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Spain generated 3% of its electricity
from solar in 2010
Feb 19, 2011 - Paul Gipe - renewableenergyfocus.com
Despite the reductions in support for solar system,
Spanish solar systems now deliver electricity in
the TWh range making solar bigger than hydro or coal,
and Spain now produces more wind and solar power
than California.
Red Electrica reports that Spain generated nearly
3% of its electricity from solar energy in 2010.
Despite withering criticism of Spain's once-thriving
solar industry, projects installed during the boom
years of 2007 and 2008 are producing commercial quantities
of electricity.
The network operator's preliminary report on 2010
says that solar energy produced 6.9 TWh last year
from 4 GW of generating capacity, mostly solar photovoltaics
(PV), for 2.7% of supply.
Wind turbines generated nearly 43 TWh in 2010 for
16.4% of supply, slightly more than hydropower.
Spain's hydro plants produced more electricity last
year, 38 TWh, than any time since 1997.
In total, wind and solar in provided 19% of supply.
And combining ‘new’ and ‘conventional’ renewable
energy, renewable sources delivered 34% of Spain's
electricity.
Spain's climate, geography, and population are similar
to that of California. Spain's 46 million inhabitants
consume some 260 TWh per year.
California's 37 million people consume about 300
TWh per year. However, wind energy generates less
than 6 TWh per year and solar less than 1 TWh per
year. Together wind and solar provide only 2% of
California's electricity.
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