On April 21, 2025, solar energy managed to contribute peaks of renewable generation to the Spanish energy system, reaching 61.5% of the total demand. It broke its record again on July 16 and reached 50% on a sustained basis for months from the electricity generated in the solar fields of Castilla, Extremadura, and Andalusia.
However, the history of solar energy didn’t begin with adjustable silicon panels forming solar farms in strategic places throughout the peninsula, but rather it was the result of scientific curiosity. In 1839, the French physicist Alexandre-Edmon Becquerel ignited the “spark”. He discovered the photovoltaic effect after verifying that light could generate electricity when striking a silver electrode.
Over a century passed until Bell Laboratories, in Murray Hill (New Jersey, USA), succeeded in creating the first silicon solar cell in 1954. At that time, its efficiency was limited to 6%, and its cost was so high that only NASA could afford it to push the space race in satellites like Vanguard I.
In just a few decades, this formula had already expanded. In Spain, the first photovoltaic power plant connected to the grid that used silicon solar cells was inaugurated in 1984 in San Agustín de Guadalix (Madrid), with 100 kilowatts of installed power.
Solar energy in Spain
Spain is no longer just a solar market with a lot of potential, as it has become the continent’s undisputed benchmark for solar power. At the end of last year, the state network of solar parks surpassed 40.2 GW of cumulative power, adding 9 GW more in the final stretch of the year, according to the data of Red Eléctrica Española (REE). In this way, it rose to become the second European market behind Germany, which leads it by installed capacity
For its part, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge has also made clear its commitment to solar energy as the main lever for a decarbonized and more sustainable economy.
Spain currently exports a unique model by promoting solar hybridization with storage and other renewable energies for a more stable and sustainable electricity system, fostering innovative projects through public renders. Nevertheless, the path to making the country a leader in solar energy has not been easy, with legislative and technological ups and downs. In this regard, the removal of barriers to domestic installation for self-consumption has marked the beginning of a solar revolution.
And the future of solar power?
According to the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC 2023-2030), Spain has set the target of reaching 76 GW of installed photovoltaic power. Another line of work for the present and future involves the recycling of panels from the early century installations that are already reaching the end of their useful life. Spain leads European circular economy projects to recover up to 95% of materials (glass, aluminum, and silicon) and reduce the impact of its production.
Lastly, another issue that explains the rise of solar energy in Spain in the last five years is domestic self-consumption and local energy communities, which have grown by 40% in the last year, allowing neighbors to share the energy generated on public roofs. For UNEF, the Spanish photovoltaic employer, solar energy is the true engine of industrialization, which is reflected in its latest report. However, the challenge lies in improving storage capacity so that daytime solar energy can also sustain nighttime consumption.
Ultimately, the discovery of the “Becquerel spark”, the scientific evidence that light has power for electricity generation, is more significant today than ever for the energy transition. Reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA) confirm that solar energy is already the cheapest source of electricity in human history and the technology with the greatest potential for expansion for a more sustainable future.