With the permission of the month of May, if we will remember this first half of 2023 for anything, it is, among other climatic dramas, for a record level of insolation and spring temperatures week after week. The accounts do themselves: if it doesn't rain, it's sunny. And this April, they have been taken to another level, making themselves felt -and a lot- in the generation of renewable energy.
According to the data provided by Red Eléctrica, photovoltaic solar energy has reached a record generation of 3,563 GWh in April, 38% more than in the same month of 2022. It already did so the previous month, which also broke a record. Only in the first 21 days of March, the sun has allowed to produce 95% more electricity than in those same days of 2021.
One more milestone, shared by Red Eléctrica: on the 19th at 11:37 a.m., 64.5% of all demand at that time was covered with electricity production from the sun. Some figures that show that 2023 can be a great year to ensure that the ecological transition of Spain develops through the appropriate channels.
According to estimates by the electricity company, renewable energies could reach 50% of annual electricity generation, which can undoubtedly be key to achieving the goal of 74% of electricity consumed in Spain coming from renewable sources in 2030 established by the Plan National Integrated Energy and Climate (PNIEC). The data for 2022 is encouraging: photovoltaic panels have positioned themselves for the first time as the fourth technology in the generation mix (representing 10%) and have grown by 33% more.
This growth is not Iberian heritage (Portugal also registers record levels), but rather extends throughout the globe, with 22% more plates or panels for electricity generation by harnessing sunlight, according to the 2023 Renewable Capacity Statistics report. , published in March by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
But the truth is that yes, Spain can stick out its chest. The Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2023 report has positioned the state as the first country in Europe and fifth country in the world for photovoltaic power installed in 2022, with a total of 8.1 GW and seventh for accumulated photovoltaic capacity, with a total of 26 .6GW.
In addition, as reported by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), the International Energy Agency (IEA) itself gives it the first place in the world for greater photovoltaic penetration, with a rate of 19.1%. According to this association, and again on a global level, investment in solar energy will exceed spending on oil production this year 2023 for the first time.
For now, it has surpassed hydraulics and is already the third source in the ranking. The expectations are ambitious, but empirically based: Spain has some 2,500/3,000 hours of sunlight per year (the emblematic 300 days of sunshine that have been used so much as a tourist attraction), which places it among the best positions to produce energy of the star king Thanks to the sun in particular, and to renewables in general, Spain has established itself as the country with the cheapest light in Europe, as highlighted by UNEF (Spanish Photovoltaic Union).
