OUR OBJECTIVES
SolAqua’s overall objective is to increase the share of renewable energy consumption in Europe by facilitating the market uptake of solar irrigation in the farming sectorOUR PARTNERS
SolaQua's Consortium is made of 11 Solar Irrigation Stakeholders from 7 Euro-Mediterranean countriesOUR OBJECTIVES
SolAqua’s overall objective is to increase the share of renewable energy consumption in Europe by facilitating the market uptake of solar irrigation in the farming sector. To achieve it, SolaQua has established the following goals:The KEMTs, Key Enable Materials and Tools, are being designed to solve technical, economic, and legal issues which are acting as barriers for the market uptake of solar irrigation.
During the first stage of the project the following materials and tools will be produced and published on this website:
-
Best practices for planning, installing and operating solar irrigation.
- Environmental assessment methodology for solar irrigation projects.
-
Economic assessment methodology for solar irrigation projects.
- Standard Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) contract.
-
The solar irrigation financial instrument for institutional investors.
- Best practices for solar irrigation regulation and supporting policies.
- The EAFRD solar irrigation financial instrument for Rural Development Plans.
At least 150,000 potential end-users will be reached, 70 SMEs will be trained, and 38 Public Authorities will be able to produce more informed policies and supporting schemes.
OUR HISTORY
The SolaQua project was born as a continuation and union of two previous EU projects: MALOWATEN and RESFARM
The consortium
The SolaQua consortium is made up of entities representing solar irrigation stakeholders, together with universities that provide the knowledge and put into practice the novelties brought by the project.
- Website: www.ies.upm.es
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM, Technical University of Madrid) is the largest Spanish technological university. With two recognitions as Campus of International Excellence, it is outstanding in its research activity together with its training of highly-qualified professionals, competitive at an international level.
The Instituto de Energía Solar is a research centre within UPM. It is an institution linked to R&D activity since the 1970s. It was founded by prof. Antonio Luque, one of the most recognized figures in photovoltaic science in the world. It has participated in the development of solar cells since 1974 and currently keeps a staff of more than 50 people, all of them related with research into photovoltaics.
The main research areas are silicon cell technology, concentrating PV, optics, photovoltaic systems, and more advanced and fundamental concepts. The IES-UPM has a wide-ranging experience in coordinating EC projects in various fields of PV research:
- 2nd FP (MONOCHESS)
- 3rd FP(PV-EYE, MONOCHESS II)
- 4th FP (SICOCELLS, HERCULES, EUCLIDES)
- 5th FP (MIBCELL, PVFIBRE, TWINGO, C-RATING, IDEOCONTE)
- 6th FP (FULLSPECTRUM)
- 7th FP (NACIR, NGCPV, IBPOWER, PVCROPS)
- Joule (JOR3-CT98-0275)
- H2020 (FET-AMADEUS, MASLOWATEN).
- Website: www.e-mic.org
EIC is the largest irrigation association of Europe and represents more than 70% of the irrigation sector, being the organization of reference for hundreds of thousands of irrigators.
EIC is an international association whose members are European Irrigators Communities and Water User Associations from the following countries: Italy, Portugal, France, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Spain.
EIC is a member of the "Strategic Coordination Group (SCG)" for the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive (WFD EIC collaborates among others with the following organizations: Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations (MENBO), Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWPMed), European Union Water Management Association (EUWMA).
- Website: www.cpmr-intermed.org
The CPMR campaigns in favor of a more balanced development of the European territory. It operates both as a think tank and as a lobby for Regions. Through its extensive network of contacts within the EU institutions and national governments the CPMR has, since its creation in 1973, been targeting its action towards ensuring that the needs and interests of its Member Regions are taken into account in policies with a high territorial impact. It focuses mainly on social, economic and territorial cohesion, maritime policies and blue growth, and accessibility. European governance, energy and climate change, neighborhood and development also represent important areas of activity for the association.
The Intermediterranean Commission (IMC) is one of the CPMR’s 6 geographical commissions. It gathers around 40 Member Regions from 9 different EU members states and other countries and is open to all the different sub-national levels in all Mediterranean countries. Its work focuses on the development of the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and territorial cooperation, concentrating its efforts on Governance, Transport and Integrated Maritime Policy, Economic and Social Cohesion, Water and Energy. One of its main works axes revolves around undertaking strategic pilot projects on key themes with a forceful territorial impact, promoting sustainable innovation equating potential and sustainable growth for its territories. The IMC has a specific working group dedicated to water and energy issues, and which works encompass solar irrigation through the expertise of its members and projects.
