Description
Quantity of renewable energies (currently, only photovoltaic energy), produced at the University of Barcelona facilities.
| Indicator | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Evolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photovoltaic production (kWh) | 28.682 | 27.609 | 23.607 | 22.796 | 110.359 |  |
| Estalvi CO₂ equivalent (tones) | 6,91 | 6,90 | 6,11 | 6,22 | 30,13 | |
Results
Our society depends on non-renewable sources of energy, mostly fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, for its energy supply.
Various measures can be taken to reduce the negative environmental impacts generated by the consumption of this type of energy. On the one hand, it is possible to reduce consumption by improving energy efficiency.
Another way to improve the environment, which is becoming increasingly common in public institutions, private companies and even in households, is the use of renewable energy sources, either by contracting the energy consumed from renewable sources or through own production facilities.
Since 1 January 2018, the UB has contracted the electricity it consumes from renewable sources, but much earlier, in 2004, it joined the promotion of low-carbon energies, participating in an inter-university project by means of a 500 m² photovoltaic installation in the Faculties of Physics and Chemistry, capable of producing electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of around 30 homes.
Taking into account the capacity of the photovoltaic installation, of 60,000 kWh per year, it is observed that from 2007 there is a significant reduction in electricity production, which is not explained by climatic factors, but by a decreased installation performance. Despite the maintenance that is carried out, production is decreasing because the installation needs investment to replace the elements that have become worn or deteriorated since it was put into operation, and because of the declining performance of the photovoltaic collectors themselves. It is expected to be renovated to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic generation during the last quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, in May 2023, a new self-consumption installation came into operation at the Faculty of Economics and Business with an annual generation capacity of 145,000 kWh, which has considerably increased the UB’s photovoltaic energy production.
Charts
