The 11th Solar Forum, organized by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), concluded after gathering 1,200 participants, a figure that reflects the event’s consolidation as a key reference in the sector. UNEF’s General Director, José Donoso, expressed his gratitude to key public administration figures who participated in the event, such as Sara Aagesen, Secretary of State for Energy, and Rebeca Torró, Secretary of Industry. He also thanked the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, for “the great positive transformation” the sector has undergone over the past five years under her leadership at MITECO.

Throughout the two days of the Solar Forum, discussions focused on critical issues, such as sector financing and the pricing system, the latter still being a challenge for renewable technologies. UNEF’s General Director emphasized that, although the current system is not the most efficient, it is the one in place, and decisions must be made based on this to continue making progress.

One of the most relevant topics during the event was electrification, identified as key to the growth of the sector and the country’s economic transformation. The competitiveness of photovoltaic energy was also highlighted, along with the need to generate new demand to fully leverage this advantage. José Donoso further stated, “There are already 4GW of demand with new connection permits. That is, we are almost compensating for the loss of 5GW of industrial consumption during COVID.”

Another challenge addressed during the Forum was the need to expedite grid connections and administrative processes to seize the opportunities presented by industries interested in investing in Spain. Calls for tenders, particularly demand-side ones, were also requested.

The 11th edition of the Solar Forum also highlighted the success in decarbonizing the electricity sector, which has increased the share of renewable energy in the energy mix from 19% to 62% in five years. However, it was noted that much remains to be done in decarbonizing end-use energy, for which a clear action plan and sufficient resources are needed. “Our country spends around 60 billion euros a year on importing hydrocarbons. The year we achieve total decarbonization will be like having a Next Generation investment every year for our economy with our internal resources,” Donoso pointed out.

Energy storage emerged as one of the fundamental pillars for the future of the photovoltaic sector during the sessions. UNEF’s Executive Director stressed that the time for storage has arrived, calling it “essential” for new solar plants and self-consumption projects. In this regard, he urged the government to include this element in the energy auctions scheduled for the beginning of next year.

Finally, the need for innovation in the self-consumption sector and the creation of energy communities was discussed, with the aim of continuing to transform the sector and addressing price volatility.

“Our sector has been a disruptive element in the energy world, based on innovation. We must continue to innovate from a purely technological perspective but also in addressing the new challenges we face. We’ve been talking for many years about smart cities, smart islands. We must truly advance in that direction. And use energy communities as a disruptive element,” concluded Donoso during the closure of the photovoltaic event.