With her speech titled “La revolución de los tejados [The Rooftop Revolution]” Carlota PI captivated the audience and explained how only thirteen years ago she started the company and currently provides electricity service to more than 325,000 customers and manages more than 12,500 photovoltaic installations. Through Holaluz, the entrepreneur has revolutionised the Spanish energy sector by proposing a structural change for the entire system: transforming square footage of rooftops into producers of green energy for everyone and connecting people to renewable energy. She pointed out that solar energy must be a key catalyst to drive the energy transition in Spain and Europe as a solution to the current climate crisis.
To reach all these goals, Carlota Pi revealed the five maxims that she always has written in her personal notebook and that, in her opinion, are essential in daily life to carry out a mission: hard work “there is no talent without hard work imagination, courage, optimism and personal balance,” she commented. And she added that it is essential to trust people and surround oneself with competent professionals who are aligned with the mission of the company.
With the vision of creating Europe’s most impactful green energy community, Holaluz is currently number one worldwide in independent green electricity production and the largest energy community in Europe. The speaker of the inaugural address at UIC Barcelona has won various awards, among which stand out the FEDEPE (Spanish Federation of Managers, Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award; the TIC Women Entrepreneurs Award, awarded by Tertulia Digital and SmartCAT of the Generalitat de Catalunya; and the FIDEM (International Foundation of Women Entrepreneurs) Innovation Award.
The event began with the traditional parade of the academic procession, and the academic report from the previous year was read by the secretary general of the University, Belén Castro. The event had institutional representation by Victòria Girona, director-general for Universities.
In closing, Rector Alfonso Méndiz officially inaugurated the 2023-2024 academic year.
