The photovoltaic sector stands at a moment of dramatic change. The shift to cleaner energy forms is a central strategy in the fight against climate change, with renewed emphasis on renewable models. Europe has placed emphasis on this goal, and the Next Generation EU program was designed to help repair the damage caused by the Covid-19 crisis by directing a substantial portion of money toward clean energy generation.
A Valencia region conference took place last Monday, focusing on the present and future of photovoltaics within the Community of Valencia. The event was organized by the National Photovoltaic Energy Manufacturers Association (Anpier) and the Path of the Sun initiative, a social movement launched by Anpier in 2015 to press the government for stronger renewable energy commitments. Attending were leaders of Anpier, including Miguel Ángel Martínez-Aroca, the association’s president, as well as Lluis Calatayud i Pla, the Valencian Community delegate, and Ángel Escribano, a technician and legal department member. The event concluded with remarks from Carmen Beviá Baeza, the regional secretary for Universities and Generalitat Valenciana Studies.
During interviews, the trend became clear: more people are choosing self-consumption and a more sustainable electricity system powered by solar generation. In the last six months, self-consumption facilities rose sharply, with 20,671 installations reported in the Valencian Community, and 44.4 percent of these, or 9,191, added in the most recent six months.
Yet Anpier remains cautious. The push toward large macro installations is seen as a distortion of photovoltaic energy, according to the association’s leadership. The position emphasizes solar plants up to 5 MW aimed at production and ownership that favors self-consumption, reduces environmental impact, and supports local job creation.
Today, photovoltaics are sometimes used for outcomes they were not designed to achieve: creating 800 MW macro power plants with substantial visual and environmental effects, facing neighborhood opposition. Anpier argues that these macro projects and production models are often foreign-owned and pursue economic gains without properly weighing environmental costs.
The head of Anpier noted a sense that public administrations have allowed irregularities regarding many macro-facility projects, while projects up to 5 MW have brought positive social benefits due to broader community involvement. In this framework, small-scale projects gain added value for local communities.
claims
Anpier’s conference also highlighted the rights of early investors who backed photovoltaic energy in Spain in 2008, a period when around 65,000 families joined the sector, with about 11 percent from the Valencian Community. After an initial phase, retroactive cuts, especially during the Rajoy government, reduced income levels by as much as 45 percent for many producers. The representatives recalled ongoing negotiations with the government and highlighted the need to regulate these retroactive deductions fairly. The aim is to extend the regulatory period and to improve the right to charge production over a span of four or five years, noting that this adjustment would not incur short-term costs for the system if implemented by 2038.
Speaking about Anpier’s role as a bridge to government policy, Lluís Calatayud i Pla recalled that Spain has undergone numerous regulatory changes in recent years, which have placed small investors in precarious situations. Anpier was created to defend these investors and to push for legal certainty and regulatory stability in renewables. The organization reports having resolved thousands of cases with the justice system to safeguard small investors.
investment opportunities
Ángel Escribano, a technician and member of the Legal Department, outlined current opportunities in photovoltaic energy. He highlighted direct aid, subsidies, and tax benefits, noting that now is a favorable time to invest. Anpier recently signed an agreement with Bankinter to provide financing for new developments among its partner projects.
Escribano also explained the different forms of self-consumption, both individual and collective. He identified the Next Generation EU funds as the most significant immediate opportunity, especially for distributed generation and ownership through community-scale plants up to 5 MW located in municipalities. The advantages include better landscape integration, reduced environmental impact, proximity to consumption points, increased production efficiency, local job creation, and a more resilient national energy framework with many distributed production nodes and less reliance on imports.
Local energy communities received particular attention as a promising model. Despite positive interest, the example set by the Crevillent community remains in an early stage due to incomplete rules and regulations. The industry awaits a timely transposition of the European energy community directive into Spanish law. Nevertheless, this option is viewed as worth pursuing.
In response, Carmen Beviá Baeza, regional secretary for Universities and Research, urged stronger support for photovoltaic energy and its potential cross-sector benefits, including farming. She suggested that research and innovation in photovoltaics could yield practical uses beyond reducing electricity bills, including floating solar panels that avoid occupying large land areas.
National Fund for the Sustainability of the Electricity System
Anpier representatives also endorsed the National Fund for the Sustainability of the Electricity System, whose main goal is to accelerate Spain’s energy transition and decarbonization while reducing consumer energy costs. The fund would cover costs linked to a dedicated charging regime for renewable energy, cogeneration, and waste energy. The proposal emphasizes sharing renewable energy costs among electricity, oil, and gas consumers, along with government support, rather than placing the full burden on consumers alone.
Anpier lines of action
- Maintain service quality.
- Keep active decision making.
- Maintain and promote media activity.
- Cooperate with other organizations.
- Develop compensation formulas for adjusted retroactive deductions.
- Close the final editing period.