In 2022, the photovoltaic industry recorded the best year in its history by accelerating new developments. solar parks, but with uneven expansion: six regions established either nothing or almost nothing, and three concentrated more than three-quarters. Last year was a record year for the industry photovoltaic Spanish. As part of the avalanche of new installations, the commissioning of new solar power plants has accelerated, reaching its historical maximum. renewable energy Spain is preparing to encourage and enable the inevitable decarbonization of its economy in the coming years (decades, in fact).
Spain installed 4,701 megawatts last year The value of new photovoltaic energy (MW) in ground installations (excluding data from the self-consumption boom), with a growth of almost 25% compared to the 3,500 MW commissioned in 2021 according to data from the annual report prepared by the Spanish Photovoltaic Association (UNEF) .
Amidst the commissioning of new solar power plants, the pace is highly uneven across autonomous communities. Over the past year nothing or almost nothing of new energy has been installed in the six regions photovoltaics (Madrid, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country and Navarra), there were three countries that managed to monopolize just over 80% of all new park capacity, with a total of 3,778 MW.
Extremadura (1,467 MW), Andalusia (1,186 MW) and Castile-La Mancha (1,125 MW) They pioneered the effective deployment of new solar parks in the boom year and did so in relation to the following communities that added new installations connected to the grid and started production: Castilla y León (412 MW), Aragon (307 MW), UNEF and the Spanish electricity system and according to joint records of Red Eléctrica de España, the manager of the high voltage grid.
Extremadura, Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha are traditionally the three regions with the highest photovoltaic energy assets (They concentrate on just over 60% of the total power of ground power plants, with 12,532 MW of the total 19,864 MW available in Spain at the end of 2022). But last year’s acceleration served to strengthen his lead and widen the gap.
From the national solar industry, it has been confirmed that three regions are where energy companies focusing on photovoltaics concentrate their largest activity. more hours of sunlight and greater expansion of the countryside can be more easily converted for energy use. But it has also been noted that the administrations of the three regions have been much more agile than most other regions for some time in processing and promoting solar business.
approaching avalanche
Accelerated distribution continues this year. According to internal figures managed by the photovoltaics employers’ association, over the course of this year the sector has deployed around 2,300MW of new energy through August, and UNEF assumes this will happen “easily”. These data can be reproduced by the end of the yearThis will effectively equal the record set by 2022, which is already historic.
Last June the Government sent out a draft draft. Updating the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), road map of Spain promoting clean energy and moving towards decarbonization of the economy by 2030. The text, which still needs to be approved by the EU, envisages the goal of reaching a total of 57,000 MW of above-ground photovoltaic plants by the end of this decade; This means establishing some facilities. Depending on the existing power, an additional 29,600 MW and an investment of 20.7 billion euros will be made.
Currently, there are photovoltaic projects at different degrees of maturity of the long administrative process that exceed the target of additional power required to achieve the PNIEC target. Approximately 53,000 MW of the total 68,000 MW of renewable energy projects being prepared in Spain and requesting and competing to receive administrative permission correspond to photovoltaic projects. In any case, not all projects will pass all administrative stages, and the industry as a whole will not yet pass this stage. network access problems in saturated areas and Traffic congestion for construction of all your projects.
Occupies 0.38% of agricultural land
The boom in new renewable energy sources is facing a problem of social rejection in Spain due to neighbors’ fear about the impact of the implementation of all these projects on the regions. The green energy sector also faces criticism over fears that using land for solar or wind farms would mean cuts to areas devoted to agriculture and livestock farming. The majority of the UNEF employers’ association rejects this proposal.
“We have territory. Achieving PNIEC’s objectives does not mean incompatibility of agricultural uses. If all the necessary projects are carried out to achieve the goals of the plan, it will be enough to use only 0.38% of all Spanish agricultural land. “As we continue the installation of photovoltaics, we can also develop agricultural products,” underlines UNEF director general José Donoso. “Against demagogy, mathematics.”
Expansion of self-consumption
Last year’s solar boom not only spurred large soil crops, but also self consumption. The expansion of self-consumption in Spain surpassed all records last year. Only in 2022, as much photovoltaic self-consumption was installed in the country as in the previous history. According to UNEF, renewable energy companies have opened facilities with over 2,500 megawatts (MW) of power across the country, more than doubling the previous year’s deployment and bringing all operational power in the country to almost 5,250 MW.
A boom caused by electricity prices reaching historic highs last year and millions of dollars in subsidies from European funds. But after last year’s lightning-fast growth, distribution is now starting to slow. While the photovoltaic employers’ association has warned of a “dramatic” decline in self-consumption installations in homes, installation in industries and workplaces is still continuing at a good pace.
According to UNEF analysis, individuals, They lost the perception that electricity prices are still high (They are well below the worst peak of the energy crisis, but also well above the historical average) and the idea has spread that aid from European funds is not reaching consumers.
The renewables industry warns that there is a major traffic jam in the processing of more than 500,000 aid applications by autonomous communities, with some regional governments failing to honor requests and creating long delays in the effective distribution of money. Accumulated delays of more than two years until the actual collection of the subsidy.
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.