Green power for Green places – Ria Largartos biosphere reserve.
Amigos Contoy A.C. signed a collaboration agreement with the Lighthouse Foundation and with the Isla Contoy National Park management in December 2005 to develop the project for “improvement and optimisation of solar and wind-generated systems for electric power, the exploitation of rain and brackwater, plus treatment of waste water in the Isla Contoy National Park field research station and visitors’ centre”.
The island has a museum exhibiting all species of fauna, both marine and terrestrial, and in addition, a research station at its disposal, which is used by scientists and academic groups who carry out research projects on the reefs, fauna and flora. There are 12 people living at the research station who are in charge of its maintenance, and every day they can expect to receive an average number of 75 tourists.
In order to supply the installations on the island with power, the project for electric power generation by means of solar energy was designed and 52 solar panels were positioned in order to generate electric power.
Besides enabling the operation of all the electrical and electronic equipment installed at the park, this source of energy is used to enable the operation of a treatment plant for 4,500 litres of waste water, collected from the installations in the Park. Finally, this water is used for the cleaning of the installations and for watering the plants which depend on fresh water for survival.
In order to resolve the (fresh) water problem, the project tackles improvements to the system of collecting rainwater, given that there are no fresh water deposits on the island.).
Lighthouse Foundation
