The energy transition in Gran Canaria is taking a firm step forward in the southeast of the island. The Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC), which reports to the Island Council, signed agreements this week with the municipalities of Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Ingenio to launch local energy communities, a production and management model that seeks to democratize access to renewable energy.
Both agreements contemplate the installation of solar panels on canopies in key public spaces, accompanied by storage batteries and rapid electric charging stations, thereby promoting a decentralized, accessible, and forward-looking energy ecosystem.
Solar canopies and neighborhood communities
In Santa Lucía de Tirajana, the works will focus on three high-traffic areas: the Los Llanos Sports Complex, the Vecindario Municipal Library, and the Vecindario Health Center. 1.668 photovoltaic panels will be installed on these structures, totaling 975,78 kilowatts peak (kWp) and a storage capacity of 1.900 kilowatt hours (kWh). Three electric vehicle charging stations, with capacities of 50 and 100 kW, will also be installed to support the electrification of transportation in the area.
The agreement with the Ingenio City Council replicates the formula, but adapted to its urban context. In this municipality, 864 solar modules will be deployed on 2.500 m² of canopies installed at the Carrizal Cemetery, the Ingenio Health Center, and the El Burrero Civic Center. These installations will total 505,44 kWp of power and almost 970 kWh of storage capacity, in addition to a 100 kW rapid charging station near the City Hall.
Self-consumption and shared energy
The systems will be operational within a five-kilometer radius, allowing residents of each area to voluntarily join local energy communities. This legal framework—increasingly implemented in Europe—allows citizens to collectively produce, share, and consume clean energy, with a direct impact on electricity bills and energy sovereignty.
The model is based on the free transfer of municipal spaces for 25 years, with no financial compensation. In return, the CIEGC assumes all investment, execution, management, and maintenance of the facilities. The energy generated will be primarily used for municipal self-consumption, and any surplus can be offered to local energy associations.
In addition, local governments will receive 15% free use for each square meter of installed panels, reinforcing the principle of shared governance between local and island administrations.
A new energy map for the island
With this step, the Gran Canaria Island Council consolidates its strategy of territorializing the energy transition through direct agreements with municipalities. "It's not just about installing panels, but about changing the rules of the game: sharing production, facilitating access, encouraging citizen participation, and reducing energy dependence on foreign sources," the Island Energy Council states.
The agreement marks a milestone on the path toward a decentralized, sustainable, and socially just model, which has already begun to take shape in municipalities such as Agüimes, Gáldar, and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and which now finds two new strategic hubs in Santa Lucía and Ingenio for advancing toward a 100% renewable and distributed Gran Canaria.