More solar panels installed in 2022 than in previous 20 years

A recent study by the Observatory of Renewable Energies of Catalonia (OBERCat) shows that more solar panels were installed in 2022 than in the previous 20 years combined. A total of 39,118 new solar power panels were installed last year.

Despite this increase, the overall energy produced and consumed in Catalonia was "dirtier, less local, and less renewable," the Observatory pointed out. That is due to the long paperwork required by the administration. 

The rise in the consumption of solar energy is due to the escalation of high energy prices seen in 2022. "The increase in prices has been a key factor for businesses and households to transition to green energy," says Helena Badger, head of the association of solar energy businesses in Catalonia (UNEFCAT).

Nevertheless, solar panels for self-consumption in Catalonia only account for 1.7% of all electricity used in 2022. 

Nuclear energy was the primary energy source in 2022, representing 53.3% of all consumption. As for renewable sources, hydraulic power was the main type of energy last year, providing for 5.95% of electricity demand. 

The Observatory of Renewable Energies of Catalonia warns that these circumstances make it harder for Catalonia to reach the objectives of the Agenda 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

In the report, the Observatory also pointed to a decrease in the interest in for renewable energy projects that they say is due to economic and financial instability and the perception that the Catalan administration is "not efficient enough." 

The Observatory also stated that the lack of resources in the administration leads to delays in paperwork and grants.