is a commercial
parabolic trough solar thermal power plant, located in
Spain. The Andasol plant uses tanks of molten salt to store solar energy so that it can continue generating electricity even when the sun isn't shining.
2004 Through a ministerial ruling in March 2004, the Spanish government removed economic barriers to the connection of renewable energy technologies to the electricity grid. The Royal Decree 436/2004 equalised conditions for large-scale
solar thermal and
photovoltaic plants and guaranteed
feed-in tariffs.
2008 Spain added a record 2.6 GW of solar photovoltaic power in 2008, a figure almost five times that of the next record year, increasing capacity to 3.5 GW. Spain surpassed both Japan and the United States in 2008 as the number two market as measured by cumulative installed PV capacity behind the world leader at the time Germany, accounting for 24% of global PV capacity. PV capacity added during 2008 would still account for more than half of total capacity as of 2016. In 2008 the Spanish government committed to achieving a target of 12% of primary energy from
renewable energy by 2010 and by 2020 expected the installed solar generating capacity of 10
GW.
2010–2011 Since 2010, Spain has been the world's leader in
concentrated solar power (CSP). Spain is leapfrogged by
Italy during 2011 following a later solar boom there to lose its position as the world's second largest installer of solar PV.
2012 By the end of 2012, 4.5 GW of solar photovoltaics had been installed, and in that year 8.2 TWh of electricity was produced. New installations of solar photovoltaics have slowed down significantly to around 300 MW during 2012. By the end of 2012 Spain had also installed over 2,000 MW of CSP.
2014–2016 in the foreground, with the two towers of the
PS10 and
PS20 solar power stations in the background. Almost no new solar capacity was added between 2014 and 2016, following the removal of government
feed-in tariffs. Having promoted the solar industry with large government subsidies during earlier periods, the system now operates under a 180-degree turn with a punitive 'sun tax' applied to new PV systems which would otherwise flourish. Spain has been cited as a model in how not to develop renewables. The hoped for growth in self consumption solar generation during 2016 fails to materialise due to delays to reforms following the extended time taken to form a government, albeit with just one party opposed to reforms in this area. Financing, land acquisition and solar panel price fluctuations could reduce the actual amount of solar power installed.
2018 A new sector of the market begins to make headway in the Spanish market following the easing of regulations on self consumption generation. 261.7 MW of new solar power was installed, of which just 26 MW were connected to the grid and the remainder, 235.7 MW being self-generating installations. It is expected that this could increase to 300 to 400 MW per year following further easing of regulations in May 2018. The re-emerging boom in Spanish solar PV is not being driven by subsidies or government tenders but as a result of solar being a highly cost effective proposition for electricity needs.
2023 Spain is poised to become a major contributor to Europe's renewable energy landscape, supported by its robust solar potential and favorable market conditions. In 2023, Spain is on track to increase its solar capacity by 4 GW. The country also has ambitions to install an additional 19 GW of new capacity between 2022 and 2025, which would make it home to the largest solar pipeline in Europe. However, Spain grapples with lengthy permitting processes, which can take up to five years, posing a significant hurdle to project development. To address this challenge, the government introduced new regulations in March 2023, streamlining permitting for projects below 150 MW capacity and with low or medium
environmental impact. These measures aim to reduce permitting times to approximately two years. == Solar thermal power plants ==