Spain is one of Europe’s largest solar energy producers, and the sector continues to grow. Several of the largest solar farms in the country are located in the autonomous community (region) of Extremadura, bordering Portugal, approximately 300km west-south-west from Madrid. In addition to its abundant sunshine, Extremadura also boasts the lowest population density in the country, resulting in large areas of land on which to develop projects.
Outside of Extremadura’s historical cities and towns, like the UNESCO-listed Cáceres and Mérida, farmland is becoming interspersed with hectares of solar panels. The projects are attractive to landholders, as the leases paid typically exceed the income that can be derived from farming. This can sometimes result in the landholders simply relocating to urban areas, and a reduction in farm workers in a given area.
Whilst the construction phase for solar projects can involve hundreds of people and provide a significant injection into local economies, operational workforces are have been relatively modest, and – at best – might balance out some of the farm worker losses. There are some local employment opportunities, complementary to farming though, such as the use of machinery for the cleaning of PV panels or weed control; either mechanically, or with sheep. Outside Mérida, the team at Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) I was able to see both. The panel cleaning work provides some additional income to local farmers, and can often be done outside of peak season, to keep seasonal workers busy and in the region a little longer. The sheep are a relatively common staple, as they avoid the need for manual mowing or the use of pesticides on the site. Likewise, they allow a ground cover to be utilised, rather than taking the site back to bare earth, or gravel, which can lead to both dust and erosion issues.
Solar farms are sometimes seen as ways to activate otherwise unproductive land, but it is also true that building on existing, flat, cleared (farm)land makes for easier project delivery. Near the Portuguese border Iberdrola gave me a tour of their Cedillo solar farms which, unlike the standard rows of PV panels on flat land, follows the contours of the landscape, and retained a significant number of trees and habitat. Cedillo, like a number of other projects, has had to both avoid existing archaeological sites – which can pre-date the Roman occupation of Spain – but also contend with finding new ones. As part of the development of the project, several previously unknown archaeological sites were discovered, resulting in the engagement of archaeological experts to assist with the preservation and conservation of those sites, and access for academic and tourism purposes.
Cedillo is also somewhat of an outlier in that, unlike the standard project which primarily benefits the landholder through lease payments, and local government through taxation, there is a broader community benefit. One of the primary landholders is an agricultural cooperative, made up of about 120 people from the town of 400. As a result, the lease benefits are widely shared. Likewise, Iberdrola have installed solar panels in the town, providing around 50% of the town’s energy needs. It is hoped this ‘Solar Pueblo‘ project will, by reducing power bills for locals, also attract new businesses to the region, looking to take advantage of the cheaper power.
In addition to providing a community benefit opportunity, by establishing this model Iberdrola were also able to build social licence through developing a key local advocate. Maria Estela Holgado is the local library manager, as well as the president of the Cedillo Solar Association. She has been working with Iberdrola to help people to sign up to their Solar Pueblo project. As the face at the local library, she has also been providing information to community members about the nearby solar farms more generally, and has been an available and trusted source of information for local people interested in the emerging projects in the area to talk to. Iberdrola credit some of their local social licence with the fact that they have someone like her living in Cedillo and supporting their work.
