The photovoltaic energy fever has definitely taken root in the state of Alicante. High electricity prices and official aid, Self-consumption facilities nearly quadrupled in just 15 months. Throughout 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, industrial activity was insane compared to the previous three years. Currently, 24,674 infrastructures can be counted, of which 22,144 are owned by individuals, particularly homeowners; and to companies 2,967. Education centers or town halls, among others, have also chosen to generate their own energy. The cities of Alicante and Elche also top the rankings for the number of facilities in the Valencian Community as a whole, followed by Orihuela a short distance away.
The latest self-consumption report published by the Ministry of Sustainable Economy reveals the strong dynamism into which the industry is immersed, especially in the province. And this, Almost half of the 55,519 facilities currently registered in the autonomous region correspond to the Alicante regionin a dizzying evolution.
For example, a button. In the timeframe between 2019 and 2021, only 6,678 facilities were activated at the provincial level, yes, with an increasing upward trend. The quantitative jump, however, came in a dynamic sustained in early 2023 when 13,562 new collateral was introduced in 2022, amid the energy crisis and rising electricity prices. 4.440. The sum of all these gives the result 24,674. According to the report, this infrastructure set provides 217,248 kilowatt-hours of installed power.
In any case, not all self-consumption facilities are the same. First of all, individuals who install solar panels on their roofs and companies that undertake to install solar panels on the roofs of factories come to the fore.. To these should be added those of energy communities established by institutions of all kinds, such as training centers and town halls, among others.
The situation turns out to be Alicante and Elche are two cities that are at the forefront at the regional level in terms of the number of facilities.with 1,754 and 1,749 respectively. It is followed by Orihuela in third place with 1,273 units. In fourth place is the Valencian municipality of Paterna with 1,179, followed by Xàbia with 1,130; by l’Eliana, 1.035; 1,017 and San Vicente del Raspeig; 966 and Pobla de Vallbona; Torrent with 949; and Dénia, with 952.
Aid contributed to this rise, along with higher electricity prices, which led many individuals, industries and organizations to seek cheaper energy. Without going further, the Valencia Institute for Business Competitiveness (Ivace) donated 48.7 million euros last year to promote self-consumption..
The industry is enthusiastic for its part. Luis Navarro, CEO of Cubierta Solar, said: “The energy crisis has led to an extraordinary increase in demand in 2022 and so far in 2023, because These are investments that quickly pay off thanks to the savings they create.».
Marcos Lacruz, president of the Valencian Association of Energy Sector Companies (Avaesen), expresses himself in similar terms and does not hesitate to state that: «we are facing a real revolution. People realized that with this type of setup they could save money both in their homes and through their energy community. And factories, for their part, will be shrouded in solar energy as they are an effective tool to influence income statements.”
The pending issue, unfortunately, remains in large-format photovoltaic plants for large-scale power generation. requires more bureaucratic agility.
Lack of installers causes three-month waits
The lack of qualified personnel causes a wait of up to three months for the implementation of self-consumption facilities. This is condemned by the industry, which has called for more training programs to be implemented to meet the strong demand faced by companies.
Luis Navarro, CEO of Cubierta Solar, emphasizes that the significant increase in business “reveals a lack of logistics infrastructure, particularly technicians and engineers.” The industry was not ready for this takeoff.
Linkener Chief Operating Officer Javier Ormaechea similarly states that “at least 50% more installers will be needed than currently available”. He emphasizes that the reason for this gap is the lack of education in the sector. In his words, “although photovoltaic energy is in full development, there are not enough training programs for workers.” Accordingly, the Government announced last month that 4,000 new FP places have been created at the national level to combat the problem.