The sun tax was a mandatory fee for users who had self-supply of photovoltaic energy, who were made to pay a tax to maintain the electricity grid. The Spanish government eliminated this tax in 2018, and more and more people are installing solar panels in their homes. 

New regulations

After we said goodbye to the sun tax in 2018, the new 15/2018 law of self-consumption of photovoltaic energy entered into force. 

And what does this law do to facilitate the installation of solar panels in your house? According to Col·lectiu Solar, the social movement that promotes solar energy in society, with the end of the tax and the entry into force of the new law:

• we have the ability to inject excess energy into the grid,
• we can share the self-consumption of energy,
• the limit of 10 kW/home is removed: up to 15 kW, no permission from the electricity company is required (however, a low-voltage electrical certificate is required),
• the requirement for an output counter is removed,
• the use of more solar power than contracted is also allowed,
• the owner of the installation does not need to be the consumer,
• you can contract the desired power (always multiple of 100 W),
• the administration record is created for simplified self-consumption,
• and self-consumption sanctions are streamlined.

Increase in photovoltaic self-consumption systems

This change has made the number of photovoltaic self-consumption installations in Catalonia skyrocket, especially since the approval of the new self-consumption law in 2019. According to data from the Institut Català d’Energia, until September 2020, 6,377 photovoltaic self-consumption systems in operation are registered in Catalan homes, which have a total capacity of 68.57 MW. We also see an increase in systems in 2020, almost double that in 2019. Besides, these systems are smaller, which tells us that there is a boom in systems for home self-consumption.

The municipality with the largest number of self-consumption systems in Catalonia is Sant Cugat del Vallès, followed by Barcelona, Vallirana, Sabadell, Terrassa, Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, Alella, Castelldefels, and Lleida. 

As for the municipalities with the most installed power, we see that Barcelona tops the list, followed by Sant Cugat del Vallès, Balenyà, Granollers, Reus, Vic, Lleida, and Terrassa. 

As a curiosity, the municipality with the most self-consumption photovoltaic systems in Catalonia, according to the number of inhabitants, is Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, a small municipality of about 7,200 inhabitants, in the Vallès Oriental region. 

Now that you know more, have you decided yourself to install a system to generate solar energy in your home? The Barcelona City Council has a practical guide with everything you need if you want to install photovoltaic panels in your home, featuring a guide on costs, security, legal issues, or doubts that may arise if you live in a residential building. 11Onze wanted to give you an overview of what photovoltaic energy is and the current possibility of installing these systems in your home. Of course, it is up to you to decide how to take advantage of sunlight in your home.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!