Spain: Overall Summary
In Spain, the main support scheme (the “Régimen Especial”) operated until the end of 2011 and was suspended at the beginning of 2012. On June 2014, a new support scheme (the “Régimen Retributivo Específico”) was established. The aim was to grant a specific remuneration regime for new renewable energy plants located in the mainland electricity system. The allocation of the referred specific remuneration regime has been done through three competitive call for tenders (as of December 2018).
A contribution mechanism establishing charges on existing and new self-consumption RES plants, both on capacity and generation levels, was in place until October 2018. Under the new regulation approved in October 2018, self-consumption of RES is free from these charges, while procedures for RES self-consumption have been simplified. Furthermore a quota system for biofuels is in place.
RES-E operators are entitled to grid connection, priority dispatch against the grid operator. Furthermore, a plant operator is entitled against the grid operator to an expansion of the grid, if the expansion is required for his plant to be connected to the grid.
Policies for training and certification of solar panel installers are in place. Buildings should satisfy a minimal solar contribution for warm sanitary water. There is also a financial support for large thermal plants in buildings that are supplied from RES. A new RD&D plan (2017 – 2020) aimed at directing support to RES-E, RES-H&C and RES-T has been published.
Spain