- Energy District Program allowed five of the area's sports centers to be changed over to high-tech energy, bringing annual savings of over 41 million pesos for the local government.
Peñalolén, March 2021: LED lighting throughout, 72 solar panels, and five solar-powered water heaters make up the technical equipment that will transform Peñalolén municipal pool into the country's first photovoltaic swimming center, thanks to a program implemented jointly by the local government, Enel X, and the Energy and Sustainability Agency at the Ministry of Energy.
The project, which included Peñalolén Municipal Stadium, Sergio Livingstone Sport Ground, the Cordillera Stadium, and Honorino Landa Sports Complex, required 235 million pesos. Of the latter investment, 80% of which was privately funded but will allow the municipality to save some 42 million pesos yearly on its energy bills.
By switching from traditional lighting to LED bulbs and installing 72 solar panels and 19 heat pumps, the sports facilities now offer brighter and clearer lighting that comes to full power immediately. The establishments now can generate more than a million kilowatt-hours (KWh) while also leveraging low-power electrical equipment.
Peñalolén's Mayor, Carolina Leitao, praised that "this energy modernization that we have implemented thanks to public-private partnerships is, without doubt, a significant step in our Local Energy Strategy. We are providing our community with a service built on the latest technology while also generating major savings in the medium term."
The initiative sets out to build awareness amongst residents and encourage them to adopt a culture that promotes decentralized power generation, bolstering energy efficiency and incorporating local energy resources into the area's development model.
"As a fully integrated energy efficiency project, this initiative plays a vital role for the community of Peñalolén. Not only for its social benefit but also for the tangible economic benefits that it brings, based on efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, helping to build more sustainable and ecological cities," said Enel X CEO Karla Zapata.
Meanwhile, Ignacio Satelices, executive director of the Energy Sustainability Agency, explained that "to meet our carbon neutrality goals, we need a commitment from all stakeholders, which must be built on public-private collaboration. One good example is this initiative in Peñalolén. It will help build capacities and local employment opportunities through training in skills linked to maintaining these technologies. It will also generate economic savings of 42.3 million pesos per year for the corporation and local authorities of Peñalolén, contributing to reducing emissions by 22.1 tCO2eq/year. It goes to show that we can generate multiple local benefits through innovation and collaboration for sustainable energy."
Local authorities also praised the “new face” of Peñalolén’s half-Olympic-size pool, which has resumed its workshop activities following the lockdown. The municipal facility was retiled and fitted with new windows, alongside repairs to leaks, faucets, showers, and interior paintwork, performed personally by officials at the district sport organization.