Photovoltaic
Energy
Regulations

The Royal Decree for Self-consumption 244/2019, is approved in 2019 and regulates the technical and administrative aspects for the development of energy facilities for self-consumption.

The Royal Decree on Self-consumption aims to regulate aspects related to metering, grid connections and surplus compensation mechanisms for self-consumption facilities, as well as establishing a simple administrative self-consumption register.

-Self-consumption facilities without injection into the network (without surpluses) are those self-consumption facilities that cannot discharge surpluses into the network, so they must install an anti-discharge system. There will only be the consumer subject. In this case, the consumer must be the owner of the generation facility.

-Self-consumption facilities with surpluses (discharged into the network): They can discharge surpluses into the network. There will be the consumer subject and the producer subject. Depending on the treatment, it can be divided into:

  • Self-consumption with surpluses accepted for compensation
  • Self-consumption with surpluses NOT accepted for compensation
 
Installation methods:
  • Supports for installations with inclination: They have an inclination of 30º and are generally mounted on flat roofs.
  • Supports for coplanar installations: They are installed directly on the roof and the panels on top. For sloping roofs.
  • Solar trackers: They are used only for large solar farms, they follow the movement of the sun and orient the area of the modules perpendicularly to the sun.
 

Solar panel voltages:

  • For applications with voltages of 24 volts or higher. They are the most common types of solar module.
  • For applications with voltages of 12 volts. These 12-volt solar panels are usually small solar panels for very specific applications.
 
A monitoring system collects all the information about the status of your solar installation and what it is generating and sends it to your energy supplier, with the objective of maintaining optimal system performance.

LEGALIZATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING

It is important to mention that, at present, obtaining permits and licenses to carry out the installation has been reduced and optimized. In Spain, since April 2019, due to recent legislative changes regarding renewable energies, administrative regulation has been considerably facilitated.

Once installed, it must be registered through the corresponding registration, carrying out a simplified legalization process.

Legalization of the self-consumption installation.

  • Technical report for installations less than 10 kW and Project for higher ones.
  • Study of the particular case and feasibility analysis of the installation.
  • Building license and municipal authorization.
  • Running the installation.
  • Minutes of commissioning, Bulletin of the installation.
  • Request for a new electrical connection to the distribution company.
  • Administrative record.
 
Scheme summarizing current regulations for photovoltaic systems.