Valencia
One of Spain’s largest exhibition and events venues is transforming its rooftops into a vast solar power plant, in a move that signals how major travel and events infrastructure is adapting to climate and energy pressures.
Feria Valencia has begun works to install more than 4,600 photovoltaic panels across 40,000 m² of roof space, generating electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of around 900 homes.
The project, located in València and due to be completed by the end of this year, is scheduled to be fully operational in early 2026. With a total investment of €2.8 million, the solar installation and a parallel upgrade of 18,000 lighting points aim to cut the venue’s energy bill by 41% and avoid 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
The solar “orchard” will sit on the roofs of pavilions 1, 2, 3 and 4 at Feria Valencia, one of southern Europe’s most important trade fair and congress centres. While the panels will cover a net surface of 12,000 m², the total roof area involved reaches 40,000 m² — roughly twice the size of Valencia’s Mestalla football stadium.
Once active, the installation will deliver a total capacity of 2,450 kilowatts and generate an estimated 4 million kilowatts of electricity annually. Alongside the solar rollout, the replacement of 18,000 luminaires with more efficient models will reduce installed lighting power by 65%, reinforcing the centre’s push to modernise its energy use.
The works are being carried out by the joint venture UTE FERROVIAL ENERGÍA, S.A.- IBERDROLA CLIENTES, S.A., with engineering design provided by Letter Ingenieros at a cost of €131,000. All investments are subsidised by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism under the Next GenerationEU framework.

For travellers, exhibitors and international delegates, the project reflects a wider shift across Europe’s travel and events sector. Large venues are increasingly under pressure to lower emissions, reduce operating costs and demonstrate visible environmental action, particularly as sustainability becomes a deciding factor for conferences, exhibitions and business travel.
This initiative also forms part of Spain’s Programme to Promote the Rehabilitation of Public Buildings (PIREP), which targets an average energy saving of more than 30% in public assets. In the case of Feria Valencia, the expected reduction comfortably exceeds that benchmark, positioning the venue as a reference point for greener large-scale events.
According to the organisation, the solar project aligns with its broader ESG strategy, which integrates environmental, social and governance criteria into operational decisions. The aim is not only to decarbonise the venue but also to generate a positive impact on the surrounding urban and economic environment.
“This is a strategic investment for the future of the institution,” said Mariano Clemente, CEO. He added that sustainability is now central to management and that “Feria Valencia will be fully committed to all initiatives that combine economic activity with social and environmental responsibility.”
“This solar farm is a clear example of that vision, as it will allow us to save more than 41% of our energy consumption and contribute decisively to the reduction of emissions, consolidating a path of energy efficiency and decarbonization at Feria Valencia, positioning us as a sustainable trade fair benchmark in Europe,” Clemente concluded.
As destinations compete to attract international events and exhibitions, projects like this underline how sustainability is becoming part of the travel experience itself — not just something visitors see in nature, but something built into the places where global tourism and business now meet.
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