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Photovoltaics, a source of clean and renewable energy, is an increasingly growing trend throughout the world. Spain, with 2,585 hours of sunshine per year, seems to be a perfect example of a great opportunity to bet on energy savings, efficiency and sustainability with the installation of solar panels for households and businesses. 

Moreover, according to various research, the buildings in Spain as well as houses are already prepared for solar system installations, since 85% of Spanish homes could be self-sufficient thanks to solar panels and cover almost 100% of the country’s electricity demand. 

Even today, we continue to find articles as well as people spreading false myths about this source of energy, so today we want to debunk the most common of those. This will help you understand the profitability of these facilities better. 

Let’s start!

1. Solar panel installation is very expensive and not profitable

Yes, it is true that a photovoltaic installation may involve a high cost, depending on the electrical needs that we seek to cover, which will determine the most suitable system power. It is important to understand that the investment cost would not be small, but keeping in mind that solar panels will help us to reduce our monthly bills between 50% and 80%, during the 25 year period, it seems profitable.

Currently, the amortization of such investment is becoming shorter and shorter, so that in a few years time all the electricity produced by the panels and consumed by us will be totally free. 

In addition, we cannot forget the grants and subsidies that are available today. Those incentives help us to reduce a large percentage of the initial investment. If you are interested, don’t miss our article dedicated to grants on our website!

2. Solar panels work only when the sun is shining and when the weather is hot

To make it clear, solar photovoltaic systems have their maximum performance on sunny days.  Anyway, it does not mean that on cloudy days the panels are not working: the electricity production would be reduced but Spain, Brazil, Chile, Portugal and many more countries are the areas with the highest number of hours of sunshine per year, Spain has about 2,585 hours, so we can get enough solar radiation and save in the electricity bills.

As for the heat, high temperatures are not the best for solar photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic panels do not produce energy by heat but by solar radiation, so what counts here is the number of hours of sunlight per day.

What about nights? Although the installation does not produce energy at night, we can take advantage of the surplus electricity investing in batteries or energy storage systems.

3. There are many taxes on solar energy

This statement is completely false! Since 2019, with the new regulations on solar self-consumption, the well-known (and hated) Impuesto al Sol – Sun Tax was eliminated; in addition, the possibility of new taxes of this style has been expressly limited to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.

The right of citizens, local authorities, small and medium-sized companies and cooperatives to produce, consume, store and sell their own renewable energy has also been established, without the taxes, achieving a more secure situation for all users.

4. Solar systems need a lot of expensive maintenance

It is logical to worry about taking care of such an expensive product. We seek to extend its life as much as possible but in the case of solar panels, maintenance is very simple and does not involve much effort or money.

As there are no moving parts, photovoltaic installations hardly cause problems. The only things to worry about are keeping the panels clean and avoiding scratching them. To put your mind at ease, we will tell you how to take care of your photovoltaic installation in one of the next articles. Don’t miss it!

5. I don’t need it because I already have a thermal panel

All solar systems seem the same to us, but we should keep in mind that there are different types of panels. One of those are the solar thermal collectors that provide hot water and heating, and others (the ones that interest us in this article) are the solar photovoltaic panels that produce electricity. 

Thanks to the second type you will be able to produce and consume your own energy for all the electrical appliances in your home, while with a thermal collectors you will not obtain electricity. 

LRP Energy offers you all the advice

We hope we have solved some of your doubts about photovoltaic energy. LRP Energy specialists can advise you for free. Contact us even today!

The carbon footprint represents the total volume of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) produced by the various economic as well as daily activities of human beings. Carbon footprint is usually expressed in tons of CO2 emitted. It is extremely important to take measures and implement the necessary initiatives to reduce it as much as possible. Remember that each one of us can help to reduce it!

All the daily activities of human beings, such as traveling by car, charging cell phones or running dishwashers, lead to leaving gasses that accumulate in the atmosphere which leads to overheating the planet. These emissions are known as climate change, as the Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) has warned us in its Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), and if we do not neutralize them in time, even more inhospitable future awaits us. 

That is why, in today’s article, we want to tell you all about the carbon footprint and how to help to reduce it, with a few simple tricks in your everyday life.

