COUNTRY PROFILE: Spain's Solar Program Emphasizes Photovoltaics

Like many other European countries, Spain reacted to the oil crisis of the 1970s by developing national plans to promote renewable energies and energy conservation. However, the motivation to promote energy conservation and diversification diminished in the mid 1980s when crude oil prices dropped and many European economies improved. But by the start of the 1990s, Spain had refocused on renewable energies when it adopted the Energy Conservation and Efficiency Plan, which is part of the National Energy Plan 1991 - 2000.

The Energy Conservation and Efficiency Plan is designed to help Spain remain competitive in European markets and meet Spain's projected growth in electricity demand. Over the next ten years, the demand for electricity is expected to increase by about 3.5% per year. One reason for this increase in energy consumption is the growing popularity of air conditioning in buildings and homes. Heating and cooling alone accounts for 30% of the country's total energy consumption. And, the peak for domestic purchased electricity is now in the summer. To help address the country's increasing energy demand, Spain is conducting R&D on a variety of solar technologies and techniques.

SPAIN'S SOLAR PROGRAM

The Spanish Solar Energy Program is managed by the Ministry of Industry and Energy through several agencies. Solar R&D activities are coordinated primarily through the Centre for Research in Energy, Environment and Technology - Institute for Renewable Energies (CIEMAT-IER). The responsibilities of the IER are to coordinate and administer R&D projects and to conduct evaluations of demonstration projects.

Solar Energy in Buildings

The IER and several universities initiated the first passive solar R&D activities in the early 1980s. In recent years, considerable attention has been given to passive solar with an emphasis on heating and cooling. Other areas of research include energy characterization of building components, thermal comfort, energy analysis of buildings, and technology transfer.

Solar Thermal Power Stations

Activities in this field are conducted at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) in cooperation with the German Aerospace Institute (DLR). The PSA has become a worldwide center for R&D through the IEA SHC's Program on Small Solar Power Systems, its successor program, Solar PACES (Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems), and funding from the European Union.

Over the coming years, R&D activities will include three major areas. The first is parabolic-trough technology. A versatile on-site Direct Solar Steam facility is on the drawing board for the PSA. Another area of research is parabolic dish technology. The PSA has a dish test bed that operates from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. The data collected from the test bed will help to determine operating performance and system reliability. The third research area is central tower technology. In this area, the PSA is a leader in heliostat technology and certain types of central receivers.

Solar Chemistry

The two main activities of the Solar Chemistry program are solar reforming systems and solar detoxification of hazardous wastes. Most of the recent research activities are on solar detoxification of contaminated water and liquefied gas. In this area, the PSA offers an R&D environment unique to Europe because it combines basic and applied research, technology development, and industrial applications. The main objective for studying these processes and technologies is future commercialization.

Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics R&D goes back to 1977 when the Institute for Solar Energy at the Polytechnical University of Madrid fabricated a 1.5kWp panel. All the parts for the panel, including the cells and lenses, were made on-site. This project established a solid base for photovoltaics research. It also proved that solar cell fabrication, using local technology and engineering, was possible in Spain. Today PV research continues to thrive in Spain. The IER alone has more than 30 researchers working on PV technologies. Spain also is conducting two demonstration projects as part of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Task 16, Photovoltaics in Buildings.

Funding

Solar R&D projects are funded primarily by the Institute for Renewable Energies and the European Union DG XII Joule Program. The 1995 solar energy budget for IER is 912 million pesetas (approximately US$7.5 million). In 1996, the budget will reach 1,047 million pesetas (approximately US$8.7 million). Regional governments also have small budgets for passive solar, active solar, and PV activities.

MARKET TRENDS

The photovoltaics market is the strongest of all solar technologies in Spain. The potential for PV applications in isolated areas of Spain is considered the most important in the European Union. To date, more than 2,000 PV systems have been installed in homes. Spain also profits from having two national PV manufacturers -- ISOFOTÓN and ARCO/BP Solar. ISOFOTÓN produces monocrystalline silicon modules using Spanish technology and ARCO/BP Solar produces high-efficiency polycrystalline PV cells and crystalline-silicon modules. These companies produce about 1,000 kWp/year of PV modules which exceeds the national demand. Another market is solar collectors. Although this market has not grown as predicted due to low oil prices, there continues to be a demand for solar domestic hot water systems.