Renewable Energy in Ibiza
100% renewable energy in Ibiza is achievable. Unfortunately currently less than 1% of the island’s energy comes from renewable sources. The remaining 99% comes from burning imported oil and gas. This is unstable, inefficient and environmentally damaging.
If you are considering investing in renewable energy, let us show to you the different ways available on the island to power your home.
SOLAR ENERGY
It’s estimated that in Ibiza and Formentera we enjoy about 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. Thanks to this, we have the ideal conditions to produce solar energy, more economically than the one produced by the current power plants. The most common and obvious method is to implement rooftop solar panels. This type of system can cover a high percentage of your electricity needs.
But solar power doesn’t just have to generate electricity, in fact you can also use the power of the sun to heat your home – Solar water heaters use the sun to heat a reserve of water, which can then be pumped through your radiators or shower, sink etc. This system is much cheaper than using gas or electricity to heat your water and is easier to install than solar panels.
You can also use the sun to cool your home with solar air conditioning systems. It uses the same principles of the solar water heater, but uses heat from the sun to cool your home. Air conditioning uses more electricity than almost anything else in your home. Air conditioning can cost you a substantial amount of money every year, especially if you have central air and you live in a hot climate. Using hot water to cool your home can save you money and help the environment. As a bonus, the hot water produced for air conditioning can also be used for other applications in your home. Depending on your setup, you can get the benefits of solar water heating with bonus air conditioning as well.
If you live in the campo, you don’t have to worry too much about implementing this type of system as you decide what is best for you. But if you live in an apartment, you might have some restrictions, in order to proceed you need the approval from the community.
ELECTRICITY
If your roof isn’t suitable for solar panels, or perhaps you don’t feel ready to implement such a big change, you can always switch energy supplier and join a green energy supplier like SOM ENERGIA who generate renewable energy to offset the electricity you consume. No technical change is needed – simply swap your supplier online in 10 minutes.
WIND TURBINES
There are many studies that show that unfortunately in Ibiza there aren’t suitable wind conditions to use this kind of renewable energy. The wind is not strong and consistent enough to justify the costs.
If you want to learn more you can watch the documentary produced by BioCam with Ibiza Preservation Fund: ‘Ibiza and Formentera – 100% Renewable’. It outlines the current situation and the barriers we need to overcome to achieve this goal.