What is the carbon footprint?

It is defined as the trail of greenhouse gasses (GHG) left behind by human activities. This environmental indicator measures both direct and indirect emissions of compounds such as methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and, above all, the most abundant and most damaging to our environment since the 1990s: carbon dioxide (CO2).

In this direction, the World Meteorological Organization (Organización Meteorológica Mundial – OMM) points out that the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere reached a new record in 2019. Also, the aforementioned organization highlights that current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are comparable to those of more than three million years ago, when the Earth’s thermometer indicated about 3ºC more and the sea level measured between 10 and 20 meters more than it does today. The carbon footprint has continued to grow, increasing 11-fold since 1961, and now accounts for 60% of the total impact on the environment, according to the Global Footprint Network’s estimations. 

Therefore, we can distinguish 3 types of carbon footprint: personal, corporate and the one of a specific product. 

Personal carbon footprint

It is the footprint of a single individual in his/her everyday life as he/she moves around, consumes, eats and uses resources such as energy. The Nature Conservancy estimates that each inhabitant of our planet generates an average of almost four tons of CO2 per year, and in some countries, such as the United States, this figure quadruples per person per year. 

The mentioned organization says that the personal carbon footprint should be reduced to less than two tons per year by 2050. Experts claim that this would be the best way to prevent the constant rise of environmental temperature. Reaching the worrying threshold of 2ºC would aggravate climate change and make it an irreversible problem. 

Corporate carbon footprint

Not only individuals generate the polluting emissions. Companies also carry out activities that generate greenhouse gasses, such as transport or energy consumption. Thus, the corporate carbon footprint measures all GHG emissions of companies and their scope, whether they are direct and can be controlled or not. 

Companies can choose to reduce their carbon footprint by improving their energy efficiency, consuming 100% renewable energy, carrying out awareness campaigns, investing in environmental projects, paying green taxes or buying tons of CO2 on the international emissions market. There is a wide range of measures to take. 

Carbon footprint of a product

Consumer goods and services also emit greenhouse gasses before, during and after their useful life. Pollution is generated from raw material procurement, processing, production and distribution to the use phase and transformation into waste. Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of events is also remarkable, due to elements such as transport, energy consumption or generating waste, as well as many others. 

Why is it so important to reduce the carbon footprint?

The billions of people on our planet are responsible for depleting the resources we have, and according to United Nations forecasts, the world’s population could reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, and more than 11 billion by 2100. Due to this increase in population, emissions continue to rise and the Earth’s resources are being depleted more rapidly. 

This increase in greenhouse gas emissions has a direct impact on global warming, accelerating climate change with disastrous effects on our planet. We can all contribute to the fight against global warming by making environmentally friendly choices in our daily lives.

How can we reduce our carbon footprint?

The coming years will be decisive in the fight against climate change, so here are some tips to reduce emissions. 

• Opt for responsible consumption, based on local products and produced in a sustainable way, or you can also create your own urban garden!
• Move more sustainably, whether by public transport, bicycle or on foot, and opt for more environmentally friendly vehicles. 
• Purchase energy-efficient appliances and regulate your heating and air conditioning to save energy. 
• Make yourself and others aware of the importance of reducing your carbon footprint. 
• Reduce the amount of waste: reuse your packaging, recycle it – if not possible, dispose of it in its corresponding container. 
• And choose 100% renewable energy consumption!

CALCULATE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

There are numerous free and very simple tools to estimate your personal carbon footprint in just a few minutes available on the Internet. Try one!

 

Many countries are still characterized by their high energy dependence on fossil fuels, which reached an all-time high of 81.3% in 2008 in Spain. Thanks to renewable energy generation, this dependence has been reduced year by year until 2013, when it was minimized to 70.2%.

According to Greenpeace reports, „the potential for renewable energies in Spain is so high that the available renewable technologies could produce more than ten times the total energy demand we would have in 2050”. In other words, a system totally dependent on renewable energy is technically possible if we combine different models of renewable energy generating systems. 

Furthermore, talking about the economic part, this report showed that alternative energy is the lowest cost source. Nowadays, this statement is normal for us but at the time it was found surprising because renewable technologies were the most expensive.

