The installed solar power represents 4.3 percent of the country’s total generation capacity. The country had 4,656 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2014. This means that in 2015 approximately 11 MW of PV systems were connected to the grid in Spain. In 2014, only 7 MW of new PV capacity was installed. Read the Renewables 2016 Global Status Report for more. Check out REN21’s Renewables Interactive Map for country specific data.
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| Courtesy: REN21 |
2015 Renewable records worldwide:
The installed renewable capacity increased by 147 GW, but Spain shows a general stagnation in almost all sectors.
2015 was an "extraordinary" year for renewable energies worldwide, according to the latest report qualifies REN21 2016 GSR (Renewables 2016 Global Status Report). Total renewable power installed at the end of last year reached 1,849 GW. In this world stage, the EU has lost its leadership by reducing its investment in clean energy by 21% in 2015, returning to the levels of 2006. On Spain, the report highlights the gradual disappearance of our country from the PV world map.
First published in 2005, this report is the result of a collaborative work which involved some 500 authors. Its aim is to analyze the state of the markets of renewable energies and political trends and industry innovations.
According to the document REN21 association in 2015 renewable power across the globe increased by 147 GW, the highest figure to date. In many markets, clean energy have been placed as the main energy source. This rapid growth is due to several factors such as increased cost competitiveness of renewable sources compared to fossil fuels, favoring political initiatives for this sector, improving access to funding, greater concern for energy security and the environment or demand growth in emerging economies.
In late 2015, countries with the highest total installed renewable capacity are China, US, Brazil, Germany and Canada. In Europe, for the eighth consecutive year, renewables account for 77% of the capacity of energy production, but overall a downward trend in many Member States, due to declining investment.
Focusing on Spain, and specifically in the solar sector, the report regrets that after leading the market in 2008, the presence of our country in the photovoltaic map has been gradually disappearing due to the retroactive policy changes and rates for own consumption.
Another aspect that the report highlights of Spain is that just added new capacity to the installed renewable electricity capacity. In CSP technology, for example, it notes that during 2015 no recorded infrastructure construction or new projects for 2016 are expected.
As for solar energy, we note that this market fell by 6% in Spain, in line with the European scene, where only Denmark and Poland shed positive growth data. Among the reasons for this shrinking market at Community level, the report points out complicated bureaucratic procedures subsidy schemes, the decline in construction of new buildings and competition from other thermal technologies.
Opportunities that this system would bring to society are fundamentally creating mechanisms that undoubtedly:
• would cheapen the cost of energy in homes, businesses and industries subsistence users in rural areas
• would assurance to meet European commitments development of renewable (the now famous 20-20-20) and new objectives set out in cop21
• would reduce energy dependence on fossil fuels, with a better balance of the balance of payments
• would create a scenario of "energy democratization", which will result in the welfare of citizens.
Biomass technologies, Wind and Solar can cover nowadays the spectrum of energy consumption, although the photovoltaic seems to cover most of the power demand in the coming years.
The installation of photovoltaic own consumption is stronger, since small productive farms and rural residents are increasingly interested in installing on their properties electrical systems due to lower installation prices in recent years with costs below the €10 cents per kWh within the scope of a purchase agreement valid for a period of 25 years.
PV-Water Pumping Irrigation Systems:
This type of facility meets the new needs of irrigators to provide water for dry-lands in a much more economical way, because everything that involves improving the supply and dispose of water use for irrigation is a real progress for these farmers and also for all regions.
There are vast amounts of land which could facilitate the use of irrigated cultivated lands, by no means of arable land irrigated. Therefore the chances that pumping would be endless arable dry-lands.
Photovoltaic solar energy in rural areas contributes to the fight against climate change:
The commitment to photovoltaic solar energy in rural areas as a means of combating climate change and active policies to fight in this area provide an opportunity for the future development of rural areas, since in this respect the commitment renewable energy can stimulate economic diversification and creation of new jobs, improving the management of agricultural land, increasing the efficiency of agricultural machinery, giving economic output and agricultural products through energy recovery.
Therefore, the photovoltaic solar energy installations are a good solution for isolated network facilities where they have to produce their own electricity, in many cases with diesel generators.
Development Actions for Rural Own-Consumption:
Although solar PV is well known, in addition to the significant damage that is causing the application of tolls on self-consumption, there are a number of prejudices, like the remaining tariff deficit, widespread in the past, that have a bad image to the sector, requiring the performing a series of actions for its normal development:
• Disseminate this technology among farmers to understand that solar energy photovoltaic solves many problems of its energy and electricity needs.
• To encourage more professionals photovoltaic solar energy, to spread the great opportunity it posed to rural areas, offering their services to farmers and rural dwellers.
• Itemize the different cost-effective solutions for photovoltaic solar energy in rural areas, both connected to the network, as well as off-grid facilities.
• Promoting innovation in autonomous or connected photovoltaic solar power grid, involving autonomous administrations and local authorities.
Hopefully the addition of all these actions in the future government will perform the necessary changes in the sector, so that solar PV will continue to be a vector for growth as SolarPower CEO James Watson said «In the current post-feed-in tariff climate, we must make sure we have the right electricity market design and the right long-term investment signals for solar to flourish. We hope that the European Commission’s forthcoming market design reform and Renewable Energy Directive will pave the way for the 200 GW benchmark,»
EGA is registered as 14.302 engineer at COITIM
