Spain's New PV Installations Decline for Two Consecutive Years!

According to the 2024 Annual Report on Self-Consumption PV by the Spanish Renewable Energy Association (APPA Renovables), Spain added 1.431 GW of new self-consumption PV installations in 2024, a YoY decrease of 26.3%, bringing the cumulative installations in this segment to 8.58 GW. In 2023, Spain added 1.94 GW of new self-consumption PV installations, while the increase in 2022 was as high as 2.65 GW, indicating that this market has declined for two consecutive years.

In 2024, new self-consumption PV installations were primarily driven by the industrial and commercial sector, contributing 1.08 GW, while the residential sector added 346 MW. By the end of 2024, cumulative industrial and commercial PV installations reached 6.3 GW, and residential PV installations totaled 2.28 GW.

Regionally, Catalonia had the highest cumulative self-consumption PV installations at 1.52 GW, followed by Andalusia with 1.44 GW and the Valencian Community with 1.2 GW.

Additionally, the country added 155 MWh of new battery storage capacity in 2024.

Jon Macías, President of the Spanish Renewable Energy Association, attributed the decline to the end of the EU's Next Generation incentive program and the pullback in electricity prices following the recent energy crisis—despite PV technology costs having fallen to historic lows.

The association warned that if this trend continues, Spain may fail to achieve its 2030 target of 19 GW in self-consumption PV installations. It urged the government to take measures, including simplifying administrative processes, improving grid connection convenience, and offering at least a 25% reduction in corporate or personal income taxes to stimulate market growth.

According to the APPA Renovables report, to meet the 2030 target, Spain needs to add 1.7 GW of new self-consumption PV installations annually in the coming years.