In today’s article, we would like to take the economic aspect into consideration. Precisely, how much does our country save thanks to the generation of electricity from renewable sources?

First, it is important to find out about the current production capacity of these technologies. 

Almost half of Spanish energy is generated by renewable sources

In 2020, renewable sources produced almost 45% of all the energy produced in Spain, a figure that had never before been reached in the country, according to data published by the Spanish Electricity Grid (REE), making Spain the eighth country in the world with the highest installed capacity of RES.

This is largely due to the favorable weather conditions, the increased use of wind and sun, e.g. wind and solar energy as well as the increase in renewable power installed. 

According to the Ministry of Industry, the most widely used renewable energy sources in Spain are: wind energy (51%), hydro energy (36%) and solar energy (8%). Together they generate approximately 40% of the country’s total energy demand, so the remaining percentage comes from alternative energy sources.

A saving of 67 billion euros

In December 2021, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that some savings could be achieved in fuel imports thanks to the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for renewable energy sources, renewable hydrogen and storage could reach 67 billion euros. 

In addition, he indicated that the project would also boost reindustrialisation with the creation of higher-quality jobs as well as new business models,  thanks to factors such as the deployment of biogas around agricultural activity. 

Also, President Sánchez reiterated that the PERTE project could mobilize around €16.37 billion in investments in the coming years, already moving its first €500 million to various calls for proposals.

The future of renewable energy in Spain

Our planet aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Although this goal seems complicated, currently more than 80% of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels, most countries are seeking for more neutral and less polluting systems.

 

The Spanish government aims to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The governors have been working for years on what is known as green recovery- changing the paradigm in saving energy through its efficient consumption. 

The government encourages the renovation of homes to install renewable energy systems and, since last month, it has also allowed Spanish citizens to save up to 40% of their income tax by renovating their homes in order to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. 

Furthermore, Spain is one of the European Union countries with the greatest potential for renewable energy resources, thanks to the high level of sunshine, strong Mediterranean and Atlantic winds and waves, as well as excellent hydro resources; all with sufficient technology and innovation for its development and potential. 

Don’t waste time and go green with LRP Energy: get your free study and a personalized quote on photovoltaic installations now!

Despite the youth of this market, which has operated in Europe since 2011, we can see that electric vehicles are already a reality in the European car fleet. 

Day by day, electric cars are gaining in sales over combustion-engine cars, thanks to their consolidation as a sustainable alternative. Moreover, the number of available charging points is steadily growing, with more than 5,000 in operation in Spain. We are even beginning to see ultra-fast charging post infrastructures strategically distributed along the motorways and highways.

Therefore, today we would like to analyze the advantages offered by this method of transport. 

Zero emissions

The biggest advantage of these vehicles to date is that electric cars produce no emissions during operation and are therefore considered to be environmentally friendly means of transport. They do not emit CO2 or nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. They even have no exhaust pipe. 

This is what makes the electric car the ideal model for daily driving in and around cities, where most pollution is concentrated. This is a consequence not only of road traffic but also of buildings’ heating, construction sites as well as work machinery. 

No emissions is the main benefit we are interested in if we are concerned about the environment and ecology. 

Lower running costs

Although the initial investment in an electric car is higher than in a usual one, it tends to be compensated by the lower cost of driving: if the most efficient combustion vehicles have a cost of around 5 or 6 euros per 100 kilometers, in battery-powered cars the cost of use decreases to just 1.5 euros. This is due to the lower price of electricity in comparison to fuel price. Although the prices of such vehicles are different, they are becoming smaller and smaller.

Spanish tax advantages

The zero pollution of electric vehicles also brings a series of fiscal rewards: by receiving the Zero Emissions label from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), they are exempt from paying registration tax. This is already a significant saving, as this tax can be up to 14.75% of the price of the model. 

There also are discounts on the payment of the Impuesto de Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica, better known as road tax, although this depends on each city council, but in almost all cities in Spain the discounts are offered and, in the case of Madrid and Barcelona, they are up to 75%.

Almost non-existent maintenance

If we do not count the operating costs of wearable elements, such as brakes or tyres, the maintenance of an electric car is reduced to checking the state of the batteries and electric motors from time to time. So there is no need to change filters, lubricants or various fluids. 

