Date: March 03
More than 298,000 homes and more than 54,000 company installations generate the equivalent of 1.8% of the national electricity demand from their rooftops. In addition, there was a record growth of the new power installed in Spain, since in 2022 2,649 MW of self-consumption were installed in Spain. These are some of the main conclusions drawn from the I Annual Report on Photovoltaic Self-Consumption, presented by Jon Macías, President of APPA Autoconsumo, and José María González Moya, General Director of APPA Renovables.
As pointed out by the association in a statement, the Report, prepared with the information obtained from the real data of the main companies in the sector and that cover practically all the installations carried out and the equipment marketed in Spain, shows unprecedented growth: In four years, the annual installed capacity has multiplied by 26.
“We are experiencing an unprecedented energy revolution. That 2,649 MW of clean and distributed generation have been installed is good, but what is important are the more than 217,000 new homes that have become, in 2022, apostles of a new way of generating and consuming energy”, declared Jon Macías during the presentation of the report.
Regarding the record growth in installation, of the 2,649 MW installed, 39% (1,024 MW) were installed in homes and the remaining 61% in industrial facilities. As explained during the presentation, the Report considers industrial installations all those that have not been carried out in homes, which is why businesses, factories, public administrations or irrigation fields are also included here.
Limitations on advance
In Spain, 217,248 residential installations and 23,096 industrial-type installations were carried out. The latter have a wide dispersion, from 15 kW installations to large projects of several megawatts and have experienced certain barriers during 2022: the lack of availability of string inverters with power greater than 100 kW and the need to process NextGenerationEU aid before contracting the project. These circumstances have slowed growth in the industrial sector but it is expected that, in 2023, the projects started will see the light of day.
Regarding residential installations, the “typical” installation in Spain is a 4.6 kW project with an associated average investment of €7,855.
Self-consumption facilities in operation generated 4,564 GWh in our country. This figure includes the self-consumed energy instantly, as well as the surpluses used by the electrical system. It is important to highlight the importance of this figure that, in 2022, already represented the equivalent of 1.8% of the electricity demand in central busbars at the national level and is expected to have a strong increase in the coming years.
The operator of the electrical system and the distribution companies detect a decrease in demand at consumption points with self-consumption, but it is important to recognize the value of this renewable and distributed electricity that is being generated and consumed daily by homes and companies. “It is necessary for the Public Administrations to make an effort to consolidate the existing information on these facilities, in order to facilitate the technical work of network managers,” explained José María González Moya.
Regulatory and technical barriers
However, not all the energy that the facilities can generate is being used. According to the information analyzed from more than 1,000 installations distributed throughout the Spanish geography, it has been concluded that, at present, close to 19% of the generation potential of the installations is wasted.
This is mainly caused by regulatory and technical barriers that prevent the dumping of surpluses in facilities with power greater than 100 kW and/or with high voltage supplies. 1,067 GWh wasted, equivalent to 0.4% of electricity demand, and which, according to market prices and considering the pointing coefficient of photovoltaic solar, have a value equivalent to 160 million euros. A renewable, clean, distributed and available generation without further investment, which we are wasting.
Self-consumption savings
In the year 2022, the savings amounted to €338 for each kilowatt installed for homes and around €280 for companies. The difference is due to the different electricity prices for both consumers.
For a “typical” installation of 4.6 kW, the savings would be €1,553 per year, so the savings would be equal to the investment made in about five years (all this without accounting for aid, tax rebates or subsidies that could be applied). . This is a figure that depends on the electricity market price, so it cannot be extrapolated to the rest of the years.
“It is important to have accredited professionals and the highest quality materials and equipment,” Jon Macías pointed out during the presentation of this data. “The installations are carried out to have a useful life of more than twenty-five years, so we must prioritize the quality and safety of the installations over price. If the installation is well executed, the savings will compensate a greater initial investment in the long run”, concluded Macías.
Source: Review Energy
