marginal Archives - usatoday24

Self-consumption is no longer a marginal option to conquer half of Spain

January 16, 2026 by usatoday24

The spring of 2025 marked a before and after in the psyche of the Spanish consumer. The so-called “Great Blackout”which left millions of homes without power on the Peninsula, transformed the perception of solar panels. What was previously seen mainly as a way to reduce the monthly bill, is today perceived as a guarantee of resilience and energy independence. in the face of market volatility. The consolidation data. According to the “Solar Report 2025: X-ray of self-consumption in Spain”, prepared by SotySolar in collaboration with the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF)the market has entered a phase of maturity after years of accelerated expansion. Spain closed the 2024 financial year with an accumulated installed capacity of 8,137 GW. These figures closely coincide with the records of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO), which places the power at 8,255 GW. However, Red Eléctrica raises the total estimate current at 8.7 GW, integrating data from the Electrical Measurements System (SIMEL) and estimates from the System Operator (OS). The end of “refundable” subsidies. After the closure of the European Next Generation funds, the sector has stopped depending on direct aid to embrace more structural profitability. This change is reflected on the national map: Catalonia has become the benchmark for success, with an increase of 20.6% in the volume of interested parties thanks to agile management of its local incentives. Despite the accumulated strength, the beginning of 2025 presented a slight cooling: the residential sector suffered a drop of 14% in the first quarter compared to the average for 2024. Even so, self-consumption has maintained sustained growth since 2021 and demonstrates greater stability than the large plant market (utility scale). The profile of the new consumer. The user profile has evolved towards a more informed and demanding one. Although financial savings continue to be the main driving force for 65% of users, factors such as sustainability (12%) and energy independence (8%) have gained unprecedented weight. As José Donoso, CEO of UNEF, explains, self-consumption has gone from being a minority technology to an “everyday, reliable and essential appliance.” This maturity is reflected in the choice of the installer: the price continues to matter (45%), but trust based on recommendations (25%) and support in procedures and aid (20%) are now decisive factors. The new standard. The acquisition model has undergone a radical transformation. Financing has gone from being a barrier to a driving force: between 60% and 70% of households opt for flexible payment formulas, a figure that rises to 80% in projects that exceed €10,000 or include batteries. In fact, strategic partners like Pontio They project to exceed 10,000 funded installations in 2026. This financial boost facilitates the integration of aerothermal energy, which has established itself as the ideal companion to photovoltaics. 66% of solar system owners plan to install aerothermal in the next three years. However, as experts in Xataka warn80% of Spanish houses have technical deficiencies in their electrical installation, which requires a prior evaluation of the insulation to prevent the investment from becoming an expense that is difficult to amortize. Roadmap. To prevent progress from slowing down, UNEF has proposed in its presentation urgent measures that strengthen the structural profitability of the sector: Tax incentives: Apply a reduced VAT for both installations with and without batteries. Network expansion: Extend the distance of shared self-consumption from the current 2 km to 5 km. Administrative simplification: Extend the exemption from requesting access and connection permits to all facilities that inject less than 15kW into the grid. Review of tolls: Modify the distribution between the fixed and variable part (target 25% fixed and 75% variable) to encourage savings. For its part, Red Eléctrica has reinforced the “maximum observability” of the system, publishing detailed information on self-consumption on all its platforms from the end of 2025, including a new demand curve (“Total Scheduled”) that integrates the impact of this energy on the national grid, where it already represents close to 4% of demand. An irreversible path. Self-consumption in Spain has come of age. It is no longer a specific response to a price crisis, but a strategic decision. As José Carlos Díaz Lacaci, CEO of SotySolar, points out, the path towards electrification is now “irreversible.” The challenge for 2026 will be to modernize the real estate stock and consolidate an intelligent management model that guarantees that every ray of sunlight captured becomes energy freedom for the citizen. Image | Unsplash Xataka | Landing at an airport full of solar panels had become a drama. Until Malaga had an idea

