At its sixth self-consumption summit, the Spanish photovoltaic association Unión Española Fotovoltaica (UNEF) offered a mixed assessment of the market. By the end of 2025, installed self-consumption capacity in Spain had reached 9.3 gigawatts. Growth, however, has slowed, with only around one gigawatt added last year. To reach the national target of 19 gigawatts by 2030, deployment will need to accelerate, the association said.
Stay up to date – sign up for our newsletter
“Self-consumption is a key element of the energy transition in Spain and strengthens our energy sovereignty and security of supply,” said UNEF President Rafael Benjumea at the opening. He also pointed to the need to stabilise demand and move beyond the recent growth cycle, while reinforcing the domestic industry – a shift that will require adjustments to the regulatory framework.
New royal decree expected in summer
The association welcomed the recently adopted legislative decree RDL 7/2026, which introduces the use of a self-consumption manager, extends the permitted distance for shared energy use to five kilometres, and creates new tax deductions for renewable energy installations and energy efficiency measures.
Spain steps up PV innovation with startup platform
At the same time, the industry and the ministry are pressing for the pending Royal Decree on self-consumption and distributed storage. Carlos Redondo, deputy director for electricity at the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO), announced: “We hope to have the new Royal Decree on self-consumption as soon as possible, hopefully this summer.” The plans reportedly include simpler models for collective self-consumption as well as rules for distributed storage.
Flexible grid connections and distributed storage as levers
UNEF is also calling for further measures: a simplified remuneration scheme for installations up to 500 kilowatts of connection power, and a waiver of grid connection permits for installations feeding less than 15 kilowatts into the grid, even where their installed output is higher.
Energy Storage Inspection 2026 shows wide efficiency spread
Safety requirements are also evolving. Jorge Jimeno Bernal of the Spanish Ministry of Industry presented the 2025 Fire Safety Regulation for Industrial Facilities (RSCIEI). For the first time, a new Annex IV regulates photovoltaic installations on the roofs of industrial buildings. The aim is to limit the spread of fires and make it possible to extinguish them. In parallel, MITECO is working on a draft of the Low Voltage Regulation with a dedicated section on photovoltaic installations.
Industrial self-consumption as strategic pillar
The trend is clear: according to the industry, industrial self-consumption is developing into a strategic pillar. Combined with storage, it shields companies from the volatility of energy prices and enables the electrification of industrial processes even where the grid is reaching its capacity limits.
Spain – incentives boost for PV storage and self-consumption
UNEF Managing Director José Donoso summed up: “Self-consumption is a key element of the energy transition in Spain.” Spain has the technology, expertise and corporate structure to lead the rollout, he said. What is needed, however, is a faster installation pace, the expansion of storage and the further development of collective self-consumption. (nhp)
