Rise in solar panel installations in Almeria

Self-consumption installations in Andalusia through which private citizens and companies generate their own electricity with photovoltaic panels have grown by 36 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year and there are currently more than 113,600 installations of this type in Andalusia.

In Almería there are more than 8,300 self-consumption installations that add up to 89 MW of installed photovoltaic power for individuals and companies, which represents a growth of 4 percent in terms of renewable power in one year.

This means that these installations to generate their own electricity already represent 15 percent of the photovoltaic capacity in the region.

The evolution has been notable in the last five years, since these types of installations reached 2,600 and contributed 28.5 MW of power in 2019, and in five years their power has increased by 52 percent and is close to 1,000 MW.

This commitment of Andalusian community to the energy transition through self-consumption facilities means eliminating the emission some 500,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The deployment of self-consumption is distributed throughout all the provinces. In Cádiz there are about 14,800 installations and 100 MW of installed capacity, while in Córdoba they exceed 13,900 and reach 109 MW. In Granada, the installations are over 17,300, totalling 137 MW, Huelva has more than 6,400 and 54 MW, in Jaen they exceed 11,700 and 92 MW and in Malaga more than 20,800 and 153 MW with one of the highest being in Sevilla Where there are more than 33,300 installations and 206 MW.

Investments of over €1.5 million

Self-consumption has contributed to Andalusia closing the year with a historical record of installed renewable power, 1,605 new megawatts, which has received investments worth €1,625 million and the creation of some 4,800 jobs associated with the construction of these new renewable infrastructures.

Of the new renewable megawatts installed last year, photovoltaic technology contributed the most (1,504 MW), followed by wind, which added 101 megawatts to the region’s renewable capacity.

Andalusia closed 2023 with a renewable electricity generation park of 11,803 MW, 16 percent more than in 2022, and doubling the installed power compared to 2018.

Andalusia maintains the first position in solar thermal energy, with the installation in 2023 of nearly 21,570 square meters for the supply of hot water and/or air conditioning to Andalusian homes and companies, having more than 1,167,000 square meters of installed solar thermal surface.

Added to this are 139 new thermal biomass installations launched last year, which make Andalusia the first Spanish region to take advantage of it, with more than 28,300 biomass installations in operation for thermal uses, including stoves, boilers, dryers, and generators.