An EU-funded project is helping one of Spain's poorest neighbourhoods cope with energy costs and the endemic problems of poverty
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00:00In Torreblanca, Seville, unity is strength when it comes to energy transition.
00:07Five European regions, including Andalusia, have taken part in Power-T,
00:12a project that supplies energy from renewable sources to the most vulnerable communities.
00:18But Power-T goes further, according to Joaquin Vilar of the Andalusian Energy Agency.
00:25Energy poverty is a problem that affects 50 million people in Europe.
00:30Now, the motto of Torreblanca is not to be known for poverty, theft and so on,
00:36but to be known for a neighborhood that bets on renewable energies,
00:40on energy communities.
00:42That is, we are empowering the municipality.
00:50Torreblanca, the fourth poorest district in Spain.
00:53Around 18,000 people live here.
00:56The Torreblanca Illumina Association has set itself the challenge
01:00of creating an energy and education community by 2020.
01:04Following a donation of solar panels,
01:06some of these have now been installed in two of the district's public schools.
01:11Power-T provided the resources and the management, and also more hope.
01:24For the pilot project, just a few solar panels were installed in two state schools
01:29and VĂ©lez de Guevara.
01:31They produce 15 kilowatts of energy,
01:33which the primary school pupils use at home and in class.
01:54The total budget for Power-T is just over 1.3 million euros,
01:58some 83% of which has been provided by the European Union's Cohesion Policy.
02:03The remainder was provided by the Andalusian Energy Agency and other partners.
02:10In Torreblanca, 14 families are benefiting, including MarĂa Ăngeles,
02:15who is part of the energy community.
02:17She can see the difference on her own.
02:19Many times the electricity bill goes up
02:22because you have to turn on the air conditioner at night for over a month,
02:26and now it turns out that you can't pay.
02:28So there is this energy poverty.
02:31And once the solar panels have started to work,
02:34we see that our electricity bill has gone down a lot.
02:39As part of Power-T, more than 50 good companies
02:42are already working on the project.
02:46As part of Power-T, more than 50 good practices
02:49have been shared between different regions.
02:52The project has won several international awards.