Spain: Summary
Updated: 06.02.2019
Support schemes
In Spain, the generation of electricity from renewable sources was mainly promoted through a price regulation system that was phased out through Real Decreto-ley 9/2013.
The Real Decreto RD 413/2014 was approved to regulate the specific compensation regime or premium tariff (“Régimen Retributivo Específico”), aiming at supporting renewable energy plants. The Real Decretos 359/2017 and 650/2017 set each one a call for the allocation of the specific compensation regime for new renewable energy plants located in the mainland electricity system. The selected procedure to allocate the premium tariff was a call for tenders regulated through Order ETU/315/2017. The latter also approved the value of the different compensation parameters for the reference RES plants under the specific remuneration regime or premium tariff.
In 2015 Real Decreto 900/2015 was approved, establishing charges on existing and new self-consumption RES plants, both on capacity and generation levels. According to RD 900/2015 these are not taxes or compensation for utility losses, but contributions to overall system costs. Self-consumption installations under 10 kW and plants located not on the Spanish mainland will be spared the generation charge, but will still be subject to a fixed charge per kW of capacity. Yet, on October 2018 Royal Decree 15/2018 eliminated these charges on existing and new self-consumption RES plants, while it additionally simplified the procedure to apply to the self-consumption scheme for RES plants until 100kW.
More about support schemesGrid issues
In Spain, renewable energy plants are statutorily entitled to priority access to, connection to and use of the grid. Renewable electricity is granted priority dispatch in the electricity markets at no cost, provided the stability and security of the grid infrastructure can be maintained. Renewable energy plants operate under the so-called “Special Regime”. Real Decreto 1/2012 partially modified and suspended parts of this regime, however exclusively in economic terms (support schemes). Concerning the use and development of the grid with respect to RES-E, Real Decreto 1/2012 has no effect, as confirmed by the National Commission for Markets and Regulation (CNMC).
More about grid issuesPolicies
Spain has a national training system for installers and an obligatory certification for solar thermal panels. In addition, there are two wider frameworks, the R&D plan and the building code that include RES as an area of interest.
More about policies
Spain