Solar panels are today a hot topic. Prospective second home owners in Spain therefore often ask us about solar panel regulations. In this article, we therefore discuss three questions about installing solar panels in Spain.
Are there any subsidies and/or support measures for installing solar panels?
The Spanish government supports the installation of solar panels with a budget of some €660 million. The support measures are valid until 31 December 2023 or when the funds are exhausted.
On the one hand, there is a direct subsidy for the installation of solar panels. On the other hand, there are rebates on annual taxes, including municipal taxes such as the IBI and in personal income tax. Spain's autonomous regions can determine the aid and conditions themselves. Applications are processed chronologically, and until the budget is exhausted. Iberdrola has prepared a clear overview by region.
Do I need planning permission to install solar panels in Spain?
In several autonomous regions, you do not need planning permission to install solar panels for your own use. For example Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Canarias, Catalonia and Valenciana (Costa Blanca North and South).
Depending on municipality to municipality, there may well be a tax to pay or certain requirements.
Do I need permission from the co-owners' association?
If your property is part of an urbanisation, in principle you need permission from the co-owners' association. Here, we distinguish between two scenarios:
- You wish to have solar panels installed by the co-owners' association for the benefit of all owners. In this case, you need a simple majority of votes to have the community install the installation. However, there is an exception. Owners cannot be obliged to co-pay if the installation cost exceeds 9 months of ordinary contributions to the community (taking into account subsidies). So you cannot force a co-owner to participate if, after deducting any subsidies, the cost exceeds 3/4 of the community's annual budget.
- You wish to install solar panels for private use. In this case, you will need 1/3 of the votes.
In addition, a number of technical conditions which your installation must comply with. For example, your installation must not be further than 500m from the meter.
Note: Different rules apply in Catalonia. For example, you might like to install your solar panels on a common area intended for private use. In that case, you will need to send the technical project of the installation to the community. Thereafter, the community can submit its comments or propose an alternative project.
