La Photovoltaic energy is regaining importance in the Canary Islands Thanks to an ambitious grant package aimed at maximizing the use of spaces already transformed by human activity, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy has finalized the awarding of a grant program that will significantly increase the installed renewable energy capacity in the archipelago without occupying new rural or environmentally valuable land.
In total, the Canary Islands Government has authorized 95,39 million euros in public supportThis will result in the commissioning of 277 photovoltaic projects and the addition of 48,33 megawatts (MW) of power to the island's electrical grid. This investment, financed with European Next Generation funds, has become one of the most important drivers for accelerating the energy transition in the islands.
A call for applications that is multiplied due to high demand.
The support line for the Photovoltaics in human-modified spaces It began with a budget of 19 million euros, but it soon became clear that the response from the social and economic sectors exceeded all initial expectations. Faced with the flood of applications, the Regional Ministry decided to increase the budget to 101.918.682,44 euros, which has allowed for funding of virtually all technically feasible initiatives.
The concession process has been structured in several phases. In one first final resolution €81,7 million was awarded to 243 projects, adding 46,42 MW of power to the grid. This first round already demonstrated the strong interest in utilizing rooftops, parking lots, and existing infrastructure to support new solar installations.
Subsequently, and given the continued demand, the application period was reopened. This reopening led to a second and third final resolutionwhich incorporated 34 additional projects. These new initiatives add €13,65 million more in subsidies and will contribute an additional 1,91 MW of photovoltaic power.
The combination of all resolutions determines the final volume of 95.398.063,40 euros granted and the 48,33 MW of new capacity. Although the total allocated budget exceeded 101,9 million, the final amount of approved aid corresponds to the projects that met the established technical and administrative requirements.
The Ministry emphasizes that the budget increase has allowed “to address virtually all viable initiatives”contributing to better coordinate aid for photovoltaic self-consumptionchanneling economic effort towards actions with a real impact on the energy system and a clear fit within the Canary Islands' decarbonization strategy.
Photovoltaic energy in already transformed spaces
One of the features that distinguishes this call for applications is its focus on so-called “anthropized spaces”That is, surfaces that are already occupied or modified by human activity. The program prioritizes, for example, building rooftops, parking canopies, industrial buildings, or already established infrastructure, thus avoiding new pressures on rural, natural, or environmentally valuable land.
This approach seeks to reconcile the massive deployment of renewables with the protection of the territory, applying solar panel solutions for urban environments that concentrate facilities in already transformed areas and minimize the impact on rural land.
The aid mainly covers the installation of photovoltaic panels These grid-connected plants will be able to use their production for self-consumption within the facilities themselves or feed it into the Canary Islands' electricity grid. The aim is to alleviate energy bills for businesses, public administrations, and individuals, as well as reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and complement the existing energy supply. Financing options for installing solar panels.
The department headed by Mariano H. Zapata insists that these more than 48 MW of new power represent “an important step towards energy sovereignty” in the islands and concrete support for the decarbonization goals set for the coming decades.
Furthermore, the design of the aid line aligns with the requirements of the Next Generation European fundswhich condition funding on projects that promote a real ecological transition, improve energy efficiency and contribute to a more resilient system in the face of the effects of climate change.
Island distribution of projects and investment volume
The territorial distribution of resources reveals that the call for proposals has had impact on all islands, although with different weight depending on the number of projects, the size of the facilities and the socio-economic reality of each territory.
Gran Canaria leads the way in terms of economic volume, with 57.069.500,41 Euros allocated to 115 projects. The island concentrates a very significant part of the photovoltaic power to be installed, in line with its industrial and service fabric, which offers many surfaces suitable for this type of action.
Tenerife, for its part, has the highest number of approved projects: 125 files totaling €25.633.968,68. This figure reflects the commitment of multiple developers, both public and private, to incorporate solar energy on rooftops and other urbanized spaces across the island.
Significant participation is also observed throughout the rest of the archipelago. Lanzarote will have 12 projects and €7.536.825,01 in aid, while Fuerteventura will host 7 applications worth €3.310.359,87. In both cases, the solar potential and the availability of human-modified spaces have favored the submission of proposals.
The western and smaller islands also benefit from the program. La Palma receives 10 projects with a total subsidy of €1.064.652,02; La Gomera has 5 projects totaling €393.332,23; and El Hierro has 3 projects that will receive €389.425,38. Although the amounts are more modest, these are significant advances for smaller-scale island electrical systems.
Energy and climate objectives for the archipelago
The implementation of these 277 projects will allow the incorporation 48,33 MW of photovoltaic power to the Canary Islands' energy mix. In a context where there is still a strong dependence on thermal power plants fueled by fossil fuels, each additional renewable megawatt contributes to reducing emissions and stabilizing the energy bill in the medium term.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy emphasizes that the program is a key instrument for moving towards a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable modelNot only because of the volume of power that is added, but also because of the message it sends to companies, administrations and citizens about the growing role of photovoltaics in the transformation of the system.
The councilor, Mariano H. Zapata, has emphasized that the closing of the call for applications highlights the “enormous interest” in renewable energies in the Canary Islands and the regional government's efforts to swiftly allocate available European funds. In his view, this aid program demonstrates that it is possible to accelerate the energy transition without compromising the protection of the land.
Taken together, the funded projects will contribute to reduce the archipelago's carbon footprint, improve security of supply and strengthen so-called energy sovereignty, a sensitive aspect in an isolated system that depends heavily on imported resources and regular maritime connections to guarantee fuel supplies.
The initiative is also part of the roadmap drawn up by the Canary Islands to comply with the European climate commitmentswhich demand significant emissions cuts in the coming decades and a strong deployment of renewable technologies, with photovoltaics among the main protagonists.
Support for beneficiaries: Canary Islands Energy Offices
Following the publication of the final resolutions, the promoters who have received a grant must complete the process of justifying the aid, a procedure that usually requires the collection and orderly presentation of technical, economic and administrative documentation.
To facilitate this task, the Ministry has the network of Canary Islands Energy OfficesThese offices, designed as information and support points for citizens, businesses, and public administrations, provide guidance on requirements, deadlines, and procedures for applying for subsidies related to the energy transition.
The service is provided during morning hours from Monday to Friday, both in person and via telephone support at the number 922 533 533 and via email at oficinasdenergia@oficinasdeenergia.es. In addition, the website www.oficinasenergia.es has been set up, where basic information, forms and contact methods are concentrated.
This technical and administrative support is especially useful for small businesses, homeowners associations or local entities, including energy communitieswhich do not always have sufficient internal resources to manage complex European funding applications. This aims to prevent viable projects from being excluded due to simple procedural difficulties.
With the final resolution of the call for proposals and the deployment of these support tools, the regional government is reinforcing its commitment to... public policies aimed at a more sustainable and resilient energy system, aligned with the challenges of climate change and with the investment opportunities offered by European funds.
The closure of this aid program leaves a combination of clear data and signals on the table: a growing demand for renewables from Canarian society, intensive use of European funds to transform the energy model and a roadmap that prioritizes photovoltaics in already human-modified spaces as a formula to add clean power without further straining the territory, all supported by a network of offices that seeks to ensure that no viable project is left halfway through due to a lack of technical support.
