The King Juan Carlos University in Madrid Commits to Sustainability and Cost Savings with SmartFlower
Dec 06, 2019
The SmartFlower at the King Juan Carlos University.
The King Juan Carlos University (URJC), located in Madrid, Spain, is making huge strides to showcase its commitment to sustainability. Their commitment comes not only in the form of conventional renewable energy production and energy-efficient classrooms, but also in the form of Spain’s first SmartFlower installed in a public university.
On December 2nd, Javier Ramos, the Rector of URJC, hosted a ceremonial opening for the installation of a SmartFlower at their Fuenlabrada campus. The opening ceremony took place at the same time as the kick-off for the COP25 Climate Summit, a climate change-focused conference held by the United Nations in Madrid, Spain. Ramos applauded the coincidence, and stated that the URJC wants to make their Fuenlabrada campus “a space where we approach the challenges of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Javier Ramos, the Rector of URJC, speaks at the opening ceremony.
When speaking about the SmartFlower, Ramos highlighted the symbolism of the newly installed all-in-one solar system. “This installation is meant to make the Fuenlabrada campus an area where we can reach the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development… Just as sunflowers seek the light, the university’s spirit will constantly seek the light of knowledge,” said Ramos.
Several town hall authorities and members of the URJC community attended the opening ceremony. It is estimated that the university will save approximately €5,400 from its sustainable infrastructural changes in the first year. Being the university with the second-highest number of students (over 46,000 enrolled) in the Madrid region, it is no wonder that the URJC is taking such large strides to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Here’s to hoping that other universities in Spain follow suit!
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To learn more about the SmartFlower at URJC, click here.