- The installation is placed in IKERLAN's Energy and Power Electronics laboratories, which will allow it to be used as a test bench for different technologies.
IKERLAN, in its commitment to promoting renewable energies and strengthening environmental protection, has installed 300 photovoltaic panels at its headquarters in Olandixo (Arrasate-Mondragón) that will produce up to 100 kW and supply the technology centre with 20% of the energy it needs to carry out its daily activity, avoiding the emission of 59 tonnes of CO2 per year. This clean energy installation - assembled in collaboration with ORGAUS, a company belonging to the ONDOAN Group - has been subsidised by the Energy Agency of the Basque Government with 20 % of the total investment as part of the Aid Plan for energy efficiency in industry.
The main headquarters of the technology centre consumes approximately 800 MWh per year. During this period, the solar panels will generate 183 MWh, of which IKERLAN will use 90 % (165 MWh/year) and will feed the rest into the grid.
The installation is placed in the IKERLAN Energy and Power Electronics laboratories, which will allow it to be used as a test bench and demonstrator of different prototypes and technologies that are linked to its lines of research, such as energy management, power electronics, storage and digitalisation. These laboratories have equipment and infrastructures to develop and validate power electronics and energy storage systems, and tools to monitor energy production and the behaviour in real operation of the equipment connected to the photovoltaic installation.
With this investment, IKERLAN, in its process of permanent evolution, remains firm on its path towards energy sustainability and is preceded by other measures such as the installation of two electric vehicle charging points, the purchase of zero-emission corporate cars, awareness campaigns to promote the use of shared ecological transport among employees, etc. In addition, the headquarters of the technology centre, a unique building built in 1974, was renovated in 2019 with an investment of 2 M€, taking into account the latest standards of quality and energy efficiency, integrating a ventilated façade system with polymer concrete with thermal and acoustic insulation, allowing it to significantly improve its energy classification.
About IKERLAN
IKERLAN, a member of BRTA, is a leading centre in technology transfer and in the contribution of competitive value to the company due, among other things, to the specialisation of its researchers. It offers comprehensive solutions that combine different technological fields into three large areas: Electronics, Information and Communication Technologies (EICT), Energy and Power Electronics and Advanced Manufacturing. In 2017, IKERLAN obtained certification, via AENOR, for the integrated management system (UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 and UNE 166002:2014), which recognises the excellence of the centre in the field of R&D&I. It currently has a workforce of around 360 people.