The event was hosted by scientific field trip organisers GeoTenerife and featured a number of the Canary Islands leading scientists to London to share their expertise on how to make the region 100 percent renewable.
Carlos Pérez of Constante Solar spoke about a joint project between Tenerife and Mauritania to bring renewable energy and distilled water to remote villages along the African coastline. The initiative is called the Africa TREE project, TREE standing for ‘Total Renewable Energy Efficiency’.
Mr Pérez said it was easier to build a house “from the ground up” and that is why constructing a sustainable village from scratch is easier than retrofitting a large city like London. However, the project is not just about donations but incorporates investment from a wide range of sources with local people who are not in a position to invest given help to secure EU financing repaid from the income generated by the project.
“I am the first in that I don’t accept charity” Mr Pérez said. “I accept help. If the help means work, business and partners, then I am OK.”
The project draws on the expertise of a range of renewable energy experts in Tenerife and is focused on the construction of sustainable villages in remote areas with the goal being the foundation of a completely sustainable settlement in each case. The result will be a complete model town that is not only clean, but sustainable going forward, capable of supporting itself energetically and providing a good return financially for its inhabitants and investors.
“Carlos is a solar energy romantic, with 25 years' experience in the field” added Sharon Backhouse, Director of GeoTenerife. “We are constantly impressed by his innovation and energy but most importantly, his heart. With the backing of the Tenerife government, he has poured not only all his expertise into this project, but his overriding conviction that to help those most vulnerable in the region means forging a project that not only meets their basic energy needs, but helps them to make a decent income through the associated sustainable tourism element. It also aims to make a healthy return for investors to boot. Here at GeoTenerife, we are proud to support his TREE for Africa project.”
A number of other prominent speakers also took part in the event. One of them was Dr Javier Pérez Marrero, of the Sustainability Observatory for the Biosphere of El Hierro who spoke on ICT tools such as Biosphere Smart. This is a tool that can help promote sustainability through the provision of territorial intelligence, such as the most suitable spot for a windfarm.
Alongside Dr Marrero, Dr Nemesio Pérez, Director of the Instituto Volcanologico de Canarias (INVOLCAN), spoke of Tenerife’s geothermal energy potential, and how British companies could take advantage of it and Guillermo Galvan, the Director of Wind Energy at the Tenerife Renewable Energy Institute (ITER), spoke about the science being learned from 24 fully bioclimatic houses.
Also present at the event were members of the Cabildo de Tenerife, represented by Miguel Diaz Llanos (Councillor responsible for Energy) and Eduardo Pintado Mascareno (Councillor responsible for Commerce).
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