A marginal city in Italy established a direct flight with New York. Now they are not so clear if it was a good idea

May 27, 2025 by usatoday24

In front of massive cities Like Venice either Romein Italy there are other enclaves that look with some envy how the economies and investments produced by the paradoxical arrival of the arrival of Tourist hordes. One of those places was Bari, until recently a marginal port city with high crime rates. Then it was decided that it was time to fly and hug tourism. What happened later has left them serious doubts with the decision. The new jewel. I told this week The New York Times. After decades of being seen as a secondary scale on the way to more famous destinations in southern Italy or the Greek Islands, the port city from Bari He has begun to become an unexpected protagonist of European tourism. This metamorphosis has been largely driven by the effort of Antonio Maria Vasile, director of the airports of Pugliawho managed to establish the First direct flight Between Bari and New York, a symbolic bridge between the region and the millions of Italian Americans who share that origin. With this international connection, Bari seeks to claim its place not as a relegated south, but as a vibrant center of culture, history and gastronomy. Although for years his old town was Synonym of crime And abandonment, the city has experienced an urban rebirth that has given way to coastal walks, coffees, cultural routes and, very important, security, returning to its inhabitants a sense of pride so far scarce. First tourist line. He counted the medium that Puglia has silently conquered celebrities, investors and tourists, and has done so with its mix of crystalline sea, baroque architecture, rural hospitality and discreet luxury. While resorts like Burgi Egnazia They welcome G7 peaks And the Lamborghinis wait in the rental garages, Bari begins to benefit from the Halo effect which has elevated the region to the new epicenter of the Italian charm. The legacy of San Nicoláswhose grave is in the city, joins a Bari Vecchia completely renovated, where the medieval churches and the street sale of Orechiette They compete in attractive with The focaccia local. The walks through the historic center, before dominated By mafia clansnow they are full of visitors and residents who rediscovered the city with new eyes. In other words, the narrative of the impoverished and forgotten south begins to give in to a modernity, heritage and opportunity. Gentrification No doubt, this also entails others known evilsbecause the tourist boom does not come without tensions. The sudden popularity of Bari has Turned prices of the rent in the center, expelling pensioners and students, and putting in check To the young population which represents the demographic and creative future of the city. The massive reconversion of housing in tourist rentals has emptied traditional residential areas, repeating Dynamics seen In other saturated cities Like Venice, Madrid either Lisbon. Thus, more and more people fear that, after having rebuilt their identity, Bari loses it under the pressure of an economic model seasonal and fragile. Criticism also aims at the lack of investment in public transport, a basic lack that hinders both the daily mobility of residents and the full integration of tourist flows. As a local teacher synthesized to the Times: “In Puglia it is easy to rent a Ferrari, but finding a bus is another story.” Between the authentic and the fanfare. Explained at the NYT that Bari’s revitalization has been so deep that those who knew her in her most decadent stage barely recognize her. Ancient neighborhoods now shine with cultural routes, film festivals and a nightlife that, however, has begun to collide with the traditional social fabric, as was demonstrated recently when the neighbors They threw water cubes to disperse the hordes of tourists of the San Nicolás Festival. Enthusiasm coexists with the same concern of so many other enclaves: Can a city reinvent itself without selling itself completely, attract without blurring? The answer is not clear and, meanwhile, Vasile imagines a future where Bari does not depend on fleeting summers or celebrity names, but on a deep and sustainable consolidation. Under that prism, the new connection with New York should not be synonymous with tourism without more, but in his words“The inaugural symbol of a different era. We have realized new possibilities.” Now it remains to be seen if the city knows how to become a reality … without losing its essence along the way. Image | Jason Chung In Xataka | Italy has had an idea for mass tourism not to be attracted: higher and more places for travelers In Xataka | In full debate about tourist massification, Spain already has the first photo of how summer is going. And there are surprises

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