The use of alternative energy sources is currently a global trend that clearly benefits the environment. The rational use of inexhaustible and renewable resources not only helps reduce toxic waste and protect nature, but also has a positive effect on our health and can bring significant savings at a national level. This is why the idea of using clean energy as much as possible in everyday life is more relevant than ever.

When we talk about sunny Spain, whose coastline enjoys more than three hundred days of sunshine a year, the idea of installing solar panels on private homes immediately comes to mind – and with it a whole series of further questions:

• What types of solar panels exist?
• How much does it cost to install solar panels in Spain?
• What is the payback period for solar panels?
• Is the use of solar energy taxed in Spain?
• Do solar panels require maintenance after installation?

Let’s look at all of this in more detail.

Types of solar panels in Spain

A solar system consists of panels, which are the main components of a solar energy system. Before deciding to install them, it is important to understand how they work and to choose the model that best suits the needs of each homeowner.

Depending on their purpose, solar panels are classified as photovoltaic, thermal or hybrid.

Photovoltaic solar panels

The modules in this system convert solar energy into electricity through photovoltaic installations.

Photovoltaic panels consist of a set of elements, usually made of silicon, a material widely used in energy applications thanks to its semiconductor properties. Depending on the purity of the silicon used, three main types of photovoltaic solar panels can be distinguished:

Monocrystalline panels. These are made of highly purified silicon that goes through several crystallisation stages to create a single crystal structure. This is the most complex manufacturing process, but it results in the best performance – and the highest price.

Polycrystalline panels. These are also made from pure silicon elements, but go through fewer crystallisation stages, which leads to the formation of multiple crystal structures. Their efficiency is somewhat lower than that of monocrystalline panels, but they are still quite effective.

Amorphous panels. This type of panel is built from non-crystallised silicon elements with a uniform colour. It is the most economical solar panel model, but its efficiency is significantly lower than that of the other two types. To generate the same power, at least twice as many panels are required. On the plus side, their flexible design makes it easy to adapt them to almost any surface.

Typical efficiencies of solar panels:

• monocrystalline systems – 18–23 %
• polycrystalline systems – 14–17 %
• amorphous systems – 8–12 %.

Depending on the number of cells, we can distinguish the following types of photovoltaic panels:

• 12 V solar panels: consist of 36 cells with a power output from 5 to 200 W. They are used mainly in small off-grid systems or for private use in motorhomes.
• 24 V solar panels: contain 72 solar cells and have a power output from 200 to 450 W. This type of module is suitable for stand-alone systems that require higher power in a limited space, as well as for solar pumping installations.
• Grid-connected photovoltaic panels: these modules consist of 60 solar cells and have a power output from 250 to 400 W. They are designed for systems connected to the electricity grid, such as rooftop solar systems on private homes.

Solar thermal panels

Solar thermal panels are also known as solar collectors. Their role is to convert solar energy into heat to warm a fluid and thus provide domestic hot water and heating. There are two main types of solar collectors:

1. Non-concentrating solar collectors: used when temperatures above 90 °C are not required, for example for domestic hot water production.
2. Concentrating solar thermal collectors: they focus energy on a single point to raise the temperature of the fluid above 90 °C, which is why they are most often used for industrial applications.

Hybrid solar panels

This type of solar panel combines photovoltaic and thermal technology. Hybrid panels can therefore produce electricity and heat at the same time. They are not yet very common, but offer great potential thanks to their advantages:

2-in-1 system: less surface area is needed to use both photovoltaic and thermal solar energy.
Fast payback period of the installed capacity.

Cost of installing solar panels in Spain

The price of solar panels in Spain generally ranges from 100 to 400 € per unit (panel). The final cost will depend on several factors, including:

• the manufacturer’s brand
• the power rating of the solar panel (W)
• the module technology (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, hybrid)
• any additional features (for example, panels with PERC technology). What is PERC technology? It consists of adding a reflective layer to the back of the photovoltaic panel to increase absorption of solar radiation.

