SME4SMARTCITIES installed a solar pergola in Israel
For the first time in Israel and the world – the Municipality of Kfar Saba installed a solar pergola, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and within the framework of the SME4SMARTCITIES, a project funded by the European Union – as part of the city’s response to the global climate crisis.
In the SME4SMARTCITIES project – Mediterranean small and medium businesses collaborate to create smarter cities and solve mediterranean challenges.
The unique pergola, which includes sprinklers was installed in the city park named after Yitzhak Weld. The pergola includes water mists and it is a collaboration between BIPV Israel and the Italian company SIT Technologies. This consortium won the Kfar Saba call to action to tackle the challenge of climate warming and the issue of the “urban heat island”.
“This is a unique solution for Kfar Saba and the first in the world as part of the pilot,” explains the director of the municipality’s sustainability and innovation division, Tammy Katzburg-Nbentzl. “This is a solution designed to reduce the urban heat island effect through the solar pergola, which is self-sustaining and provides electricity to create the water mists. We are constantly thinking of innovative solutions to deal with the global climate crisis, and we will continue to promote projects of this type in Kfar Saba.”
David Torgeman, CEO of BIPV Israel noted the success of the joint work with all the parties in the project: Kfar Saba Municipality, Tel Aviv University and the Italian partners. He thanked for the opportunity to take part in this important project, and for the joy of ending up as the winner of the Israeli pilot .
Also, after the end of the pilot the Division of Sustainability and Innovation together with Tel Aviv University will examine the layout of solar pergolas at the bus stations in the city. The aim will be to replicate the pergola solution in other places around the city – for a pleasant, successful, and green stay in the public space.
As part of the project, Kfar Saba cooperated with other municipalities, such as Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Eilat, to share the results of the project and enrich other cities with the acquired knowledge.
