Catalonia has taken an important step in its energy model change by overcoming the 138.000 photovoltaic self-consumption installations in serviceThis figure demonstrates that generating electricity with solar panels is now part of the daily lives of many homes and businesses. The total installed capacity reaches 1.634,55 megawatts (MW), according to the latest available official data.
This progress is not explained solely by the increase in the number of panels on roofs and coverings, but also by the larger average size of installations and the rise of shared self-consumptionThese methods allow supplying more than one consumer and making better use of solar resources in urban, residential and industrial environments.
A park of 138.419 installations and more than 1.600 MW in service
According to the Observatori de l'Autoconsum de Catalunya, prepared by the Institut Català d'Energia (ICAEN), the territory closed 2025 with 138.419 operational photovoltaic self-consumption installationsIn terms of power, these infrastructures total 1.634,55 MW, which consolidates self-consumption as a relevant element within the Catalan electricity system.
During the last fiscal year, the following were recorded: 14.873 new equipment registrationsThis represents a 12% increase in the number of installations compared to the previous year. The leap has been even more significant in capacity, with an additional 253,23 MW, an 18,3% increase, indicating that the expansion is progressively shifting towards higher-capacity systems.
Figures from ICAEN and the regional government point to a sustained growth of the distributed generation modelThat is, small and medium-sized producers who generate electricity where they consume it, reducing losses in transport and gaining energy autonomy compared to conventional supply.
This development is part of the energy transition policies promoted by the Government, which considers self-consumption a strategic tool to advance the decarbonization of the economy and to involve citizens in the transformation of the electricity system.
Growth in 2025: more and more powerful equipment
One of the most notable facts of the past year is the consolidation of the increase in the size of the facilitiesFor the first time, more systems with a capacity between 5 kW and 25 kW (6.967 units) have been implemented than small installations of less than 5 kW (6.519). This trend points to projects that go beyond minimal self-consumption and aim to cover a significant portion of the building's electricity demand.
The 18,3% increase in installed capacity compared to the 12% increase in the number of units reflects precisely this trend: Not only are more systems being installed, but they are also becoming more powerful.For the productive sector and for communities of neighbors or residential developments, this leap in scale opens the door to more significant savings on the electricity bill.
Data collected by the Self-Consumption Observatory shows that this behavior persists across most user types. Both individuals and companies are opting for installations sized to make the most of available solar radiation on the roofs of houses, industrial buildings, public facilities or parking lots.
The regional government links this growth to a context in which energy has become a key factor in competitiveness and security for families and businesses. Choosing to produce some electricity on-site allows to dampen the volatility of electricity market prices and move towards more predictable consumption in the medium and long term.
Shared self-consumption and expanding energy communities
Along with the increase in the average size of facilities, another growing phenomenon is the shared self-consumptionThat is, projects in which several consumers share the energy produced by the same photovoltaic installation. This model has gained traction during 2025 and is becoming established as a way for more people to access solar energy even if they don't have their own roof.
In the last year, shared self-consumption registered a 32,8% increase in the number of installations and 64,2% in installed capacity. In absolute terms, 579 new units of this type were added, bringing the total to 2.342 installations and 67,8 MW. This increase in capacity demonstrates that many of these projects are of considerable size, designed to supply residential communities, industrial parks, or groups of users.
The Government has sought to promote these formulas through specific instruments, such as the promotion of local energy communitiesThese entities allow neighborhoods, small and medium-sized enterprises or administrations to share investment and benefits of a renewable installation, and are a key element in democratizing access to electricity generation.
In this regard, the Catalan administration has launched tools such as the Comunitatenergetica.cat online platform, designed to to facilitate the creation and management of energy communities throughout the territory. This is complemented by the promotion of self-consumption in public buildings through the public energy company L'Energètica, which acts as a lever to generalize the model.
This dynamic also fits with the priority established in the Sectoral Territorial Plan for Wind and Photovoltaic Electricity Generation (PLATER), which identifies the Building rooftops as preferred spaces for installing solar panels, with the aim of minimizing the impact on the territory and making the most of the already urbanized areas.
