Storage behind the meter takes off in Spain in 2022 with 1,382.84 MWh of storable solar energy

According to data collected by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), the majority solar energy association in Spain that already has 770 companies, in 2022 1,382.84 MWh of solar energy were stored behind the meter in Spain, of which 692.44 MWh correspond to self-consumption connected to the grid and 690.39 MWh of isolated self-consumption. UNEF has carried out a study work with its associated companies to obtain the first storage data behind the meter with the aim of knowing the reality and proposing a strategy to meet the needs of the solar energy sector, in particular, and of the renewable energy, in general in this area.

“At UNEF we make a good assessment of the growth that is taking place with respect to storage behind the meter. We believe that this data is the result of a greater awareness on the part of citizens and our business fabric with the transversal solution proposed by solar energy in a context of energy crisis and climate change. In addition, the Government aid contemplated in those within the Recovery and Resilience Plan are making it possible for storage solutions to be accessible to more and more companies and people”, explained José Donoso, General Director of UNEF.

Referring to the installed capacity for self-consumption in 2022, 2,507 MW, UNEF considers that, currently, 10% of self-consumption have storage systems behind the meter while with respect to isolated facilities, 66% have a battery system. For its part, the study carried out concludes that the storage capacity for self-consumption has fluctuated this year at 260 MW, taking into account that the number of operating hours of a battery is often modular and we are considering between 2 and 4 hours of operation, for installations connected to the network.

I Cumbre Internacional de Almacenamiento & Hidrógeno Verde para la Energía Solar

Despite the fact that, currently, Spain has already achieved the storage objectives set for 2030, UNEF is developing a priority line of work on Storage & Green Hydrogen in 2023. In this context, UNEF celebrates the I International Summit on Storage and Hydrogen on April 26 and 27 in Madrid, which will feature the leading international experts in these matters, who will share their vision and experiences on the development and future of storage and hydrogen in our country.

During the conference, the current regulatory framework for storage and hydrogen will be addressed, the existing technical challenges, the financing opportunities for these projects and the growth prospects, as well as the decarbonization possibilities of electricity and other sectors.