Below are approximate prices for panels according to the technology used and the module’s peak power (W):

Monocrystalline panels with a power of 50–100 W – price 50–100 €

• 100–200 W – price 100–100 €
• 200–450 W – price 200–400 €

Polycrystalline panels with a power of 50–100 W – price 40–80 €

• 100–200 W – price 130–175 €
• 200–450 W – price 175–375 €

It is important to remember that solar panels are not the only elements in a photovoltaic system. The total cost of the solar installation is also influenced by:

• other photovoltaic components (solar inverter, battery, charge controller, etc.)
• the cost of commissioning the solar panel system
• the documentation required to legalise the photovoltaic installation in the home.

How many solar panels might your home need? That depends on the household’s energy consumption:

• up to 2 000 kWh – 2–4 panels
• 2 000–5 000 kWh – 5–7 panels
• more than 5 000 kWh – from 7 panels upwards

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Solar panels in Spain: are they worth it?

Yes, installing solar panels in Spain is an increasingly rational decision. To assess the profitability of self-consumption systems, you need to consider that their lifespan is around 25 years and that the investment typically pays for itself in about 7 years. The payback period of a photovoltaic project will, however, depend on several factors, including:

1. The property’s geographical location. Spain is one of the European countries with the highest number of sunny days per year, which means that installing solar panels is beneficial in virtually any province. That said, there are large differences in the number of sunshine hours between the south and the north of the peninsula. The same photovoltaic system will, for example, pay for itself more quickly in Andalusia than in the north, say in Galicia.
2. The annual energy consumption (kWh). These data are essential for correctly sizing the photovoltaic system. The installer can adjust solar production to match the household’s peak consumption hours so that they coincide with the sunniest times of day. This makes it possible to estimate the number of kilowatt-hours that the solar panels can generate in your home.

Are there taxes on solar energy in Spain?

An important question for many people is whether you have to pay tax on solar panels installed for self-consumption.

We have good news: at present there is no specific tax in Spain on the installation of photovoltaic modules or on the energy they generate for self-consumption, apart from the VAT that is already included in the installation cost.

Interestingly, Spain initially took some unpopular steps in the field of alternative energy systems. José Manuel Soria, Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism from December 2011 to April 2016, was the driving force and architect behind a backup tax that the public quickly dubbed the “sun tax”. The bill was approved in October 2015.

On 5 October 2018, only three years after it was introduced, Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition, announced the repeal of this controversial sun tax. She also implemented a series of reforms aimed at encouraging citizens to use alternative energy sources. Today there is a whole system of incentives and subsidies that varies from region to region.

As an example, let’s look at the tax breaks and subsidies available for the installation of solar panels in the Valencian Community, in the province of Alicante:

• IBI bonus (property tax) – 50 % discount for three years.
• ICIO discount (tax on construction, installation and works) – 50 %.
• Regional aid (Ayudas autonómicas) – granted on an individual basis to specific categories of citizens.
• IRPF income tax deduction, applied when filing your income tax return. The maximum deduction is 20 % of the investment in the photovoltaic installation.

Maintenance of solar panels in Spain: what problems can arise?

In general, maintaining solar panels does not require monthly expenditure. It is, however, important to take preventive measures in good time to ensure maximum performance of the modules. Most problems with photovoltaic panels arise either from buying low-quality modules or from incorrect installation by the installer. The most common issues are:

“Hot spots”: these can appear as a result of broken connections between solar cells. They usually look like very small spots which initially do not greatly reduce performance, but become more visible over time and can eventually lead to cracks.

Corrosion of structures: this type of fault mainly affects modules with manufacturing defects that are exposed to temperature fluctuations, rain and oxidation.

To avoid the problems described above, it is necessary to:

• clean and visually inspect the solar panels every three to four months to ensure there are no discoloured areas or spots on the modules
• check the supporting structures of the photovoltaic system for deformation or cracks at least once a year
• monitor the condition of the solar inverter. It is recommended to record data from the inverter every month and to clean its filters every six months.

Fortunately, detecting anomalies in a photovoltaic installation usually does not require any action from the panel owner, as this is done using a special solar monitoring application.

If a fault that needs to be fixed occurs, the user receives a notification with the relevant information by email or SMS. In such cases, a qualified technician should be contacted to carry out corrective maintenance. Generally, all major licensed solar installation companies offer their customers free or discounted warranty maintenance for several years.

We hope you have found this information about the use of solar panels in Spain useful and interesting. See you again soon on our website!

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