According to the 2024 “Annual Report on PV for Self-Consumption” released by the Spanish Association of Renewable Energy Companies (APPA Renovables), Spain added 1.431GW of new PV installations for self-consumption in 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 26.3%, bringing the cumulative installed capacity in this field to 8.58GW. In 2023, Spain added 1.94GW of new PV installations for self-consumption, while the increment in 2022 was as high as 2.65GW, indicating a decline in the market for two consecutive years.
In 2024, new PV installations for self-consumption mainly came from the industrial and commercial sector, contributing 1.08GW, while the residential sector added 346MW. As of the end of 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of PV in the industrial and commercial sector reached 6.3GW, and that in the residential sector reached 2.28GW.
Regionally, Catalonia has the highest cumulative installed capacity of PV for self-consumption, reaching 1.52GW, followed by Andalusia with 1.44GW and the Valencian Community with 1.2GW.
In addition, Spain added 155MWh of new battery storage capacity in 2024.
Jon Macías, the president of APPA Renovables, believes that the main reasons for the decline include the end of incentive measures under the EU’s Next Generation plan and the fall in electricity prices after the energy crisis in recent years, despite the fact that PV technology costs have fallen to historic lows.
The association warns that if this trend continues, Spain may not achieve its target of 19GW of PV installations for self-consumption by 2030. It calls on the government to take measures, including simplifying administrative processes, improving grid connection convenience, and providing at least a 25% reduction in corporate or personal income taxes, to stimulate market growth.
According to the report by APPA Renovables, to achieve the 2030 target, Spain needs to add 1.7GW of new PV installations for self-consumption each year in the future.
