Spain's New PV Installations Decline for Two Consecutive Years

According to the 2024 Annual Report on Self-Consumption Photovoltaics from the Spanish Renewable Energy Enterprise Association (APPA Renovables), Spain added 1.431 GW of new self-consumption PV capacity in 2024, down 26.3% YoY, bringing the cumulative capacity in this sector to 8.58 GW. In 2023, Spain added 1.94 GW of new self-consumption PV capacity, while the increase in 2022 reached as high as 2.65 GW, indicating that this market has declined for two consecutive years.
In 2024, most of Spain's new self-consumption PV capacity came from the commercial and industrial sectors, contributing 1.08 GW, while residential installations accounted for 346 MW. By the end of 2024, the cumulative installed capacity for commercial and industrial PV reached 6.3 GW, and residential PV reached 2.28 GW. Regionally, Catalonia had the highest self-consumption PV installation, with a total of 1.52 GW, followed by Andalusia with 1.44 GW, and the Valencian Community with 1.2 GW. Additionally, Spain added 155 MWh of battery storage capacity in 2024.
Jon Macías, President of APPA Renovables, cited the end of the EU's Next Generation incentive program and the drop in electricity prices following the energy crisis as major factors contributing to the decline, despite photovoltaic technology costs having reached historic lows. The association warned that if this trend continues, Spain may struggle to meet its 2030 target of 19 GW of self-consumption PV capacity. According to APPA Renovables, Spain needs to add 1.7 GW of self-consumption PV capacity each year to meet the 2030 goal.