Facilities
Education-Information Classroom
The central space of the building, designed to provide information about renewable energy to all sectors of the population. It is a space where you can access a wealth of information on renewable energy sources from different many view points.Different models, panels and interactive applications illustrate the operation of these energies, enabling their comparison with conventional energy.
On the veranda, the second floor of the classroom, exhibits are usually housed that support the different content discussed at Sotavento.
Energy Efficiency Room
The room has exclusive Internet applications where visitors can try out practical, interactive energy saving and efficiency measures related to lighting, the use of appliances, transportation, etc.
Multifunction Room / Auditorium
This is an area of about 100 m2 used for all kinds of activities from events, lectures, and seminars, to an area for workshops and skills practice.
Control Room
This is where the production and behaviour of the different technologies present among the Sotavento wind turbines are supervised. It's also where project information that is carried out at the facility is centralised.
Energy Workshop
Designed so that visitors could observe the operation of the machines more directly.
This features real turbines with their various components. The area is complete with heating systems and information panels.
In the area outside the wind farm, spread over 50 hectares, the visitor can find the following features:
Wind Turbines
A total of 24 machines, among which are found 9 different models.
Solar panels
Several different actual installations of both thermal and photovoltaic technologies.
Bioclimatic House
It is an interpretation centre of bioclimatic architecture, showing the real possibilities of an efficient model building. Visitors can try out the applicability of renewables in a family home and the compare technological innovations in this field. It is equipped with a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a boiler and electricity production area. (+info)
Hydrogen Plant
It features a pioneering research project related to the possibility of using hydrogen to store wind power.(+info)
The Forest of "tarabelas"
Traditionally used to protect crops from birds.
The Windsock forest
For knowing wind strength and wind direction. In Sotavento they are up to 7 m. in length and their colours identify the six renewable energy sources.
The"Mamoas"
Nine burial mounds and tombs from the Megalithic period. One of these has been reproduced for viewing the principle features.
Wind Route
It is comprised of sculptures scattered throughout the 50 hectares of the Wind Farm, all related to the wind. They consist of parts of the mine and the As Pontes power plant (pressure pipelines, coal silos, etc.). The colouring present in the sculptures represent, as in the case of the windsocks, the six renewable energy sources.
Stone Route
During the tour, we see a wealth of Galician geology and a permanent exhibition of the unique stones representative of our geology. It was conducted by the Luis Iglesias Natural History Museum at the University of Santiago de Compostela, and educational guides are available, produced in collaboration with the University’s Faculty of Education along with the educational department at Sotavento.
Route of Don Quixote and the Wind
To mark the fourth centenary of Don Quixote, a route was born to honour this work and its author in general and, in particular, the chapters in which the wind takes prominence. In each of the machines in the Wind Farm you can see a bullet and a figure illustrating different parts of the book by Don Miguel de Cervantes.
