The Spanish Energy Commission publishes climate zones according to Royal Decree Law 14/2010

30 September 2011

Almost nine months after the entry into effect on Christmas day of Royal Decree Law 14/2010, which established urgent measures for the correction of the photovoltaic tariff deficit, on September 12, 2011 the Spanish Energy Commission (“Comisión Nacional de la Energía-CNE”) published on its website a document drafted by the Ministry of Development (“Ministerio de Fomento”) which establishes the climate zone for every Spanish municipality.

Said document can be found following this link:

www.codigotecnico.org

The document – which is dated July 2011 – complements the material available until now in connection with the climate zones, which consisted on a map of Spain showing the different climate zones and of a list of municipalities (both are included in the Technical Building Code – “Código Técnico de la Edificación”). All of these sources establish the zoning as a function of the overall average annual solar radiation for a horizontal area.

Finally, with of this document every Spanish municipality has been assigned to a climate zone that determines the yearly amount of operation hours which are entitled to retribution according to the following scheme:
 

Technology

Operation hours entitled to retribution per year

Zone I

Zone II

Zone III

Zone IV

Zone V

Permanent installation

1.232

1.362

1.492

1.632

1.753

Installation with 1-axis follower

1.602

1.770

1.940

2.122

2.279

Installation with 2-axis follower

1.664

1.838

2.015

2.204

2.367

 

This document was published only a few days before the estimated date on which the photovoltaic facilities under the economic regime of Royal Decree1578/2008 would reach the annual quota of operation hours which are entitled to retribution as stated in Royal Decree Law 14/2010.

The new zoning will apply to photovoltaic facilities under the economic regime of Royal Decree 661/2007 from January 1, 2014. This is due to the fact that these facilities are subjected to a special limitation on the operation hours which are entitled to retribution from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013.

The document published by the CNE thus ends a situation of legal uncertainty which has gone on for far too long.

For further information, please contact Antonio C. Jiménez: [email protected]