The Balkans and Black Sea Commission (BBSC) is also one of the CPMR’s 6 geographical commissions. It applies the expertise and best practices experienced in different CPMR Member Regions and European sea basins in the wider Black Sea region. It has been actively involved in all Black Sea Stakeholders Conferences and contributes to driving maritime issues forward in the area. Agriculture has a significant role in the Balkans and the Black Sea region and the BBSC constitutes a pivotal actors in strengthening ties with relevant actors in the area (Balkans, Danube, Black Sea), such as the BSEC and its relevant Working Groups (e.g. WG on Cooperation in Science and Technology).
- Website: https://www.conaf.it
The Council of the National Order of Agricultural Doctors and Forest Doctors (CONAF) is located in Rome. Its main role is to protect the profession of agronomists and forest doctors. Furthermore, its tasks concern:
- The maintenance of the relationships with the national and international institutions as well as with other professionals and their trade organizations.
- The promotion, coordination and implementation of initiatives.
- The support for the strengthening of the profession.
CONAF also manages the compulsory continuous training of all Agricultural and Foresters Doctors operating in Italy, that are a key part of the related agricultural engineering sector.
- Website: www.catedraer.uevora.pt
The University of Évora (Universidade de Évora) is a public university in Évora, Portugal. It is the second oldest university in the country, established in 1559 by then cardinal Henry, and receiving University status in April of the same year from Pope Paul IV.
Located in the heart of the region in Portugal with the highest direct normal irradiation (DNI) (and one of the highest in Europe) the University of Évora is investing on the development of activities in the field of Renewable Energies with a focus on Solar Energy and energy storage. The University created in 2009 the first (and still unique in Portugal) Renewable Energies Engineering degree. In 2010/2011 it created an endowed Renewable Energies Chair. With the Chair it was possible to complete its educational offer with a Master in Solar Energy Engineering and a Doctoral Program in Mechatronics and Energy addressing solar energy related topics.
The Renewable Energies Chairman is Dr. Pedro Horta and the RE Chair possesses today a multidisciplinary team covering different topics in solar energy: solar concentration, solar photovoltaics and solar thermal systems and applications, energy storage technologies and cooperation with different related Departments and Research Units of the University (e.g. rural engineering, ICT, Mechatronics, Chemistry).
Some of the R&D topics developed in the RE Chair include:
- Agricultural Irrigation and solar energy research through novel applications of PV for high
power precision modern irrigation. - Development of stationary or quasi-stationary Compound Parabolic Concentrator for medium
temperature applications and for soar thermal electricity; - R&D in solar concentrated driven systems modelling (e.g. for combined heat and power
production end industrial process heat); - Solar Thermal energy storage (solid storage and molten salts storage);
- BIPV (with photovoltaic electricity stored in VRFB - Vanadium Redox Flow batteries and
Lithium-Ion batteries) with a special concern for the engineering of the interface between photovoltaic
(PV) power production and buildings or other applications; - Materials related research and processes in PV soiling, aging and dust control deposition in
mirrors and photovoltaic glass covers; - Direct normal radiation measurement and statistics;
The RE Chair is currently the Portuguese National Research Infrastructure in Solar Energy
Concentration (INIESC).
- Website: http://agrariaweb.uniss.it
Università di Sassari, Dipartimento di Agraria (USASSARI) is one of the most reputed research institutions in Italy in the field of agricultural sciences. More than 80 senior teachers and several tenths junior research staff members undertake advanced research in several fields, spanning from Agricultural Sciences and Technologies to Animal Production Science, Environmental and Agricultural Biotechnology, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, and Food Wine and Viticulture Sciences. The Department has important research facilities, among which several laboratories and three experimental farms. The researchers of USASSARI have
coordinated several national and international research and technical cooperation projects,
developing great experience in sustainable agricultural management.
- Website: www.iav.ac.ma
Hassan 2nd Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV) is the education and research organization of reference in Morocco in the domains of agronomy, civil engineering, agro-industry, veterinary sciences and topography. The staff counts 240 professors-researchers dispatched in 21 departments which are involved with education, research and development tasks. It trains 300 engineers and 60 veterinarians per year. The institute performs about 50 PhD thesis per year. The professors researchers of the Rural Engineering department work in the main domains of the water management, irrigation and drainage, wastewater treatment and reuse, drinking water supply and civil engineering.
