Almería reaffirms its leadership in clean energy with the summer course “Cradle of the Sun and Renewable Energies”

The University of Almería hosted a new edition of the summer course “Almería, Cradle of the Sun and Renewable Energies” from July 14 to 16.

Held in the city of Almería, the course focused on the central role of the sun as a key energy source for the ecological transition. “To speak of the sun is to speak of energy and of renewable sources. And to speak of the sun is also to speak of Almería, one of the geographical areas in Europe with the highest number of annual sunshine hours,” explained the course director, Joaquín Alonso Montesinos, during the opening session.

With an emphasis on harnessing solar energy, the course explored innovative technological solutions to address the growing global energy demand and the urgent need to decarbonize the economy. This edition featured leading scientists and professionals from prestigious institutions such as the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA-CIEMAT), CEBAS-CSIC, EKKO GIS, Naturgy, and the universities of Navarra and Almería.

Meteorologist Omaira García Rodríguez (AEMET) opened the technical sessions with a presentation on climate change and future trends, based on her work at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (Tenerife). This was followed by a lecture from Guillermo Zaragoza (CIEMAT) on concentrated solar power technologies at the PSA, the largest research center in CSP technology in Europe.

The program combined lectures, workshops, and technical visits. Participants gained insights into the role of engineering and legal frameworks in the integration of renewable technologies in construction, thanks to Jesús Parrilla Escobosa (Albedo Solar). They also learned about the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to optimize solar installations, presented by Gonzalo Reguera (EKKO GIS).

The course also delved into the concept of agrivoltaics, introduced by Ignacio García (University of Navarra), which promotes the coexistence of agricultural production and solar energy generation as a way to mitigate land-use conflicts. Additionally, Joaquín Alonso Montesinos explained the fundamentals of solar thermal energy in air conditioning systems and led a guided tour of an operational geothermal cooling installation at the Barrio Andalusí archaeological site.

One of the highlights of the course was the visit to the Tabernas solar power plant (Naturgy), where participants explored the facilities and learned about the planned expansion of the photovoltaic park.

The closing session was led by David Vera, who delivered an inspiring talk on the potential of biomass and biofuels, emphasizing his involvement in the REFFECT AFRICA project and advocating for the key role of these renewable sources in the energy mix of the future.

This edition has once again confirmed that Almería is not only a solar benchmark due to its climate conditions, but also a hub for knowledge generation, innovation, and commitment to a just and sustainable energy transition.