Furthermore, as there is no need for a traditional engine and gearbox with clutch, breakdowns of this kind are reduced to practically none: electric vehicles use very few moving parts that are exposed to wear and tear. 

Facilities in cities

In Spain, due to the Climate Change Law, all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are obliged to establish Low Emission Zones (LEZ), where access to the most polluting vehicles is partially restricted, generally on working days and high pollution episodes.

Electric cars, on the other hand, have the DGT’s Zero Emissions label, which allows them to circulate freely in such zones. However, it is important to keep an eye on local regulations, as in Madrid, for example, electric cars must comply with the 70 km/h speed limit on the M-30.

In addition, on certain roads they are also allowed to drive in high occupancy lanes (VAO) even if the driver is traveling alone, which represents a significant saving in travel time.

Parking facilities are also offered in many cities, exempting electric vehicles from parking fees and parking restrictions, including green or blue zones. 

Purchase incentives

The Spanish government has encouraged the purchase of electric cars through the MOVES III Plan, which offers grants of up to €7,000 to individuals who purchase an electric car if they also trade in their old car. 

This plan will run until 31 December 2023, with an initial budget of 400 million euros. 

In addition to these official incentive programmes, the manufacturers themselves offer attractive financing conditions for the purchase of electric vehicles. This is another incentive to buy them and makes them a more affordable investment.

Range on the rise

Research and development of the batteries has significantly improved the energy density and range of the electric vehicles.

While the first electric car of the modern era (2011) only offered 160 kilometers of range, today it is already close to 600 kilometers of range.

Larger network of charging points

As we said at the beginning of our article, the number of charging points is currently expanding rapidly, with more than 5,000 public charging points in Spain, mainly concentrated in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. 

In addition to the general increase in the number of urban charging points, we can see more and more fast charging stations on motorways, designed for traveling, such as the almost 400 that the IONITY consortium has throughout Europe. These are high-capacity posts, with a power of up to 350 kW, allowing us to charge the batteries in record time. They use the CCS charging standard, which is most widespread among European, American and Korean electric models.

Fortunately, home charging has also improved by leaps and bounds, as most electric vehicles are compatible with our home socket, although it has only limited power and will take longer to charge. 

The home chargers are even more interesting. LRP Energy can offer you such solutions. The operation of such systems is so simple that you can use it not only for your electric vehicle but also for any other electrical device you need. 

Disadvantages and drawbacks

It is also important to be aware of the downsides of such investment, so here are the disadvantages that still exist in electric models.

Although the increase in range is being continuously developed, the average is usually between 150 and 450 km. Taking the average charging time as well as long journeys as our main car use into account, those figures seem to be very low.

We should also bear in mind that this type of vehicle achieves lower top speeds than traditional combustion vehicles do. Although this seems not to be a decisive point for all the drivers. 

We have already mentioned that one of the advantages of electric cars is that they have fewer parts. However, this fact is also likely to become a major disadvantage especially when it comes to finding a specialized workshop. As the proliferation of this type of vehicle is not yet so widespread, not too many mechanics know how to fix the faults. In addition, due to the limited number of vehicles in the national automotive universe, obtaining parts can be complicated, and it may even be necessary to import the components. 

After this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles, what do you think of such car models? Do you think they fit your driving style?

At LRP Energy we know that when it comes to such installations, many people have a lot of doubts, so in our articles and posts we try to solve them all. 

If you’ve been thinking about investing in photovoltaics, you have surely asked yourself what is the best time to start this project. At first, you probably thought of summer, due to the many hours of sunshine and high temperatures we usually have all over the country. 

Interestingly – it is not the best time of the year to install photovoltaic panels because the modules can overheat from the strong sun and high temperatures. The wrong thinking may come from connecting the sun with heat. Photovoltaics need sunlight to convert it into electricity, not the heat. 

 So if not in the summer, when is the best time to get our installation done? The first thing you should know is that solar panels are profitable all over the year, although their production and efficiency is different depending on the season.

In addition, it is important to consider the time of installation and commissioning of the project in order to calculate when we should start planning it. 

