Let’s be clear – solar PV was not the cause of the Spanish blackout.
That’s the message from trade body SolarPower Europe following the Spanish government’s investigation into the 28 April outage.
The findings show the blackout was the result of multiple failures across voltage control, grid configuration and generation response.
But the trade body says this crisis must be a turning point.
It says Solar PV can support voltage control – the technology already exists – but current regulations didn’t allow its use when it was needed most.
The group is now calling for urgent investment in grid resilience and flexibility, including grid-forming inverters and battery storage.
These technologies are mature, ready, and essential for handling variability and keeping voltage stable in a renewables-driven system.
Spain has moved fast on solar – installing 9 GW last year – but fell behind on battery storage, ranking just 14th in Europe in 2023 with under 250 MWh of new batteries, most of them small-scale.
That gap is now closing.
The Spanish market was already shifting before the blackout, with 2025 expected to see Spain break into Europe’s top five for new battery capacity thanks to the revival of utility-scale projects.
The message to policymakers from SPE is simple – now is the time to back the sector and unlock delivery.
Solar remains the world’s fastest-growing energy technology. It’s the cheapest power source in most regions and is critical for Europe’s energy security. According to the IEA, solar will be the planet’s biggest electricity source by 2033.
Copyright © 2025 Energy Live News LtdELN