OUR PUEBLO IS NOW 100% ENERGY-INDEPENDENT

Written by Dani Spencer

At Rooral, the future is so bright, we need to put our shades on…

Our very own pueblo, Benarrabá, is entering a new era of renewable energy that has the potential to redefine rural sustainability, both in Spain and beyond. At the end of Rooral’s 2024 season, the municipality began work on an ambitious solar project that as of February enables the pueblo to harness the power of the sun and become self-sufficient in energy. This forward-thinking initiative is a game-changer for the 480 residents (including Rooralists!) and local businesses, providing clean energy without compromising the character and pristine beauty of the Genal Valley.

So far, the project includes two solar farms strategically placed across the pueblo: one on the roof of the sports court and public school, and the other on the roof of two warehouses at the town’s entrance. This initiative not only helps reduce the high costs of bringing water to the town, but also positions Benarrabá at the forefront of rural innovation in Spain—a fact we are immensely proud of.

The heartbeat of Benarrabá is our thriving community, and at the core of the solar farms is the concept of an “energy community” that goes beyond the typical urban model of energy consumption. At little to no cost, residents, businesses, and the local administration now have access to clean, locally-produced energy, creating a shared system of benefits. To ensure transparency and accessibility, the municipality has developed an app that allows citizens to track energy production and consumption in real-time. The goal is for the energy community to grow and for the infrastructure to expand in line with the pueblo’s evolving needs.

This vision didn’t happen overnight. Benarrabá’s journey began nearly a decade ago when the Town Hall installed solar panels on the public school and the “Los Areneros” reservoir to reduce energy costs, particularly for pumping water from the Genal River. After noticing significant savings from these efforts, our Mayor, Silvestre Barroso Jarillo, began exploring the idea of creating a larger-scale energy community, where every resident could benefit from sustainable energy production.

The town’s collaboration with the University of Malaga’s Institute of Energy Efficiency and Home Automation (UMA) has been crucial in shaping and developing this project, which has secured nearly one million euros in public investment from the Provincial Council of Malaga and European funds. Thanks to the hard work of the local government and the university, this ambitious project has transformed our pueblo into a model of rural energy independence.

At Rooral, we’re excited to see how projects like this continue to reshape rural spaces, providing a foundation for a more sustainable and interconnected world. From clean energy to creative collaboration, the future is bright for communities like ours that embrace both tradition and innovation.