Some householders have solar panels that also contribute power to the grid. sur

Solar plants now produce more power than wind turbines in Andalucía

The latest data shows that they account for 41.2 per cent of the electricity from clean energy sources in the region, compared with 37.8% generated by wind

José Luis Piedra

SEVILLE.

Monday, 17 October 2022, 11:16

The latest data from the Andalusian Energy Agency shows that solar energy now accounts for most of the sustainable production in Andalucía after overtaking wind energy for the first time.

The electricity produced by solar panels is 41.2% of the total of clean energy produced in the region and the panels have the capacity to produce 3,854 megawatts. The total energy produced by renewable sources in Andalucía at present is 9,347 megawatts.

There are 43 photovoltaic plants of more than 10 megawatts as well as 45,600 private solar panel installations which are connected to the grid.

Wind energy relegated to second place

Energy produced from wind is now in second place, providing 37.8% of renewable power. There are 157 wind energy parks in Andalucía and between them the turbines produce 3,534 megawatts at present.

Solar thermal energy also contributes to the region’s power supply but to a much lower extent, accounting for 10.7% of the total. There are 22 generating plants and two experimental centres, producing nearly 1,000 megawatts of power.

At the bottom of the list are hydroelectric power plants which currently provide 7% of renewable energy with a capacity of 650 megawatts, followed by other plants such as biomass, biogas and other renewable technologies which produce 3.3% of the total via 38 plants.

The advance in renewable energy production has accelerated in the past year and Andalucía now has 837 more megawatts of capacity compared with 2021. This has cost the regional government 700 million euros and has created 2,550 jobs in the construction of new energy parks and installations.