cooling system and also makes Olot the first city in Spain with a trigeneration renewable energy system: the system combines geothermal, photovoltaic, and biomass technologies. Two factors make Olot the ideal location for developing this pioneering project: firstly, it is an area technologically advanced in energy sustainability, and secondly, the municipality has a dense forest area.

The initiative serves a municipal network that supplies energy to a total of seven facilities: the former Sant Jaume Hospital (including the Sant Jaume residence and commercial premises), the Municipal Market, the Montsacopa residence, the La Garrotxa Regional Museum, the Caritat (a charitable organization), the senior citizens' center, and Can Monsà. The heating and cooling network is approximately 1,800 meters long, providing climate control for the 40,000 square meters ^of floor space of the connected buildings.

The heating and cooling network will save the municipality the equivalent of 750 tons of CO2 emissions each year _, equivalent to the CO2 _absorbed by 290 hectares of forest. The initiative will also reduce the energy bills of the five buildings included in the initial project over the next 15 years of operation.

Gas Natural Fenosa has invested over eur1.5 million to launch the project, while its local partner, Wattia, is an expert in its automated management and the integration of its various energy systems. The project is included in Catalonia's Energy and Climate Change Plan 2012-2020.

During the event, the mayor of Olot, Josep Maria Corominas, the general manager of Retail Energy Business at GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Daniel López Jordà, and the general manager of Wattia, Francesc Comino, presented the project and explained its advantages for the municipality. The event, which was closed by the president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, was also attended by the CEO of Gas Natural Fenosa, Rafael Villaseca, along with other representatives from the Generalitat and the City Council.

“We are proud to inaugurate a project of great value and potential for our city. This initiative has been made possible thanks to a combined effort that has allowed us to launch a unique network at the state level,” explained the mayor of Olot.

For his part, the general manager of Retail Businesses of the energy company pointed out "the importance for Gas Natural Fenosa of carrying out innovative projects that allow us to commit to energy efficiency and to have the collaboration of public initiatives in their planning and development.".

On the other hand, the CEO of Wattia stated that “after having overcome the technological challenge of EspaiZero in Olot, the first 100% energy self-sufficient building in Spain, the aim was to expand the application of the know-how represented by this cutting-edge network control technology to power the buildings in the city center in the most efficient way possible.”