Catalonia has reached a total of 126,752 operational solar self-consumption installations, with a combined installed capacity of 1,381 MW. According to data from the Catalonia Self-Consumption Observatory, compiled by the Catalan Institute of Energy (ICAEN), a total of 24,610 new systems were brought online during 2024, adding 380.2 MW of installed capacity. This represents a 24.1% increase in the number of installations and a 38% increase in capacity compared to the previous year.

Despite this growth, there has been a slight slowdown compared to previous years, largely due to factors such as stabilising energy prices. A trend towards higher-capacity systems and a growing interest in shared self-consumption can also be observed.

Currently, 84.3% of installations are linked to domestic users, although they account for only 35.1% of the total installed capacity, as they tend to be smaller-scale systems. Installations of up to 5 kW make up 66.3% of the total. The services sector now represents 11.7% of all registered systems and contributes 32.2% of overall installed capacity.

As for the industrial sector, it accounts for 3% of total installations but concentrates 30.7% of the installed capacity. Notably, systems exceeding 100 kW — although they make up just 0.8% of the total — represent 33.4% of the installed power.

In 2024, collective or shared self-consumption — which supplies electricity to more than one user — has also seen significant growth. Specifically, 676 new shared systems were activated, adding 20.9 MW. These figures represent a 64% increase in the number of systems and a 110% rise in installed capacity compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 1,733 installations and 39.8 MW.

Energy communities: a key driver for the future of self-consumption

Solar photovoltaic energy remains a key pillar in Catalonia’s energy strategy as the region transitions towards a cleaner, more sustainable, inclusive, and participatory energy model. This technology empowers citizens by enabling them to become not only consumers but also producers and managers of their own energy.

To facilitate broader access to self-consumption, the Government is promoting initiatives such as energy communities. These are groups of individuals or organisations that choose to jointly produce and manage energy generated from renewable sources. In this context, the Comunitatenergetica.cat platform has been launched — a digital space designed to support participation in existing energy communities and encourage the creation of new ones. The aim is for the platform to become a reference point in Catalonia and serve as a repository for collaborative energy initiatives.

In addition, the Government continues to work on identifying and removing legal, technical, and financial barriers to the growth of self-consumption. According to the Catalonia Energy Outlook 2050, around 500,000 operational installations will be needed by mid-century to meet the region’s decarbonisation targets.