Spain 2020: The road ahead

Solar power has taken the Spanish energy sector by storm. In 2019, Spain experienced an exceptional year by adding more photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the first eleven months than in the last decade combined. However, this has also raised multiple concerns regarding the country’s grid infrastructure, the execution of the government’s auction scheme and the long-term stability of the market.

The dawn of a new decade typically brings an opportunity to rethink our objectives and challenges. Late last year, we surveyed 50 solar experts on how the Spanish solar sector is expected to evolve from 2020 and beyond. One of the main and most divisive questions was regarding the now-famous solar bubble.... is the Spanish industry living in a bubble?

We saw a major boom in installations almost 10 years ago, followed by a dramatic bust. Last year, we saw the market pick up again, which poses the question: Is history repeating itself? Only time will tell, but there is hope that it won't. 

So what does the road ahead look like? The survey respondents think that the three main challenges are regulation of connection permits, grid congestion and long-term PPAs. Do you agree?