Resilient Design: Barcelona

4 rounds of gelato, 50+ miles of walking, 20 rounds of tapas, and 8 wonderful ladies = a trip that I will never forget.

Going to Barcelona, Spain was an amazing experience that I will cherish forever in my life. It really opened my eyes to an entire different world. It made me realize there's a whole world out there and I should see more of it! I'd have to say my favorite part was seeing buildings and structures made by Gaudi. Parc Guell was my favorite place because of all the beautiful mosaics and broken glass structures. I also LOVED the food and didn't hold back on trying everything and I have no regrets! It was such a wonderful opportunity to travel to such a great country with some great people and I would love to do it again if I had the opportunity.


Here are some of my favorite pictures taken during the trip:

On Thursday we had the pleasure of talking to Llorenç , an industrial engineer from TERSA under the Photovoltaic Pergola. This was built in 2004 by Elias Torres. Even though Spain is "the country of the sun", they are not as reliant on solar power as expected. He started out with an emotional Spanish story about when individuals first started producing their own solar power it was benefiting them and their neighbors, but they were not able to sell it back and they had to pay a tax to have it. He used the analogy "It's like growing your own tomatoes and having to pay to eat them." The banks started to take over and the government wanted to make it illegal to create your own power because electric companies were starting to lose business. Starting in 2007 the government started to make different laws and change them every few years about changing subsides, and it almost seemed as if the laws were changing for the worst. 

Photovoltaic Pergola

  There are six main plants in Barcelona, most are located centrally, but a few are on the outskirts of Barcelona like the one we saw today. The plant we saw in the distance from the Photovoltaic Pergola was a thermal garbage plant, which means that all of Barcelona's trash goes to this plant to be burned and turned into power. The law does require certain amounts of installations in buildings of solar power, but it is turned off at night. Even though Spain does not want to rely on solar power and want to keep the electric lobbies in control, the Photovoltaic Pergola has proven to be resilient. They are using the sun power they are given naturally and providing thousands of people with multiple ways of energy without using any nuclear power. Even though the sun is not guaranteed to shine right on the solar panels every single day, the power is stored and more can be used when there is not as much sunlight as expected.

Llorenç & Suzanne

  Unlike in the USA, where we are looking to start using more solar power and less nuclear power, Spanish government is is trying to keep the electric lobby in charge and do not want individuals creating their own power. We noticed even with this Photovolatic Pergola, it was clearly built for aesthetics only and maintenance was not a thought. If a solar panel were to break of stop working, a special crane would have to come in to be able to access the panels since there is no way to get up there.

View of the panels located on the Photovoltaic Pergola

  Overall we had a wonderful time enjoying the views of the Sea and the Photovoltaic Pergola and really enjoyed talking to Llorenç and appreciate the tours he gave us along with his time!

Nicole, Rose, Suzanne, Llorenç

Llorenç, Suzanne, Leah, Nicole, Stephanie, Grace, Cassidy, Lauren

Thermal Garbage Plant

Llorenç giving us a behind the technical aspect tour

Under the Photovoltaic Pergola

     

En route to Barcelona! 5.5 hour plane ride...

What is most impressive about the architecture at the summit is that it dates back to the 12th century. The architecture alone is impressive for it's time but then one has to consider the transportation of building tools and materials at such a time; it is almost impossible to imagine and the reality of it is extraordinary to say the least. The monastery, shops, and museums at the summit are also a beautiful illustration of resiliency; the town was strategically located in a crevice in the mountain to avoid falling rocks and to not be effected by possible strong weather. 

I was particularly looking forward to this visit as I had found and researched the site before our departure. Although I was able to capture some beautiful pictures of both the views and the architecture, none of these photos truly portrays the nobility of the site; visiting was surely an amazing experience that exceeded all expectations and left the entire group in awe.