Evolution
The trend of solar self consumption has been clear for some time. Yet a slowdown emerged as new facilities faced higher costs and tighter financing. After a spike in late 2022, electricity prices began to settle, and funding for installations tightened. This combination reduced the pace of new registrations through the current year, with a notable drop by the third quarter. Registrations fell 36 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, when demand had peaked. The number of discharges reached 3,616 in that earlier quarter, while the latest period saw a lower activity level.
Data from the Generalitat General Directorate of Energy and Mining show that despite the slowdown, Alicante has overtaken Valencia to record the highest number of self-consumption facilities in its province. The total remains lower in some areas within the community due to a larger lead in neighboring districts.
Between June and September, Alicante connected 3,048 new facilities for self consumption, a 16 percent decrease from the previous year. In the same window the cumulative registrations reached 3,616. Yet, compared with last year’s peak during winter concerns about rising bills, the decline has already exceeded 36 percent. Since then, 4,802 registrations have been noted.
Congestion in the distribution of aid for personal consumption: Two-year delay in collecting aid slows growth
The industry body highlighted that registration rates remain steady despite the drop and prefers to frame the situation as a period of market normalization after last year’s surge when long waitlists formed due to labor and material shortages. The ongoing interest in home installations underscores a desire to reduce energy costs even as public support moves more slowly.
Lacruz notes that although loan costs rose, prices for panels and other components also fell during the period, softening the impact. A typical three kilowatt installation can now be within the range of 1,800 to 2,400 euros.
AIDS
Industry groups Avaesen and Unef criticize the negative effect on business development caused by delays in public aid for solar projects. Delays of more than a year have discouraged many potential buyers, and the slow pace casts a doubt about the sector’s momentum. The industry argues that accelerating subsidies would unlock more projects and stabilize market confidence.
State quadruples self-consumption solar installations
Despite the recent slowdown, the transformation of the sector remains remarkable. Fewer than 2,000 active facilities in the province at the end of 2020 have grown to a much larger base in a short period. Generalitat figures show that Alicante still trails the larger neighboring Valencia in total installed capacity, but it hosts a strong and growing number of facilities. Power capacity across the region shows Alicante and Elche leading in counts, while larger cogeneration plants exist in nearby towns with higher megawatt totals.
According to the same sources, about 87 percent of the total active facilities are residential, with smaller shares for industry and warehousing.
Alicante and Elche at the head of the Valencian Community
Alicante and Elche register the most self-consumption installations in the Valencian Community, followed by Orihuela, Xàbia, and Paterna. In terms of installed power, Castellón municipalities like l’Alcora and Onda stand out for cogeneration tied to large tile factories, with megawatt totals that exceed the regional average.