La Central del Circ
La Central del Circ
Managed since 2008 by the Association of Circus Professionals of Catalonia (ACPC), this 3,000 m² space provides support for circus arts professionals at all levels by offering creation, research, training, rehearsal and continuing education activities.
Field of activity
Culture
Work team
10 employees
City
Barcelona
Good ecological practices
The approach initiated 10 years ago focuses mainly on reducing energy consumption and also concerns the way the association’s events are broadcast, waste recycling, selection of local and ecological suppliers, etc.
On the energy side, Central del Circ has implemented the following actions:
carry out a quarterly energy audit to obtain a diagnosis
readjust the subscribed power to the real energy demand, which has automatically reduced the costs
adapt the contract with the electricity supplier according to the time slots that consume the most energy
conduct an energy use study and issue recommendations for turning off lights and electronic equipment when not needed
supply itself with green electricity, coming from 100% renewable sources (currently with Plenitude).
For the future, the association undertakes to carry out the following actions
– change a large part of the light bulbs to an LED lighting system
– study the option of installing photovoltaic panels to supply itself with energy.
What was the trigger?
The measures taken were largely motivated by economic reasons: the energy consumption of the facilities was such that the costs were unsustainable.
“The team at La Central del Circ has also participated for many years in various national and international forums specific to the circus sector, in which the theme of sustainability is very present. These exchanges of ideas and experiences have helped the team to become more aware and to integrate sustainability as a strong axis of work.”
Running the project
La Central del Circ has contracted an external specialized company to analyze and propose practical actions to improve energy sustainability.
Keys of success
- be accompanied by an environmental auditing company on a long-term basis
- be networked with the circus sector, which regularly places environmental issues at the center of the debate
- have a team member trained in energy transition
- carry out regular energy audits
- obtain the distinction of environmental quality from the Generalitat de Catalunya has positioned La Central del Circ as a reference structure. This pushes the team to have a sustainable perspective in all their actions and decisions in order to renew this distinction every two years.
Financial support
Barcelona City Council financed the renovation of the air conditioning system.
The European Union’s Next Generation program has awarded a grant that allows the association to change a large part of the light bulbs to an LED lighting system in the next two years. For the next edition of the same funds, the association plans to apply for a new grant to install photovoltaic panels and self-supply energy. It will ask to change the remaining bulbs.
Encountered barriers
The structural improvements were largely supported by public subsidies. It would not have been possible to develop them on the basis of the structure’s own funds, without jeopardizing the structure. The greatest difficulty was to find funding to make decisions that were adapted to the needs detected by the audit company.
Measures of change
The measures taken have saved about 18,000 euros per year in energy consumption. With the intervention of the Next Generation Fund, the association plans to reduce its electricity consumption by 20%.
The consistent collaboration with the energy auditing company, as well as the Environmental Quality Award from the Catalan Generalitat, has increased environmental awareness and empowered the team. “For example, the purchase of cleaning products is already completely ecological and the catering is outsourced to an eco-responsible company specializing in vegetarian cuisine.”
