The Spanish solar association Unión Española Fotovoltaica (Unef) will host its sixth Cumbre de Autoconsumo in Madrid on 14 April, placing the spotlight on the country’s forthcoming self-consumption regulation.
The event will focus on Spain’s new self-consumption framework (Real Decreto de Autoconsumo), which, according to the association, is expected to be published shortly in the official gazette. Unef has submitted extensive comments on the draft, which have been reviewed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco).
Carlos Redondo, Deputy Director General for Electrical Energy at Miteco, has confirmed his participation in the summit. Speaking at the Genera trade fair, he said: “We value detailed and comprehensive feedback such as UNEF’s, which helps us refine the regulation.”
New rules for self-consumption and storage
Key measures in the regulation include the introduction of a self-consumption manager role (gestor del autoconsumo), new models for surplus distribution, an extension of the maximum distance between installations in collective schemes from two to five kilometres, and the first regulation of distributed storage. Unef is also calling for an exemption from access and connection permits for installations feeding up to 15 kW into the grid, as well as simplified procedures for systems with up to 500 kW of access capacity.
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Another key topic at the summit is the safety of photovoltaic installations. Spain has recently added a dedicated chapter on solar modules to its fire safety regulation for industrial facilities. The Spanish building code (Código Técnico de la Edificación) is also set to include corresponding provisions. The summit will address maintenance and prevention services offered by the industry, as well as regulatory requirements.
Industrial self-consumption and energy communities
The summit also covers industrial self-consumption for installations above 100 kW, a segment that is growing in importance according to Unef. Discussions will focus on business models, the electrification of energy-intensive sectors and the potential of data centres in Spain.
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Seven years after the adoption of Real Decreto 244/2019, collective self-consumption has fallen short of expectations. Administrative barriers continue to slow implementation, according to the association. Energy communities in Spain also still lack a dedicated legal framework. Unef has drawn up a proposed regulation to address this.
Storage, digitalisation and new business models
The integration of distributed storage into the new legal framework opens up business models beyond conventional self-consumption, in Unef's view. Topics include the digitalisation of electricity grids, flexible access permits and the participation of self-consumption installations in energy markets through demand aggregation. Further areas of discussion include the combination of solar installations with heat pumps, storage systems and digital solutions, as well as the integration of self-consumption into the system of energy savings certificates (Certificados de Ahorro Energético, CAEs).
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Also speaking at the summit are María González de Perosanz of the Spanish regulatory authority CNMC, who will address new requirements for platforms managing self-consumption processes, and Emilio Barroso of grid operator REE, who will present the methodology for calculating self-consumption production. (nhp)