IAV is a large centre of multidisciplinary expertise for sustainable development. Its strategic objectives are:
- to set up an integrated agricultural education system based on the reinforcement of the research infrastructure and equipment,
- to deliver multidisciplinary expertise and services,
- to consolidate its position into partnership networks at the national and international levels.
The highly qualified staff of the IAV Hassan II conducts innovative and adaptive research in the fields of water management, natural resources and environment, agricultural engineering, agronomy and horticulture, veterinary medicine, agricultural and food processing and technology, land surveying, and agricultural socio-economics. Many of these professors are involved in projects dealing with water resources, environment, irrigation management, land degradation and conservation and rural development. Economy and water use efficiency and productivity are of the major concern in many research and development activities developed at IAV Hassan II. The contact with farmers of the professors and students through a highly recognized fields training system is a strong teaching activity at the IAV Hassan II. The scientific production is evaluated to the publication of over 300 scientific papers and 4 books/year.
IAV has implemented a large number of projects related to irrigation and water management, being the organization of reference in this field in Morocco.
- Website: www.aragon.es
Gobierno de Aragón is the government body of the Autonomous Region of Aragón, Spain. It manages an annual budget of more than € 6 bn and employs 46 thousand people in areas that provide public services including education, healthcare, environmental protection and social and economic development. GA structure includes the General Direction of Rural Development that is the Managing Authority of Aragóns’ Rural Development Plan. GA regulates and supports the farming sector of Aragón and most of the regulation related with solar irrigation in the area.
- Website: www.gva.es
The Genetalitat Valenciana is the government of the autonomous region of Valencia, Spain, with ample competences in agrarian-related issues, including managing Valencia´s Rural Development Plan. The Directorate General for Water, that will be responsible to carry out GV´s activities in SolAqua, is the governing body that assumes functions in the planning, management and protection of water resources, hydraulic infrastructure projects in the Region of Valencia, infrastructures, construction and operation of hydraulic infrastructures, planning and management of the internal basins of the Region of Valencia, reuse and saving of water, control and protection of water quality and discharge authorization.
Since 2015, The Directorate General for Water of the Valencian Community, together with the City of Rabat (Marocco), leads the Water and Energy working group of the Intemediterranean Commission (ICM) that includes Public Authorities of both coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Main missions of this group are:
- Respond to the strategic challenge of the water in the Mediterranean.
- To adapt to energy challenges and to promote the potential of renewable energies and energy
efficiency in the Mediterranean. - Water and energy as transversal elements: promote the synergies between actions that involve a
joint water-energy approach (such as solar irrigation). - Projecting the elements of transversality of water and energy towards the activities of the
Intermediterranean Commission working groups on other sectoral policies.
- Website: www.abarcaseguros.com
Abarca Companhia de Seguros S.A. is a Portuguese insurance company specialized in surety insurance with operations in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Abarca is leader in the Portuguese surety market with ashare of over 63% and is 4th in the Spanish market with a market share of 8.9%. Abarca provides a broad range of guarantees to facilitate commercial transactions, investments and trade in sectors such as farming, energy and environment remediation. In order to accurately assess and valuate risks in such sectors, Abarca has developed in-house expertise and tools based on a throughout understanding of emerging technologies and market forces. The capacity of Abarca to provide accurate risk-assessments and to operate in the wholesale financial markets is confirmed by its credit rating. Abarca obtained an investment-grade Rating of B + Stable (Good) confirmed by the North American Rating agency A.M.BEST. This rating is one of the best achieved, in its first rating, by a company of the Bond branch (Monline) at global level.
- Website: www.calarasi.ro
Calarasi County Council is a public administration authority, developing its activity on the principles of local autonomy and decentralization of public services. It has a determinant role in coordinating the activity of communal, town and municipal councils, in order to provide the public services at county’s level.
It has a major role regarding the social-economic development of the county, has competences in organizing and functioning of its own structure, decides over the cooperation and association with legal persons from Romania or from abroad including the partners from the civil society, in order to finance and to draw-up joint actions, services or projects of public county interest, it also has responsibilities in coordinating and managing of the institutions and public services at county level.
One of the attributions concerns the agricultural development, having as subordinated institution the Agricultural Chamber of Calarasi County, having also a close collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, the Agro-Forest Research Institute (in partnership with which we developed a project for treating the risk of desertification), the Agricultural Research Institute Fundulea, hosting some of the most important events of the consortium of farmers, etc.
The increased interest of Calarasi County Council for the project's theme is underlined by achieving 3 of the 6 specific medium-term objectives set by the CCC through the County Development Strategy
