The business group Sorigué has been awarded for its project “Energía limpia a partir de pavimentos” (Clean energy through pavement). The project was presented in collaboration with the Hungarian company Platio, which proposes creating a pavement that is simultaneously a source of solar power. The award was presented by the Barcelona City Council during the latest edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC).

The collaboration between Sorigué and Platio arose following the latter’s participation in Sorigué Challenge, a platform promoted by the Group’s Innovation Department that seeks to cultivate talent and open innovation. The initiative selected four of the start-ups that took on the challenge, and all four were in attendance at Sorigué's stand during the latest edition of BBConstrumat.
This commitment to cooperation and knowledge sharing between Sorigué and external entities comes in response to the challenges of the sector and is part of the Innovation strategy within the Group’s Strategic Plan.

Urban innovation laboratory
The award is part of the two urban challenges launched by i.lab, the municipal laboratory looking to accelerate sustainable and social urban innovation to find the best solutions to the new challenges and demands of the city using open and collaborative dialogue between the public and private sectors. The solar pavement project was given the award alongside an application for the elderly called ‘Som Comunitat”, created by the company URock. Both proposals respond to the challenges “Pavimentos generadores” (Energy-generating pavement) and “Atención efectiva a la gente mayor” (Effective care for the elderly), respectively.

The project “Energía limpia a partir de pavimentos” (Clean energy through pavement) proposes a modular pavement as a new source of solar energy, which can be easily integrated into the urban space to become a benchmark in architecture and sustainability. The solution developed by Sorigué and Platio aims to generate clean energy while at the same time using sustainable resources and materials in its production.

To this end, the solar pavement is made of a base of recycled plastic and glass and features a modular design that facilitates its installation and maintenance. Its high-quality engineering guarantees that it will stand up to weight, impacts, abrasion and weather, making it a sustainable and respectful solution. This type of pavement could cover the demand for clean energy to charge cars, scooters, electric bicycles, mobile phones, etc. in cities seeking sustainable solutions that don’t negatively impact the environment.

The solar panels measure 340 x 340 x 61 mm and have a daily and annual energy output of 0.68 kWh/m2 and 140 kWh/m2, respectively. Solar pavement could be used in clean energy charging stations in cities, as an integrated photovoltaic solution in buildings and for residential use in things like pool lights and home energy, among other options.