Self-Consumption Photovoltaic Solar Energy is Spain’s Best Tool Against Climate Change

The most widely accepted international classification of technologies for mitigating and adapting to climate change is as follows: Low-Carbon Energy Production, Instrumental Technologies, End-Use Technologies, Waste and Wastewater Management, and Climate Change Adaptation.

According to a report by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (www.oepm.es) updated in February 2024, which examines trends in applications for technological innovations in climate change mitigation and adaptation, the category with the most applications in Spain is Low-Carbon Energy Production, followed by End-Use Technologies and Climate Change Adaptation. This distribution contrasts with the global landscape, where end-user technologies predominate. Within the low-carbon energy production category, the main technologies are Solar Thermal Energy, Wind Energy, and Photovoltaic Solar Energy, the latter experiencing significant growth in recent years, reaching the top position in the number of inventions.

 

Among entities applying for patents and utility models in these technologies in Spain, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) stands out, followed by the Polytechnic University of Madrid and BSH Electrodomésticos España S.A. For European patents of Spanish origin, Siemens Gamesa leads, followed by General Electric Renewables Spain and Airbus Operations.

Evaluating the contribution of specific technologies to greenhouse gas reduction in Spain is complex. However, it is well-known that photovoltaic solar energy (PV) has been Spain’s primary tool for mitigating climate change. This is underscored by the significant growth in PV-related inventions in recent years.

In 2023, Spain commissioned a record 5,594 MW of newly installed photovoltaic solar power, a 28% increase compared to 2022.

As a result, renewable generation grew by 15.1% in 2023, accounting for 50.3% of national electricity production. This also marked a year of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 28% lower than the previous year. Photovoltaic energy prevented 17.3 million tons of CO2 emissions, with an average of 1.4 million tons avoided monthly. If Spain meets its National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) targets, the annual avoided emissions could reach 32 million tons.

Geographic Distribution of photovoltaic installations across mainland Spain as of 31.12.2023 (Red Eléctrica Española, 2024).

In terms of installed capacity, combined cycle plants (natural gas-fired power plants) had 26,284 MW in 2019, the largest of any technology at that time. By August 2020, however, the national wind energy capacity surpassed this figure, reaching 26,479 MW. In April 2024, photovoltaic solar energy reached 26,260 MW, overtaking natural gas (26,250 MW) to become the second-largest installed capacity, including self-consumption installations (over 7,000 MW). Photovoltaic energy is now Spain’s leading source of installed capacity. Despite this growth, wind energy is expected to reclaim its leadership in winter due to shorter days and reduced solar irradiance. Solar and wind energy are highly complementary: wind turbines generate energy at night, during storms, or in less sunny regions, compensating for solar energy’s limitations.

Self-consumption remains a major area for photovoltaic solar energy improvement. It is more eco-friendly and has a lower environmental impact, as energy supply and demand occur simultaneously, avoiding the need for large-scale projects. However, the slow growth of photovoltaic energy between 2010 and 2020 created today’s accelerated pace of development. This delay is attributed to the strong influence of energy companies on the government, limiting self-consumption to just 20% of the market, with many self-consumption contracts still under their control.

Only 5% of households in Spain have adopted self-consumption, with another 17% in the process. However, a significant obstacle is that 89% of households lack knowledge about the technology and how to access it, according to the “InformeSolar 2024.” Barriers include a lack of transparency in large energy companies’ offers, subsidies’ end, and bureaucratic challenges. If self-consumption were liberalized, Spain’s photovoltaic growth would likely be even more significant, given its ideal conditions for solar energy.

This Post was submitted by the Climate Scorecard Spain Country Manager Juanjo Santos.

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