Energy self-consumption is becoming established as one of the main ways to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable and participatory energy system in Spain. In recent years, households, businesses, and institutions have taken firm steps to promote solutions that allow people to generate and consume their own energy, relying particularly on solar photovoltaic energy.
Data collected during 2024 underscores the substantial growth of self-consumption initiatives through energy communities and collective projects, as well as the development of specific products and personalized advice to facilitate the adoption of this model. This trend, while fraught with challenges, reflects a shift in how citizens and organizations understand energy, moving towards energy independence, savings, and decarbonization.
Advancement of energy communities: consolidation and social impact
The year 2024 was key for the development of energy communities in Spain . According to various sector studies, some 200 new communities were created throughout the year, representing a 44% increase compared to the previous year and bringing the total number of active communities to 659.
Photovoltaic self-consumption is the most common option in these communities, although only about 18% have operational installations. This reflects uneven development, partly due to the lack of a specific regulatory framework and administrative hurdles that hinder the connection of collective self-consumption systems. Even so, citizen participation is strong: 92% of the communities include members of civil society, and 57% have municipal support , especially in autonomous communities like Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country, and Navarre.
In addition to promoting energy independence at the local level, these communities stand out for their social impact, their fight against energy poverty, and their promotion of equality . An example of this is the progress in the representation of women in governing bodies: by 2024, 40% of the communities had at least half of their governing bodies comprised of women.
Public and private initiatives to promote self-consumption
Public administrations, together with energy companies and local stakeholders, have strengthened the supply of services and advice to facilitate the adoption of self-consumption solutions . Examples such as Barcelona Energia show how public energy suppliers can promote renewable energy supply and efficient management, achieving steady growth in users and supply points, both in homes and in public entities and businesses in the metropolitan area.
At the local level, municipalities such as Sant Joan Despà stand out for offering personalized advice services on photovoltaic self-consumption through initiatives such as La Teulada, which serves as a guide for both private citizens and companies considering investing in solar energy and reducing emissions.
Government support has been further strengthened by information sessions, such as those promoted by the Canary Islands Energy Offices, which explain the advantages and available aid for forming energy communities and adopting self-consumption. These efforts help more people understand how they can directly benefit from generating and managing their own energy.
Pending challenges and opportunities for self-consumption in Spain
Despite the progress, the widespread development of collective self-consumption continues to face significant barriers. Administrative hurdles, the lack of a clear regulatory framework, and slow processing affect both energy communities and those wishing to adopt advanced self-consumption models, such as battery-powered self-consumption or surplus energy management.
Institutions and experts agree on the need to transform legislation and simplify procedures, thereby enabling projects to scale up and multiply their positive impact on society and the environment. Public subsidies, tax incentives, and the digitalization of energy management are beginning to bear fruit, paving the way for significant savings on electricity bills and greater resilience to price volatility.
On the other hand, collaboration between city councils, companies, associations and citizens allows experimentation with solutions such as virtual batteries, the integration of electric mobility and new models of collective management that maximize the benefit of self-consumption and accelerate the transition to clean, local and affordable energy.
The Spanish energy sector is undergoing a historic transformation, with self-consumption no longer merely an option but a fundamental necessity for achieving sustainability, democratization, and energy savings goals. The promotion of energy communities and active advisory services from institutions and companies continue to redefine the electricity landscape, fostering participation, equity, and local control over energy.