The mayor also urges residents to join a new local energy community for household savings.
Rafal, June 24, 2025 – The town of Rafal is already seeing clear benefits from its 2023 Energy Efficiency Plan, which included the installation of solar panels on several municipal buildings. Just three months after implementation, the local government has cut €3,000 from its monthly electricity bill—solid proof that the investment is paying off as the town moves toward a more sustainable energy model.
The project, with a total investment of €102,728.42, included €15,409.20 in funding from the municipality and was carried out under the DUS 5000 program. This initiative is supported by the European Union and Next Generation funds through Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, as well as IDAE, and is part of the national Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Mayor Manuel Pineda noted that initial projections estimated an annual saving of €25,000, but based on March’s €3,000 reduction alone, “we now believe we could reach €36,000 in yearly savings—an extremely significant figure for a town like Rafal.”
Public buildings now running on solar energy include the municipal sports centre, civic centre, town hall, public library, local police station, and both the primary and nursery school buildings of CEIP Trinitario Seva. All are now linked to self-consumption solar systems, which are progressively lowering their reliance on the conventional electricity grid.
Mayor Pineda also highlighted the launch of a new local energy community initiative and encouraged residents to sign up. “Households across Rafal will soon receive notifications in their mailboxes with full details,” he said. “Just as these solar panel installations are saving the town money, residents who join the energy community will be able to cut their home electricity costs as well.”
