Renewables 'Quote of the week'

"Rising global demand for green energy is proving to be a catalyst for the implementations of innovative forms of renewable energy"

That's according to Voith Hydro Holding, the company behind the equipment powering Spain's first wave power plant, which went into production last week.

SIted in the Basque seaport of Mutriku, the power plant will generate enough electricity to supply 250 homes, according to Domestic Fuel.com.

After all that excitement, it's time for a Siesta.

Siesta? Ci - small sleep.... same in 'a Spain.

photo credit: pedro ribeiro simoes

Spain plans solar subsidy cuts

Worrying because something similar could easily happen to the UK's feed-in tariff system (sometime in the future), was this report in the Wall Street Journal about Spain planning major cuts to its own solar energy subsidies.

Subsidies could be cut by as much as 30%, which one private equity firm head described as "a breach of trust".

Spain's had solar subsidies far longer than the UK - subsidies which have attracted large scale investment on the strength of the subsidies previously agreed and being paid.

However, like Germany, the solar subsidies have been so over-subscribed that the money to pay for the subsidies is running out faster than expected.

Spain now has 3,200 megawatts of solar capacity - more than six times what the Spanish government expected to have by 2010. Last year alone, it handed out 2.6 billion euros in subsidies.

What's got investors angered the most is that Spain agreed new subsidies on new wind and solar thermal projects, but is planning cuts for existing as well as new solar photovoltaic installations.

Read the Wall Street Journal's full report here.

photo credit: ciron810

Spain reduces feed-in tariffs - shocking news

You may have missed this story in last week's Guardian about Spain cutting it's photovoltaic solar panel feed in tariffs by 45%.

The Guardian reports that whilst cuts to solar thermal (hot water) and wind projects were less than anticipated, photovoltaic solar panel installations will bare the brunt of cuts on incentives for new installations.

Indeed, there had been rumours that existing installations would also see some reduction in the tariffs they were on but this does not seem likely to happen.

The Spanish Government are claiming that production costs have fallen and therefore, they shouldn't need to subsidise so much.

It's bad news from a country that has pressing energy problems and had been doing so much to encourage the take up, both privately and local Government levels, of PV solar energy.

The 45% reduction refers to PV ground installations. Large roof-based systems will see a 25% drop with small roof-based systems having a 5% reduction.

This follows similar cuts in both Germany and Italy. Previous uptake, in Germany in particular, had meant a shortage of solar components in the UK.

Read the full report in the Guardian by clicking here.

photo credit: sirsnapsalot

Wind energy in Spain hits new record

Meanwhile.... over on the European Wind Energy Association's website, there's exciting news from Spain where apparently, on the 5th of November, wind energy reached a new record providing at it's peak, 45.1% of Spain's total electricity demand.

By 2020, Spain is expected to double its wind-power producing capacity from the current 16GW to 40GW.

You can read the full article from the Spanish Wind Energy Association by clicking here.

photo credit: maese