Four decades of engineering expertise, international experience and people committed to shaping the future of energy.
In 2026, TTA marks 40 years of activity in the energy sector. Founded in 1986, the company has contributed to more than 500 projects in over 100 countries, building experience across renewable energy, energy access and integrated energy solutions. But it is important to highlight the challenges and the values that led the early years, many of which are still valid today.
Our anniversary gathering in Barcelona (on November 3rd) was an opportunity to celebrate this journey, reconnect with colleagues and reflect on what defines TTA today: the technical expertise, adaptability and collaborative approach we bring to complex energy challenges.
A pioneering spirit, carried forward through experience
During the anniversary, Xavier Vallvé took us through different stages of TTA’s history, revisiting pioneering projects that helped shape the company’s technical expertise and approach, learnt along the way.
It was also an opportunity to recognise the people behind this journey. The knowledge accumulated over four decades does not exist independently of those who have developed it, applied it,shared it and benefited from it. It lives in their experience, in the lessons learned together and in the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next.
Ultimately, a company’s legacy is not only what it has achieved, but also what its people carry forward: the knowledge, experience and values that continue to shape its future.
From the early days: Dissemination, advocacy and hands on innovation
TTA’s origins go back to the early 1980s, when a group of people with shared interests in renewable energy came together to explore new technologies and approaches. With limited technical information available and few practical examples to draw on, learning by doing, experimentation and creativity were essential.
From the beginning, the work combined advocacy, dissemination, teaching and hands-on innovation. Through conferences, lectures, educational materials and initiatives, the team helped promote renewable energy and bring technical knowledge closer to students and professionals. Many of these attributes are still applicable today.
Practical engineering was equally important and it regarded a multidisciplinary and cross-cutting approach. Besides solar PV, early work included solar thermal applications, bioclimatic building design, agricultural greenhouses, pico-hydro turbines and small wind systems. These pioneering experiences in decentralized energy laid the foundations for the multidisciplinary approach that continues to characterise TTA.
Building engineering expertise through rural electrification
During the 1980s and 1990s, TTA developed its first comprehensive experiences with solar PV for remote applications through rural electrification programmes in Catalonia. The projects in Solsonès (1985–1989) and La Garrotxa (1990–1997) were important milestones, combining engineering design, local engagement and hands-on technological innovation.
In Solsonès, 35 isolated households were electrified through autonomous renewable energy systems, mostly based on solar PV. Beyond the technical design, the project involved assessing local needs, building capacity and defining a delivery model covering ownership, service provision and user fees. These experiences already highlighted the importance of reliable operation and maintenance arrangements for long-term sustainability. Monitoring played a role from the outset, with performance data recorded manually in notebooks to assess systems through objective indicators, but was done in paper.Â
Delivery models, O&M schemes and monitoring were already covered by TTA in those projects.
These projects required an innovative spirit and actions, such as the development of tailored equipment, the Centraleta Modular, an integrated autonomous PV power station combining the inverter, charge controller, data logging and protection systems. And also automatic energy and load-management devices.
The experience continued in La Garrotxa, where 69 rural households and businesses were electrified, with further developments in load management, data logging and user interfaces. To address the challenge of long-term service provision, TTA also supported the creation of an association that would help ensure the ongoing management of decentralised renewable energy systems
These early projects helped shape an approach that combined engineering, technology, financing and service management, laying foundations for TTA’s subsequent international work.
Taking experience international: Integrated international energy solutions
From 2001 onwards, TTA began exporting the experience and know-how developed in Catalonia to international projects.
In Floreana, Ecuador (2001–2004), TTA took on its first microgrid project as an EPC contractor. The project connected around 200 residents through a combination of a main solar microgrid, individual solar systems and a PV-wind hybrid plant. It went beyond electricity supply, integrating water provision and productive uses for agriculture and handicrafts. The main solar plant was hosted in a multifunctional community building, known as the Anfiteatro, designed as a central space for gatherings and public events..
Combined technological solutions (mini-grid, individual PV) and PUE were since the beginning part of TTA’s international projects.Â
Another first of its kind, in Kiribati, TTA worked across 18 islands of the Gilbert archipelago, installing more than 2,000 solar PV kits and around 100 community plants. The project helped consolidate a service-based approach through KSEC, a dedicated public company responsible for providing solar services to households on the outer islands, supported by local capacity building and user groups. Local job creation was enhanced through the manufacturing of solar regulators.
In Morocco (2004–2006), TTA further developed its multi-technology approach, combining individual systems, a small microgrid serving a group of households and a larger microgrid. The project also included a multifunctional building, underground distribution and a local association to manage the assets and revenues.
These projects illustrate how TTA progressively expanded beyond rural electrification, adapting its technical solutions, delivery models and institutional arrangements to different contexts and needs.
The people behind the expertise
Our experience is built on the knowledge and commitment of the people who have contributed to TTA over the years. With colleagues from more than 25 nationalities and a wide range of professional backgrounds, our team brings together different perspectives and expertise. A geographically widespread team that tackles projects with proximity.
This international and multicultural dimension is an important part of how we operate, helping us understand different realities and develop solutions grounded in local contexts.
Building together: Trust, support and collective effort
Alongside a quiz about TTA’s projects, the team took part in a team-building activity inspired by the Catalan tradition of castellers, human towers built through the coordinated effort of a group.
Creating a human tower requires trust, concentration, coordination and commitment. Every person has a role, and the stability of the whole structure depends on the contribution and support of each individual.
More about Castellers de Vilafranca
The activity offered a meaningful parallel with the way we work at TTA. The image of different hands supporting one another captured something essential about our multicultural team: diversity and multidisciplinarity becomes a strength when people trust each other, share responsibility and work towards a common objective.
40 years of experience. A foundation for what comes next, adaptating to an evolving sector.
The energy sector continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities, through the electrification of services (e-mobility, e-cooking, telecommunications, water, PUEs etc.). Expanding energy access, also focusing on underserved users, integrating renewable energy to increase resilience against fossil fuel dependence and climate change effects, all require technical rigour, adaptability and a strong understanding of local realities.
Over the past 40 years, TTA has continuously developed its expertise in response to these changing needs. What began with pioneering work in renewable energy technologies and rural electrification has grown into a broad portfolio of international engineering and consulting assignments, integrated energy projects and long-term service models: from pioneer projects then, to MW-scale mini-grids and DRE solutions today, in which advocacy, dissemination, teaching and hands-on innovation, delivery models and O&M schemes are still part of the tools.
TTA’s role in co-organising the S-Access Conference is a strong example of this commitment.Â
Today, TTA builds on this experience and its multidisciplinary engineering and consulting capabilities to deliver tailor-made solutions across the entire project cycle and in the cross-sectorial aspects of Distributed Energy Access. From early-stage studies and planning to implementation and operational support, we combine technical expertise with an understanding of the contexts in which we work, adapting our approach to different technologies, sectors and local needs. The anniversary gathering was also a reminder of what makes TTA’s approach distinctive: the combination of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and areas of expertise, brought together by a shared commitment to solving complex energy challenges. Engineering excellence is built on technical knowledge, but also on the ability to connect different disciplines, understand different realities and work across boundaries. This diversity is a strength that has shaped TTA over the past 40 years and will remain essential to addressing the challenges ahead.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. We look forward to continuing to build what comes next, together.
