The delegate for Housing Policies and president of the Municipal Housing and Land Company of Madrid (EMVS Madrid), Álvaro González, accompanied by the councilor for Usera, Sonia Cea, has overseen the start of photovoltaic installations in the Orcasitas Directed Settlement. The project involves placing approximately 600 solar panels across seven residential buildings, nine single-family homes, and the roof of the Maestro Barbieri Municipal Music School, facilitated by the Madrid City Council's cession of space.
During the visit, González described the initiative's commencement as a "historic step for Orcasitas and for the entire city of Madrid," highlighting its role in making the neighborhood "a benchmark for urban innovation, sustainability, and energy transition." This action follows up on the agreement signed in January 2025 to promote the directed settlement's energy community, an area that "represents, like few others, Madrid's capacity for transformation."
The City Council is thus advancing its municipal government program to encourage solar panel installation and shared energy self-consumption. "The City of Madrid is demonstrating that the ecological transition cannot remain mere rhetoric but must translate into concrete improvements for citizens' daily lives," González stated.
The project will unfold in phases. The City Council will cede the roof of the Maestro Barbieri Municipal Music School for the installation of 177 photovoltaic solar panels intended for shared renewable energy generation, in addition to the 406 panels planned for adjacent residential buildings and chalets. Installation on the first two blocks began today, with the next phase commencing after the neighborhood cooperative that will manage the energy community is established, supported by the institution's technical and institutional backing.
This model will enable residents, residential buildings, and public facilities to share the production and consumption of local clean energy. Users are expected to reduce their annual electricity bills by 20% to 50%, gain protection against future energy price hikes, and access renewable energy even without their own rooftops for solar panel installation.
The first phase will generate over 211,000 kWh annually, preventing the emission of approximately 65 tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to planting 2,500 trees. "The eco-solar neighborhood is now a reality, and the City Council is firmly committed to this model of sustainable urban transformation," González affirmed.
The delegate recalled that Orcasitas is a leader in energy rehabilitation and urban regeneration. Through the Rehabilita Plan, 541 aid applications have been registered and 125 subsidies granted, mobilizing over 28.6 million euros for 1,858 homes. Energy efficiency measures have saved over 22.9 million kWh and avoided more than 5.4 million kilograms of CO₂ annually.
Furthermore, the Transform Your Neighborhood program has awarded 68 subsidies totaling over 3.1 million euros for 1,098 homes. These initiatives yield significant economic and social benefits, reducing household energy expenses, improving air quality, combating energy poverty, and fostering a more modern, sustainable urban environment.
González concluded by stating, "Orcasitas today is the best example of how municipal policies on rehabilitation, energy efficiency, and sustainability can truly transform a neighborhood and build the Madrid of the future."
