Solar energy in Spain

We are committed to the use of photovoltaic solar energy in Spain and bring clean, renewable electricity to thousands of Spanish homes

In recent years, Iberdrola España has intensified its efforts to achieve an effective and efficient energy transition, maintaining a firm commitment to decarbonisation and the fight against climate change. The geography of our country has some good characteristics to take advantage of the generous solar resource we enjoy. From the sunny fields of Andalusia to the northern regions, capturing the sun's rays has become a real priority.

This transition towards harnessing solar energy in Spain not only works against climate change, but also generates employment and fosters technological innovation. Solar parks and photovoltaic panels on rooftops have become a common sight in cities and towns, making evident Spain's determination to meet the targets set out in international agreements.

What is solar energy in Spain and how does it work?

Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source that uses solar radiation to produce electricity from the photoelectric effect. This physical phenomenon allows certain materials to absorb photons and release electrons, generating an electric current.

Semiconductor materials, such as silicon, are used to make photovoltaic cells. Typically, these cells can be made from monocrystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous silicon, although other thin-film semiconductor materials can also be used.

The efficiency of photovoltaic panels depends directly on the material and its purity. For example, monocrystalline silicon is obtained from a pure silicon crystal, which means that the molecular structure is 'cleaner' and its efficiency (i.e., the amount of electrical energy generated from the absorbed solar energy) is higher, by 18-20 % on average.

The next most efficient are polycrystalline silicon, which, as the name suggests, are made from several silicon crystals. This makes them cheaper to produce, but at the cost of some loss of efficiency (they have an average efficiency of between 16 % and 17.5 %). And finally, amorphous crystal cells are the cheapest, but also the least efficient (their average efficiency generally falls below 10 %).

Photovoltaic plants, created by aggregating panels (from a few to hundreds of panels), can be divided into two main types: grid-connected and off-grid. Off-grid plants are usually installed in remote, inaccessible locations, such as farms or farmsteads, and are used in conjunction with large batteries.

As for those connected to the electricity grid, we have photovoltaic plants and self-consumption generators. The former are installations designed to feed all the energy generated into the grid, while the latter refer to installations that use part of the energy for consumption (in homes, buildings, etc.) and feed the rest into the grid. They can also demand energy from the grid when not enough is produced.

Map of Iberdrola Spain solar power plants

Check the main operational data of Iberdrola España's solar power plants through this interactive map. Get to know the details of the facilities we have distributed in various Spanish regions, which are key to promoting a greener and cleaner future in the country.

How do we monitor the operation of our solar power plants?

Two decades ago, Iberdrola España inaugurated a pioneering project on a global scale in the field of renewable energies: the Renewables Operation Centre (CORE) in Toledo. This centre controls and operates in real time the operation of Iberdrola España's wind, photovoltaic and hydroelectric facilities.

Today, the centre manages, from its headquarters in Toledo, more than more than 300 wind farms, photovoltaic plants, electrical substations and storage batteries located in 11 different countries. In addition, the CORE monitors more than 3 million real-time data and controls more than 13 GW of active power.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