History's enduring challenge: transforming energy to the benefit of all

The history of humanity is the history of energy. In the beginning we relied on our own physical strength. The first turning-point came when humankind learned how to control fire; next, the use of fossil fuels changed everything. These chapters of history have been punctuated by highlights including the invention of the steam engine, lightbulb and electric motor.

And today, we are continuing to write our own history. The latest plot twist? Our goal is to find solutions and develop renewable technologies and energies that harness our natural resources more sustainably. Finding ways we can be more energy-efficient is about improving peoples’ quality of life.

Episode 24 of the Sounds Like Infrastructure podcast reveals some of the most fascinating projects Ferrovial is working on, using technological innovation to create a positive impact in Spain and the United States.

Projects for guaranteed electricity

Using the minimum amount possible of energy, at the same time as maintaining a sufficient supply at all times is one of the biggest challenges we face today. In other words, efficiency gains. This is the ethos behind our Ferrovial departments’ energy efficiency efforts. Among other things, they work on rationalizing energy consumption on the electrical grid—something with countless benefit to the communities that use it.

“Some people don’t have the capacity to invest, or don’t want to invest in specific actions. So, we take on the investment, and are paid back through the savings made. Meanwhile, local residents get a home with updated, more efficient facilities that consume solar-generated energy”, explains Pablo Álvarez, Head of Business Development in Energy Efficiency and Innovation at Ferrovial.

Investments and initiatives like these are being implemented in both the public and private sectors. Currently, two of the most prominent projects in the Ferrovial Energy Division in Spain are at the Seville Conference Center and the Torrejón de Ardoz Cultural Centre, where storage batteries have been installed to harness surplus energy generated by solar panels.

This guarantees a green energy supply to residents of the communities close to the Conference Center and Cultural Center. “We’re creating energy resilience. In other words, communities will be less vulnerable to interruptions in the electricity supply because the system offers continuity. Plus, with our smart networks platform, we’re successfully reducing the costs for both the company and customers, optimizing consumption”, explains Andrea González, Head of Energy Efficiency Innovation at Ferrovial.

In this way, we’re moving more towards self-sufficiency and decarbonization, while slashing the potential for power cuts. Over the pond in Texas (United States), the residents are all too aware of how hard it is to be without electricity. In February 2021, Storm Uri left millions of state citizens without electricity.

Right in the middle of winter when temperatures were at their lowest, they were unable to use anything that depended on the electricity network. It’s happened more times than anyone would want.  To avoid repeats of such situations, Ferrovial is working on projects including the construction and operation of the Leon Project; a 257 MWp solar farm that will have the capacity to supply clean energy to more than 36,000 homes.

“Many of the families in the surrounding areas won’t notice, but when they switch something on, the energy won’t come from fossil fuel energy, but rather the nearest renewable energy source, at least during the day”, explains Brian Sarantos, Head of Development for Ferrovial Energy in the United States.

The quest for Smart Cities

Investments in technology benefit us in ways we often don’t even realize. Examples include smart pedestrian crossings, lighting in complex areas or air quality control meters.

Ferrovial openly champions projects like these, especially the ones with a positive social impact. Among others, it’s participating in a European pilot project: Mobilities for EU. “We’re going to carry out innovative projects relating to passenger mobility and goods transport. Our main goal is for Europe to have the first carbon-neutral road transport systems by 2050”, González explains.

To understand the role Ferrovial plays in improving energy use in transport infrastructures, we need to travel back to the United States. This time, we’ll go by plane: one of the company’s most outstanding projects is its participation in the consortium designing, building and operating the New Terminal 1 at New York’s John Kennedy Fitzgerald International (JFK) Airport— one of the largest in the world. The project involves modernizing the energy system with hydrogen generation and solar batteries to guarantee operations continue uninterrupted—even in the event of faults on the electricity grid.

“The new Terminal 1 incorporates an 11-megawatt microgrid, making it the first fully resilient airport transit hub in the New York region, and one that can continue to operate off-grid during a power outage”, explains Schroeder, U.S. Director of Engineering at Ferrovial Energía.

In recent years, Ferrovial has also honed in on projects that aim to improve and promote public lighting systems. In this case, the main objective is for the infrastructure to adapt to residents’ needs, having a positive impact on their lives.

This runs through the Slow Light movement, created to bring back the glorious night sky in cities like Santiago de Compostela. “Now they have LED lighting, some people are suddenly looking up and saying Wow! They can see the stars. They could have been in the city for 30 years without ever seeing stars”, Álvarez explains.

These and a number of other initiatives use technology and innovation to improve energy usage, and they’re also the kind of projects the community really notice in their everyday life. All they need to do is look up at the night sky and marvel.