Summer vs. winter

Regardless of the season in progress, whether it is hot or cold, photovoltaic installations do not stop working at any time when there is sunlight, thanks to the fact that their operation, as we have already mentioned, is due to solar radiation converting light into electricity for our home. Therefore, as long as we have a good location that allows us to make the most of the daylight hours, our installation will generate energy all year round. 

First of all, we should know that the efficiency of photovoltaic installations does not decrease in winter, in fact, it can even be higher than in summer in some cases, as the panels will not overheat. However, it is true that the total energy production is usually lower because the days are shorter and therefore we have fewer hours of daylight. 

In summer, on the other hand, hot weather can affect the output of solar panels, with the possibility that on the hottest days the installation will not reach maximum output due to heating up the panels. Nevertheless, summer production is usually the highest of the year thanks to the 15 or more hours of sunshine per day we receive in our country. 

Autumn and spring, the optimal seasons

In Spain and the geographical region in which we are located, we are fortunate to enjoy long periods of sunshine throughout the year, keeping solar energy production stable. Spring and autumn are considered better than the opposite seasons, summer and winter: many hours of light and milder temperatures. This makes spring and autumn the perfect time to consider a solar installation. 

Also, as an installation company, it’s true that we have a contracting boom in the summer, so in the off-season you can benefit from shorter delivery times and quicker processes. Similarly, if we have administrative procedures, we cannot carry them out if town halls and public offices are closed.

Is it cost-effective to install solar panels?

In general, a photovoltaic installation helps us to reduce our electricity costs by 50% to 80% throughout the year but it is possible to fluctuate depending on external conditions and even increase these percentages if our installation has batteries or storage systems. 

On the other hand, when calculating the cost-effectiveness of these projects, we must bear in mind that the price of solar panels has dropped considerably in recent years, so if we find that photovoltaic installations are getting cheaper while electricity is constantly getting more expensive, there is little doubt: the use of photovoltaic panels is completely cost-effective and the savings they provide us with have multiplied in recent years. 

Now, we can say without a doubt that we are in the ideal scenario to place a bet on renewables, and that going solar is now more cost-effective than ever – the investment can amortize in around five or six years. 

If you are considering a photovoltaic installation with LRP Energy, we advise you to take into account that the process of installing, legalizing and commissioning solar installations requires an estimated time of five to seven weeks from the start of the project. Especially, if we are talking about the legalization and commissioning of solar installations for self-consumption, there are stages requiring the intervention of the public administration that are difficult to speed up. 

Therefore, if you want to make the most of your photovoltaic installation during the coldest periods, when we are at home using the most electricity, do not hesitate to start the project now to reduce your monthly bill this winter. 

Request a free survey with us now and find out if solar power is cost-effective for your home.

1. Solar energy is free electricity from the Sun!

Energy from the Sun equals free electricity for your home. With your own solar panels, you save from day one. The lifetime of solar panels is estimated at about 30 years, but the investment pays for itself when you connect the installation to the power grid. Your electricity bills are immediately reduced to a minimum. You needn’t fear the constantly rising electricity prices in our country.

 

2. Photovoltaics means independence from the public power suppliers!

You do not have to be afraid of the constantly rising prices of electricity in our country with a home photovoltaic installation, because your home is independent of the energy market and changing prices.

3. Photovoltaics equals ecology

Photovoltaics is green energy, without the emission of pollutants and harmful substances. With a home solar panels installation you have a guarantee that you do not harm yourself and others. Thanks to you, tons of CO2 does not get emitted into the atmosphere.

4. Solar panels are maintenance-free

You invest in solar panels. The installation is mounted on the roof of your house or in your garden by qualified installers and connected to the grid. You do not have to do anything to make it work. Solar panels are engineered to operate flawlessly in real-world environments. You can sit comfortably in your armchair and check using the application on your phone how much power it has already produced.

5. Photovoltaics is energy security

With solar panels, you gain independence from public energy suppliers and do not have to worry about constantly rising electricity prices. But that is not all! You also contribute to the energy security of your country. Prosumers produce electricity, the surpluses of which go to the national grid. In this way, they create a dispersed power plant.