Solar energy in Spain is easier to follow once you know whether a figure counts rooftop systems. Red Eléctrica reports almost 50 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity when self-consumption is included.
This page covers Spain’s capacity, its share of generation, rooftop self-consumption, the national climate plan and the grid questions raised by high solar output. For the continental context, see the overview of solar energy in europe.
| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Solar PV added in 2025 | 8.8 GW of solar photovoltaic was added |
| Generation fleet, end 2025 | 142.5 GW, which is 7.3% more than in 2024 |
| Solar PV with self-consumption | Almost 50 GW, accounting for 33.1% of the mix |
| Total capacity with self-consumption | Installed power capacity reaches 150.8 GW |
| Rooftop and other self-consumption | 1,139 MW installed in 2025, 3.7% less than 2024 |
Figures come from Red Eléctrica and UNEF; this information can change, so check the sources for the latest numbers.
Installed capacity and recent additions
Red Eléctrica, Spain’s transmission system operator, publishes the national capacity figures each March. At the end of 2025 the system had a generation fleet of 142.5 GW, 7.3% more than in 2024. That growth came from 8.8 GW of new solar photovoltaic and 1.2 GW of wind, so solar accounted for most of the new build.
Counting rooftop self-consumption facilities, which are metered differently from grid-connected plants, the operator gives a total installed capacity of 150.8 GW. In that wider mix, solar photovoltaic holds 33.1% of capacity with almost 50 GW installed, ahead of wind, combined-cycle gas and hydro. Whether a quoted figure for Spanish solar includes self-consumption is the main reason numbers differ between reports, so it is worth checking the basis before comparing sources.
Spain’s position in Europe is notable. The operator states that Spain is the second country among ENTSO-E members with the greatest presence of solar and wind, surpassed only by Germany. The generation data from Ember agree: Spain is the second highest producer of solar power in the EU.
Spain’s high irradiation is a structural advantage. A plant in the sunnier parts of the Iberian Peninsula produces more energy per installed megawatt than a comparable plant in northern Europe, which lowers the cost of each unit of electricity and explains why developers have concentrated large projects there.
How much electricity solar supplies
Capacity is only one measure. In terms of energy, Ember reports that solar is Spain’s largest source of clean electricity at 22%, and that the combined share of wind and solar exceeds the EU average. Red Eléctrica’s grid-connected statistics, which leave out self-consumption, give a slightly different ranking: wind led at 21.6% of generation, followed by nuclear at 19% and solar photovoltaic at 18.4%.
The operator adds that once the estimated output of rooftop systems is included, the national mix would be led by solar photovoltaic. This shows how much electricity is produced behind the meter and never appears in transmission-level figures.
Across all sources, renewables are now the largest block of Spanish generation. Red Eléctrica puts the share at 55.5% of all electricity, rising to 56.6% with self-consumption. Eurostat uses a different definition, the share of gross electricity consumption, and its provisional data for last year show Spain at 60.7% renewable electricity, close to Portugal and Greece in the same Eurostat ranking.
Solar output peaks in the middle of the day and in summer, while demand peaks in the evening. That mismatch is why curtailment, storage and flexible demand have become central topics for every large solar market in Europe, and why monitoring and control data matter as much as the panels themselves.
- Generation fleet end 2025: 142.5 GW; 7.3%
- Solar PV installed incl. self-consumption, share of mix: almost 50 GW; 33.1%
- Second among ENTSO-E members for wind and solar: second
- Renewables share of generation 2025: 55.5%; 56.6% with self-consumption
- Generation shares without self-consumption: wind 21.6%, nuclear 19%, solar PV 18.4%
Self-consumption on rooftops and industrial sites
Spain has a large self-consumption segment, in which households and companies generate power for their own use. The Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF) reports that growth continues but is slowing: 1,139 MW were installed in 2025, 3.7% less than in 2024.
The split between segments has changed. UNEF notes that 36,330 new households installed systems in 2025, while the industrial sector added 674 MW. In other words, commercial and industrial users carry more of the growth than homes. The association links the household slowdown to the withdrawal of measures such as the tax deduction for home energy-efficiency works.
The association also observes that interest in energy storage solutions has increased after the blackout. Batteries allow a household or factory to use midday production in the evening, which reduces dependence on the grid and softens the effect of low wholesale prices around noon.
Self-consumption data have only recently entered the official statistics. Red Eléctrica now reports estimated self-consumption generation and capacity alongside its other data, which is why the 2025 report includes both an ordinary and an extended total.
The 2030 plan and national targets
Spain’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, known as the PNIEC, sets the national direction. According to TaiyangNews, the approved version fixes solar PV capacity at 76.27 GW, including 19 GW of self-consumption, an increase on the 11 GW installed up to 2020. The plan also raises the storage objective to 22.5 GW.
Ember summarises the overall direction: at the start of 2026, Spain was aiming for 81% of renewable electricity generation and 179 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. Against these goals, recent additions of utility-scale solar show strong progress, while the slowing self-consumption market has to speed up to reach the rooftop share assumed in the plan.
Storage is the clearest gap. Red Eléctrica reports that storage power stood at 3,427 MW at year end, well below the plan’s objective, although storage systems such as pumped storage and batteries integrated 9,213 GWh.
Spain’s neighbours face similar planning questions. The French approach, which combines multi-year energy programming with tenders, is described in the page on solar energy in france, and the very different rooftop-and-grid story of a dense, flat country appears in the page on solar energy in the netherlands.
Grid limits, exports and the 2025 blackout
Spain is a net electricity exporter. The operator reports that exports rose 25.1% to 12,794 GWh, the fourth consecutive year with an export balance. Demand is also rising: electricity consumption increased 2.8% in 2025, which helps absorb new solar output.
The blackout of the Iberian grid brought renewable grid integration into focus. The expert panel of ENTSO-E, the European association of transmission operators, called it the most severe blackout on the European power system in over 20 years, and the first ever of its kind (overvoltage). Its final report found that it was not a single root cause, but a combination of several key factors.
One of those factors concerns how generators behave. The panel notes that renewables with fixed power factor provide no dynamic voltage control, because their reactive power follows their active power rather than the voltage. It also observed that voltage-control equipment such as shunt reactors was switched manually, and that about 58% of the reactive power capacity of Spanish shunt reactors was connected shortly before the event. The panel states that the report does not allocate liability, and its recommendations focus on voltage control, oscillation damping, protection settings and restoration.
For operators of solar plants, the practical lesson is that inverters are expected to support the grid, not only to inject energy. Voltage-control modes, protection settings and monitoring data have therefore become part of how plant performance is judged.
Frequently asked questions
How much solar capacity does Spain have?
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Red Eléctrica reports almost 50 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity, counting self-consumption, after 8.8 GW of solar was added in 2025.
What is Spain’s solar target for 2030?
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The approved energy and climate plan sets 76.27 GW of solar PV, including 19 GW of self-consumption.
What share of Spanish electricity comes from solar?
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Ember reports that solar is the largest source of clean electricity at 22%, while Red Eléctrica’s grid-connected statistics give 18.4% for solar photovoltaic without self-consumption.
Is rooftop solar still growing in Spain?
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Yes, but more slowly. UNEF reports 1,139 MW installed in 2025, 3.7% less than in 2024.
Did solar cause the 2025 blackout?
Show answer
The ENTSO-E expert panel found not a single root cause, but a combination of several key factors, with voltage control a central theme rather than solar output as such.
