The new RD 661/2007, of 25 May, came into effect on 1 June 2007. This Spanish Royal Decree regulates special regime electricity production activities. It replaces the old RD 436/2004, of 12 March, which established the methodology for updating and standardising the legal and financial regimes associated to special regime electricity production.

The most important changes in the new Royal Decree are as follows:

There are two significant changes regarding the new administrative procedure for photovoltaic installations. Firstly, a guarantee of €500 per kW must be deposited; however, this is not applicable to installations located within the roofs of buildings. This guarantee will be reimbursed when the installation is put into service. Furthermore, the installation must been previously registered in the Special Regime Installations Register, following the provisional start-up.

The limit of 371 MW of installed power shall be reached before the PV (Photovoltaic) tariff may be collected.

A change normative that increases the value of the energy generated on regarding photovoltaic like for their advantages about distributed generation as politics of social diffusion of the renewable energy.

When the CNE (National Energy Commission) informs that 85% of the 371 MW (315 kW) is connected and being invoiced within the electricity system, a period of no less than 12 months will be established to register in the special regime installations register and have the right to collect the premiums established in the above table.

In accordance with article 21 of RD 661/2007, on 25 July the CNE published a procedure to calculate the power of definitively registered photovoltaic (PV) installations on a monthly basis, so that the Government may be notified when it reaches 85% of the PV objective established in the Renewable Energies Plan. This procedure is based on data from the regulating body: the electricity sold by the CNE.

The first resolution of 27 September 2007 informs that, as stated in a communication from the CNE Board of Directors, 85% of the power was exceeded in August, reaching 91% on 31 August. It also establishes a period of twelve months, starting from 29 September, during which those installations that are registered in the administrative register for special regime production installations prior to the completion date, will have a right to the premium.

In addition, on 27 September 2007, the Royal Decree proposal for rewarding electricity production using photovoltaic solar energy for installations registered after the deadline established in RD 661/2007 was published, thus promoting photovoltaic installations in roofs.

Measures for Promoting Installations in Roofs

According to article 6, of the Royal Decree proposal, the regulated tariffs corresponding to installations included in subgroup b.1.1 of Article 2 of RD 661/2007, which have been definitively registered in the autonomous register after the deadline established in article 1 of the same RD, will be those included in the following table for 2008 and 2009.

In general, this is a regulation change which promotes the development of photovoltaic solar installations in roofs since it increases the value of the energy generated in installations above buildings, in comparison with those obtained in solar farms, due to its advantages such as distributed generation and as a policy for the social dissemination of renewable energies.

The objectives in the Articulate 5 about the power installed accordingto the location prove it. The article differs among the 200 MW forfacilities in construction and the 1000 MW for facilities in floor.

Íñigo Argüeso Bejarano
Director of Renewable Energies