Facility profile: domestic prominence and the weight of high power
Data from ICAEN shows that most self-consumption equipment in Catalonia is linked to residential use. 85,8% of the installations correspond to domestic consumers, mainly single-family homes or multi-family buildings that have opted for solar energy to cover part of their electricity demand.
However, these smaller facilities only concentrate the 36,8% of the total installed capacityThe remaining power is distributed among larger projects, especially in the production sector and in large-capacity facilities, which represent a small portion of the total equipment but contribute a substantial part of the operational MW.
Another relevant indicator is the weight of installations over 100 kW. Although they only account for around 1% of the total number of teamsThese infrastructures represent approximately 34,5% of all installed photovoltaic self-consumption capacity in Catalonia. They are systems linked to large industrial rooftops, logistics complexes, public facilities, or large-scale collective projects.
This distribution between numerous small facilities and a limited number of large projects creates a mixed model, in which Local domestic self-consumption coexists with high-power initiatives which contribute a considerable volume of renewable energy to the system as a whole.
Territorial map: Barcelona in the lead, followed by Girona, Tarragona and Lleida
The implementation of photovoltaic self-consumption is not uniform across the territory, although All districts have experienced an increase in facilitiesBarcelona clearly leads the ranking, both in number of teams and in accumulated power.
Specifically, the province of Barcelona has 81.193 installations in service and 964,52 MW of self-consumption power. The combination of a high population density, a diverse industrial fabric and a large building stock has facilitated this leadership, with projects ranging from private homes to large business complexes.
Girona comes in second place, with 23.531 installations and 251,13 MWTarragona follows closely in terms of capacity, with 22.262 installations and a cumulative total of 257,1 MW, indicating a significant presence of medium and large-sized installations in this region. Finally, Lleida has 11.433 installations reaching 161,79 MW, largely driven by projects in rural, agri-food, and industrial areas.
This territorial distribution reveals that, although the greatest concentration occurs in the Barcelona metropolitan area, Self-consumption is gradually spreading across the entire Catalan mapThe combination of urban areas, industrial areas and rural municipalities is creating a mosaic of projects adapted to the characteristics of each territory.
The regional government interprets this evolution as a sign that solar energy is no longer an isolated option or restricted to a few specific groups, but an alternative that It is becoming established in both large cities and medium and small municipalities., with significant growth potential for the coming years.
Public policies, administrative simplification and objectives for 2050
The Minister of Territory, Habitatge and Ecological Transition, SÃlvia Paneque, has stressed that these data confirm Catalonia's commitment to the energy transitionIn his statements, he emphasizes that more and more individuals and companies perceive generating their own energy as a profitable and responsible option, both from an economic and environmental point of view.
To facilitate this expansion, the Government claims to have worked on simplify administrative procedures related to the commissioning of self-consumption installations. The reduction of bureaucratic burdens and the digitization of procedures are presented as key elements to shorten deadlines and expedite the connection of new equipment to the grid.
In addition to simplification, measures to promote self-consumption have been implemented through various means, including the support for energy communities and the deployment of installations in public buildings and facilities. The aim is not only to increase installed capacity, but also to set an example and build confidence in the technical and economic viability of these projects.
At the strategic level, the Energy Outlook for Catalonia 2050 estimates that, in order to achieve the decarbonization objectives of the Catalan economy and society, it will be necessary to reach approximately 500.000 self-consumption installations in service by mid-century. This would practically quadruple the current park in the next 25 years.
The roadmap outlines a scenario in which photovoltaic self-consumption must continue to gain ground, both in the domestic and industrial sectors and in the services sector, supported by a combination of stable regulatory framework, technological advances and mechanisms for citizen participation that allow us to maintain the growth rate observed so far.
The balance provided by official data points to a change in scale for photovoltaic self-consumption in Catalonia: today it is a sector with More than 138.000 installations, a capacity exceeding 1.600 MW, and a presence throughout the territory, which is progressing thanks to the sum of thousands of domestic projects, industrial initiatives and shared schemes, and which is emerging as one of the pillars for building a cleaner, decentralized and participatory energy system in the medium and long term.
