IVACE has subsidized 65% of the project, contributing €304,712, through the Valencian Community’s 2022 Renewable Energy Communities Program.

Last April, the Viver Cooperative established the Viver Local Energy Community (CELVi) as part of its Renewable Energy Division, which will begin operations in 2023. CELVi has seven electricity generation sites with an annual generation capacity of 500,000 kWh, which will provide more affordable, 100% renewable electricity and energy independence thanks to local production.

The project includes a grant from IVACE through the Valencian Community’s Renewable Energy Communities Program for the year 2022, which has funded 65% of the installation—that is, €270,000 of the total cost, which amounts to €415,000. The solar panels have already been installed on rooftops provided by residents and the town hall and are expected to begin supplying energy starting next June. To join the local energy community, you must be a member of the Viver Cooperative and its Renewable Energy division, as well as a customer of Oppidumenergia, the electricity retailer owned by the agricultural cooperatives of Castellón. Households will receive between 40% and 50% of their electricity from the CEL, which is equivalent to average daytime consumption. This coverage percentage will remain constant. Electricity production will be distributed among new members as they join—at the specified coverage level—until total production capacity is reached. Once this point is reached, if more members wish to join, they may do so as long as additional generation facilities are installed. Commercial consumption points are also welcome, depending on their consumption patterns, to optimize their coverage. The maximum distance between a generation point and a consumption point can be up to 2 km as the crow flies, and up to 4 supply points per member will be allowed. Members of the Viver Cooperative have already begun signing up for the energy community. Furthermore, by signing up before December 22, they’ll enjoy a 10% discount on their electricity bill from January 1, 2023, until electricity begins to be fed into the grid—as a welcome gift from the cooperative, which views this energy initiative as a way to care not only for household finances but also for the planet.