To achieve the goal of 19 GW self-consumption in 2030 Reforms must be made, warns the ‘Alliance for Self-Consumption‘: The PNIEC revision sets a target of 19 GW of self-consumption by 2030which will require almost a tripling of the currently installed 7 GW. The Plan must be accompanied by reforms to unlock collective self-consumption and energy communities. The tables of own consumption of the CNMC has defined priorities and changes that can be included in Royal Decree 244/2019.
The organizations that make up the Alliance for Self-Consumption support the promotion of own consumptiona form of renewable electrical energy production that should see significant development in our country, due to its high potential of renewable resources, thanks to its enviable geographical location and business leadership in renewable business. He own consumptioncontributes, among other environmental, economic and social benefits, to creating green jobs and promoting technological development and innovation.
The update of National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) 2023-2030 confirms the objective set in last year’s evaluation, with the 19 GW self-consumption in 2030. From the Alliance for Self-Consumption We celebrate that self-consumption is a central part of our country’s energy and climate strategy.
However, the setting of this target comes at a time of great difficulty for the sector. The year 2023 ended with a 32% decrease in the number of installations compared to 2022, and a 54% decrease in the residential sector. Until mid-2024, sector associations point to a further decline of 26%.
As for collective self-consumption, only 1% of installations are collective, in a country where almost 70% of people live in apartments or multi-family buildings, and energy communities need more support for their effective deployment on the territory.
These figures prove that the model for self-consumption, laid down in KB 244/2019, needs to be further developed. Collective self-consumption opens the door to new models that allow more people, and not just those who have a roof, to access the benefits of self-consumption and play a more active and powerful role in the electrical system.
It is also the gateway toThe right to share energy, introduced by the reform of the European electricity market. This right means that everyone should be able to sell or transfer surpluses to other consumers, rent or co-own facilities, and share energy within their community. Even those who cannot afford to invest in panels will be able to consume local renewable energy and reduce their bills.
However, Complex processing and distributor blockages continue to hinder shared energy projects. As we analyze in detail in our report Self-consumption in Spain: diagnosis, challenges and proposals, delays of up to two years are accumulating in collective self-consumption, due to unjustified procedures, delays in file management and disproportionate technical requirements that impose excessive cause delay.
There are also more and more problems in existing installations due to lack of investment and maintenance in the distribution network. It is necessary that distribution companies invest in modernizing networks, guaranteeing access and connection and adapting them to the new energy model of decentralized and renewable generation.eliminating issues such as network spikes that directly impact the proper functioning of the existing facilities for self-consumption.
To move forward from the ‘Alliance for Self-Consumption’, we propose the following:
- Process the agreed proposals in the CNMC tables for self-consumption with the sector and civil society. Especially those that accelerate the development of collective self-consumption and energy communities. KB 244/2019, of April 5, amend to ffacilitate the process of activating self-consumptionas the current formulation is one of the main obstacles for marketers.
- Change the form of remuneration of distribution companies to encourage collective self-consumption. It is necessary to move away from the model of ‘the more networks I deploy, the more I charge’ and ensure that the quality of service and the streamlining of the procedures needed to activate new energy communities are of greater importance are.
- Develop the figure of the self-consumption managera key figure who centralizes procedures and communication with distributors and streamlines procedures to activate self-consumption.
- Encourage energy communities with a much more ambitious facilitating framework, which at least implements the content of the European directives. Their participation in future auctions should also be encouraged, with specific quotas reserved for shared energy projects.
- Recognize the right of all people to self-consume and share energy within their communities, expanding the current model of collective self-consumption.
- Extend the limit from 100 kW installed power to 450 kW access capacity to benefit from the simplified compensation mechanismwhich could extend the benefits of this modality to a larger type of installations.
- Extend the exemption from applying for the Access and Connection Permit to all installations that inject less than 15 kW into the gridnot just those with less than 15 kW of installed power, which would encourage more citizens to participate in this mode of energy consumption.
- Increase the maximum distance between generator and associated consumption to 5,000 meterswhat the development of collective self-consumption and energy communitiesthus increasing the threshold of what is currently being considered own consumption because there is no physical limitation when it comes to sharing surpluses.