Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The roofs of the pergolas are equipped with solar panels to maximize surface utilisation , Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona
A positive example of maximizing the utility of urban public space
Authorities in Barcelona have announced the start of a pilot test that will see the provision of free solar energy to low-income families in the city with the goal of lightening their energy bills. The electricity will be produced and provided by photovoltaic pergolas installed in public spaces around the city.
The proposed aim of the project is to see whether this is a viable path to creating self-sufficient energy communities in the Catalonian capital. Likewise, it is a way to maximize the efficient use of public space surfaces in a way that brings benefits to the communities living in their vicinity.
The pilot test will begin with eleven solar installations in public space and can be extended in a second phase to twenty such. Initially, it is expected that some 1,010 family units will be able to benefit from the initiative. The second phase can provide energy to more than three thousand households.
In collaboration with social services, an information campaign will be developed among families who meet the criteria and who want to participate in the project. In the event that there are more families than initially planned, they will be selected with priority given to vulnerability criteria and, if necessary, a draw will be held. One of the conditions is that they have to be located within 500 metres of the power-generating pergola.
Families wishing to benefit from it will be able to start doing so within approximately two to three months and for a minimum period of one year. The ultimate goal is to open this initiative to the rest of the citizenry and the business community.
The project will begin in the pergola located in Ronda de Dalt, located next to the Vall d'Hebrón Hospital. At that location the solar panels could supply about 40 family units near the pergola. Each of them would get a share of about 500W of solar energy. That can mean a 25% reduction in their annual energy bills - approximately 200 euros.
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
The summer ticket will be valid on local and regional trains, buses, as well as on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
The city also added a new bathing area
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
Explore the underbelly of the city’s most iconic site in the moonlit hours
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
Close engagement initiatives with the business sector and residents were key to spreading the idea across the board
The new Walking and Cycling Index shows that an overwhelming majority want to live in 20-minute neighbourhoods
The city also added a new bathing area
The installation of the sensors is part of its “Smart Museum” project
Authorities want to do away with the passive status of nature in the city
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre
A talk with the Mayor of Malmö on the occasion of the city’s UN Resilience Hub status