Amid the olive groves of Andalusia, the pastures of Extremadura and the arid plateaus of Castilla-La Mancha, thousands of solar farms have sprung up across Spain over the past six years. In 2018, Spain had only 4.7 gigawatts (GW) of installed photovoltaic capacity, accounting for just 3.6% of its electricity mix. By 2024, the country boasted 33 GW, enough to meet 17% of the national electricity demand.

Long hampered by the fallout of the 2009 economic crisis and the lack of political will from the previous conservative government led by Mariano Rajoy (2011 – 2018), investment in photovoltaic power soared when Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez came to power. Sánchez has made the development of renewables a centerpiece of his agenda with the return of economic growth.

Spain has become the second largest producer of solar electricity in Europe − generating 59 terawatt-hours (TWh) − behind Germany, and the seventh largest worldwide. Giant installations have multiplied, such as the Francisco Pizarro solar farm operated by Iberdrola that spans 1,300 hectares in Extremadura. With 1.5 million solar panels and a capacity of 553 megawatts (MW), it was considered Europe's largest photovoltaic plant until the recent opening of a new 600 MW solar farm in Saxony, Germany, in 2024.

You have 77.85% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.