He XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF has emphasized its importance contribution of the photovoltaic sector to the economic and industrial development of Spain and celebrated the commitment to this technology in the recent update of the PNIEC. Sara Aagesen announced this yesterday during the XI Solar Forum and of what Ecoticias.com es Official media partnerorganized by Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFA prior consultation to update the Own consumption DR.
More than a thousand people attended the first day of the XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFin which prominent actors from the sector participated, such as the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, or the President of Redeia, Beatriz Corredor. The day was spent debating some of the most relevant current issues in the sector, such as price volatility, the necessary boost from own consumption and the energy communities or the role of storage in the energy transition.
He XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFF once again measured the pulse of the sector in Spain, during an event that brought together more than a thousand visitors on the first day. Sara Aagesen, State Secretary for Energy, j Rafael Benjumea, chairman of Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFwas in charge of opening the meeting.
In it, The impact of the photovoltaic industry on the economic and industrial development of our country has become relevant.that last year contributed more than 18,000 million euros to GDP (domestic and foreign), as well as the growth prospects for the coming years in which, according to the latest update of the TRUNK, Photovoltaics will play a leading role in the 3.2% GDP increase targeted in the national plan.
In it XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFthat has become the reference event for the photovoltaic sector at national level and it takes place during the days October 9 and 10 in Madrid, the most important companies of the Spanish photovoltaic sector During two days of intensive work, they will debate with public institutions and civil society representatives to draw up a roadmap that will enable the acceleration of the energy transition and the economic boost of our country.
A new royal decree on self-consumption
The State Secretary for Energy of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, has XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF recognizing the role of photovoltaic energy in the country’s industrialization and accelerated decarbonization in recent years: “Solar photovoltaics is a successful industry in Spain and the government continues to support it. Now we are entering a new phase where, having created a whole renewable ecosystem, we face more specific challenges and move towards precision measurements, towards the expansion, strengthening and refinement of the instruments, and that is what we are working on. ”
On a day when The new targets of the PNIEC were protagonists and it has been analyzed how the own consumptionthe State Secretary for Energy today announced the opening of a consultation to discuss the Royal Decree on self-consumption: “It will help us to know what changes are considered necessary at the regulatory level, allowing us to benefit from all the experiences we have gained in recent years, in which self-consumption has seen spectacular growth.”
A promising future for solar energy
In his inaugural presentation, Rafael Benjumea applauded MITECO’s commitment to our country’s energy transformation and the strong steps being taken towards decarbonization, in an “ambitious but necessary” project, but not without its challenges.
Among them, Benjumea has emphasized the industrialization and electrification as two of the fundamental pillars to consolidate this transition: “we must integrate photovoltaic energy into our industrial fabric, support Spanish companies that have demonstrated their high level of competitiveness, and also attract new industry to Spain, taking advantage of the competitiveness of the photovoltaic energy”.
Benjumea has highlighted the success of the electricity sector’s decarbonization policies in recent years. However, he stated that “we must also make equally determined progress in replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon electric applications. Decarbonization of the electricity sector increased by 40% between 2019 and 2023, but final consumption decreased by 0.2%.”
Benjumea also has the situation of the own consumption “Which has slowed growth worryingly.” “If we do not give a decisive boost to our own consumption, we run the risk of not achieving the 19 GW target set by the PNIEC.”, he assured, emphasizing the need for measures such as promoting tax cuts or simplifying administrative procedures to continue making progress in their implementation. As for the energy communities, Benjumea has classified them as “the ecosystem of energy transition and electrification” and has since announced it Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF They are developing a proposed regulatory framework, which they will present in the coming weeks, “so that energy communities participate in the system on equal terms.”
The chairman of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF has also focused on the importance of promoting a regulatory framework that encourages storage. “Today we are all clear that we need to improve the availability of solar energy beyond the hours of irradiation. “To ensure supply to consumers, to reduce the use of combined cycles of electricity generation and to reduce prices.”
To cope with this development of the sector, of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF They emphasize the need to also guarantee a reward system that provides legal certainty and adapts to the characteristics of sustainable generation, and advocate the reform of the marginal system and the call for auctions. ““that set a price for the energy generated, with a sufficiently long term and including storage, with a clear calendar with known volumes and anti-speculative measures.”
Benjumea has also emphasized this the importance of society understanding the benefits of photovoltaic projectsand has made a “joint call for everyone from their region to play their role: raising the level of debate, not giving rise to hoaxes, legislating responsibly based on scientific and technical criteria and committing to good practices with transparency and respect for the wishes of the local population.”
In this sense, he has pointed out that, although most autonomous communities are committed to solar energy and storage and they see it as an opportunity; the regulations introduced by some autonomous communities, such as “the taxes of Aragon, the unjustified moratorium in La Rioja, the barriers to storage in Asturias or to free enterprise in the Canary Islands or Catalonia”, are damaging the competitive advantage that photovoltaic solar energy brings to the Spanish industry.
Spain’s competitive advantage in sustainable energy is undisputed
During the first day of XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFBeatriz Corredor, president of REDEIA, emphasized that “Spain’s competitive advantage in renewable energy sources is undisputed” and has highlighted the Spanish network and its ability to integrate the increase in generation expected in the coming years: “We integrate 98% of all renewable energy sources produced, with real-time visualization, allowing us to minimize discharges and be as profitable as possible. We are a global example. We are doing better than countries like Great Britain, France or Germany,” he emphasized.
Corredor has emphasized that the TRUNK It will require a significant investment, but the network will be able to: “We will be able to integrate the renewable energy sources of the new PNIEC. It must be fulfilled in all its predictions and this is one In the coming years, there will be significant investments in networks amounting to more than 10,000 million euros”.
And he has argued for prioritizing the projects that add the most value to local society: “We must be intelligent in developing these activities and focus primarily on the projects that will generate economic growth, that will be a driving force behind the value chain and generate a positive socio-economic impact on the territory.
The President of Redeia also positively appreciated the creation of the CNE, a body specialized in energy, which is necessary given the greater complexity that the electrical system now has.
Storage, ‘vital’ for the development of the photovoltaic sector
By organizing six discussion tables during the first day of the XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF Some of the most relevant challenges in the sector have been addressed.
In the field of soil plants, concerns have been raised about the variability of prices and the need for well-designed auctions, and the promotion of new instruments such as hybrid PPAs has been highlighted. In that sense the electrification and storage have been mentioned as key elements. Key companies in the sector have also pointed to international diversification as a key element to reduce risks.
The practices of some autonomous communities to tax the sector are compared to the development of their territory. In this sense, Alipio García, General Director of Energy Transition of Castilla-La Mancha, has announced that they are not gambling on collecting more taxes at the expense of renewable energy sources: “It is the companies that must conclude agreements with the local population to achieve social- implement economic measures,” he noted.
The Certificate of Excellence from the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEFhas been praised as an effective initiative and an exceptional presentation letter to society. As for the own consumptionthe sector believes that tax relief could be an appropriate incentive, more effective than subsidies. And again, the sector believes that the future is passing, even in own consumptionfor the batteries; allow that benefit from cheap electricity from photovoltaic solar energy outside the hours of radiation.
The day will end with a panel led by researchers from Fotoplat, the Spanish photovoltaic technology platform, who will share advances in photovoltaic R&D&i in buildings, agriculture and water. He XI Solar Forum of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, UNEF will conclude today by analyzing topics such as deployment of energy communities, demand competition, electrification or protection financing.