The initial economic impact data from the photovoltaic plant at the Adeje Municipal Music School has confirmed its success as a collective self-consumption and circular economy model, boosting the municipality’s energy community. December’s electricity bills were key to analysing the results, as this is the month with the lowest solar radiation in Adeje. These figures allowed for an accurate calculation of real savings for the 107 members of the public who currently make up the Adeje Verde Energy Community, currently the largest collective self-consumption system in the Canary Islands.
The findings confirm that since the plant became operational on 12 October 2024, savings of €1,256 were achieved in December alone. This amount has already been deducted from the electricity bills of participating residents as well as from the Adeje Town Hall’s own energy costs.
According to the councillor for the Presidency and Urban Planning, Manuel Luis Méndez Martín, “The key takeaway here is that, unlike the traditional system where consumers pay for all their electricity from a commercial supplier, Adeje is moving in a completely new direction with this pilot initiative. Residents’ electricity metres are now also connected to the Town Hall’s photovoltaic plant, with its production being deducted from their bills. The savings are shared between the residents and the Town Hall, keeping that money in Adeje.”
Based on these calculations, it is estimated that during July, the month with the highest solar radiation, savings could reach €3,100, potentially amounting to a total of €24,000 annually—substantially higher than the initially estimated €16,000. This money remains in Adeje rather than being paid to electricity companies supplying the 107 participants.
The project is fulfilling its objectives as a strategy for fostering a circular economy in Adeje. Furthermore, with these savings, the photovoltaic plant is projected to pay for itself in under six years, while having a minimum lifespan of over 24 years.
The results also confirm that savings are possible even in months with lower solar radiation. It is important to note that participation is not free—each participant pays a small monthly fee of €3, which is added to the municipal budget alongside the revenue generated from excess production that is not used.
Adeje Town Hall is now working to copy the project across five other sites in the municipality, allowing more residents to connect to new photovoltaic plants.
This is an innovative project led by Adeje Town Hall and managed by AV Green Europe, a company created by the University of La Laguna spin-off EnergyRIS to oversee its implementation.
