- Photovoltaic technology will be able to contribute to voltage control on the grid, a longstanding request from the sector that will help bring greater stability and flexibility to the electricity system.
- Clarifies the regulatory framework for energy storage and facilitates battery hybridization with existing plants, allowing for short-term development.
- Drives electrification, marking significant progress in tackling the climate emergency, ensuring energy supply security, and achieving energy independence.
Madrid, June 24, 2025. Following today’s approval of the Royal Decree-Law (RDL) to update the electricity system, the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF)—which represents the vast majority of the photovoltaic sector in Spain—has expressed a positive assessment of the regulation.
“It will provide greater stability, robustness, and flexibility to the electricity system and allow renewable energy sources to play an important role in this transition. It will enhance the security of energy supply, increase our energy independence, and help us advance in the fight against climate change,” said José Donoso, General Director of UNEF.
“It is essential to completing the regulatory framework and aligning it with the current stage of development in the photovoltaic sector,” he added.
These measures, combined with the CNMC’s approval of the update to Operating Procedure 7.4, will enable photovoltaic technology to contribute to grid voltage control, a request the sector has been making for years.
Given that voltage control has a strong geographic component, photovoltaics—being a widely distributed energy source—is particularly well suited to provide this service to the grid.
Through participation in voltage control services, photovoltaics will also help reduce the cost of technical constraints.
Regarding energy storage, UNEF believes the new regulation streamlines administrative procedures and modernizes a regulatory framework that initially did not account for storage technologies, granting them legal status for the first time.
The decree will enable rapid and rational development of storage, particularly by facilitating the hybridization of batteries with existing plants, making it possible to deploy these solutions in the short term and positioning them as a key component for system stability.
Electrification and Energy Independence
UNEF states that the new regulation allows for more dynamic network planning, replacing the previous static five-year structure with measures that respond more effectively to today’s circumstances.
It improves conditions for self-consumption by introducing a collective self-consumption manager and extending the distance over which surplus energy can be shared to up to 5 km.
The introduction of the aggregator figure will also allow demand to align more closely with solar generation hours.
UNEF further emphasizes that the decree takes important steps toward electrification, which will allow Spain’s economy to make the most of the opportunity that solar photovoltaic energy offers.
“This regulation will help protect us from international uncertainty in today’s volatile global context, reinforcing energy supply security and national energy independence, while also making solid progress toward decarbonization and tackling the climate emergency,” Donoso concluded.
UNEF also welcomes the adaptation of the milestone system to current market conditions, which will contribute to greater certainty and predictability for all stakeholders.
The new Royal Decree “is a step forward in building a solid foundation for future growth in our country. It brings us closer to meeting the targets of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and lays the groundwork to take full advantage of the economic opportunity that photovoltaic energy represents for Spain,” Donoso added.
Finally, the sector is calling on all political parties to support the ratification of this regulation, as it introduces essential changes that are in the best interest of both Spanish citizens and national industry.