solar

In Elche a solar macroproject threatens a protected place. It is only the tip of the iceberg of a problem throughout Spain

by

Spain advances in its energy transition, but not without conflicts. In Galicia, for example, the expansion of wind farms has generated A growing social rejection for its impact on the landscape. Something similar happens in the teacher, where local communities They denounce the implementation of renewables without planning or consensus. Now, the conflict moves south of the province of Alicante. The voices of the protest. The environmental group friends of the wetlands of southern Alicante (AHSA) has resorted to the authorization of Lucinala, a macroproject of solar energy As detailed in their press release. The authorization was granted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, despite the fact that the group presented allegations and a first resource last years, still unanswered. Although the project has been reformulated and its reduced surface, environmentalists continue to see it as a direct threat to the natural and agricultural values ​​of the Galvany Clot environment. Project chronology. Lucinala, a solar plant of more than 62 MW of power and 120 hectares of surface, has already received two administrative authorizations In just 15 months. Despite the unfavorable reports issued by entities such as the City Council of Alicante or the road unit, the central government gave the project to the project in January and April 2024, according to He explained The information. The local medium continues to detail that the promoter has introduced modifications in response to these institutional objections, such as the underground of evacuation lines, the elimination of an intermediate substation or the displacement of the electric layout. These measures allowed the project to raffle the main legal obstacles. However, they have not managed to dissipate the social or ecological opposition to the project. A protected area. In the province of Alicante there are about twenty protected placesnot as many as in other areas of Spain. For this reason, the location of the Lucinala plant is especially sensitive in a critical area from the environmental point of view: The Landscape Basin of Galvany Clot. This wetland, located in the municipality of Elche, has various protection figures, both regional and European. The Ecologists collective In your press release He has denounced that the set of eleven solar plants would occupy more than 190 hectares, a figure that exceeds in 10 hectares the total area of ​​the wetland itself. In addition, they added that 60 hectares of high quality agricultural land, 31 hectares of forest land and 25 hectares of areas with flood risk would be affected. And the ecological connection of the Clot was committed to the Serra of why, to the north, which would fragment key habitats for local fauna. This can bring tail. Beyond the specific case, AHSA, together with more than 150 organizations integrated into the Macrorenovable Platform, They have denouncedA speculative “bubble” driven by European subsidies Next Generation. On the other hand, AHSA has warned that renewable projects in process in Spain are already 144 GW of power, well above the 89 GW planned in The National Energy and Climate National Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030. Even so, the Latest reports From Red Eléctrica de España (REE) they have indicated that, at the end of 2024, the installed renewable power reached 85.1 GW, very close to the marked objective. Reopening the debate. It is true that from the environmental group they insist that abandoning fossil fuels is urgent, but they warn that a poorly planned transition can reproduce old errors: concentration of energy power, loss of territorial sovereignty and false promises of sustainability. Instead, they bet on a fair transition, decentralized and sensitive to territory. At that crossroads, the question continues in the air: how to move towards clean energy without leaving behind the territory, biodiversity and those who inhabit it. Image | Pxhere and Ferran tab Xataka | Solar panels that clean other solar panels: the photovoltaic industry has entered its self -replicant phase

In case we had not had enough problems in the electricity network, a “severe” solar storm has come to complicate it

by

The closeness of the Pico de Activity of the last solar cycle implies stirred times in the field of “spatial meteorology.” And we have seen one of the most important during these days, a “severe” geomagnetic storm caused by this activity. Geomagnetic storm. The last two days have been days of “intense” solar activity. The geomagnetic storm has reached a Kp = 8 index, which implies that it has been a “severe” storm, from G4 category (On a scale that goes to G5). The value of the index has descended since then: the last data offered by the NOAA spatial meteorological prediction (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) indicates that the value Average Index KP In the last three hours it has been kp = 6. Despite this, spatial time is still scrambled and According to forecasts He will continue to be until tomorrow. An ejection of coronal mass. According to He explained yesterday The Spanish Space Agency through a statement, the origin of this activity is in a high -speed coronal mass ejection (CME), associated solar fulguration of class M8.2 and with origin in the Ar4100 active region. KP 8. What does that mean of kp = 8? The K Geomagnetic Index measures disruptions in the land magnetic field and is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms, especially through the planetary index K or KP Index. The latter uses a series of magnetometers distributed in stations located in various parts of the planet. The indices above kp = 5 are associated with a specific degree in the geomagnetic storm scale Employed by the NOAA SWPC, being G1 (minor) the smallest category on the scale and G5 (extreme) the category that denotes the strongest storms, those of index Kp = 9. A G4 storm. The storm recorded on Sunday, with a Kp = 4 index led the center to alert a “severe” or G4 geomagnetic storm. In your noticethe SWPC pointed out that, in addition to intense northern lights and lower latitudes than usual, possible impacts on infrastructure and networks, including problems with satellites and loss of precision in the GPS. The Category events They usually imply possible problems with voltage control that can also cause “mitigable” problems in electrical networks. At space vehicles, the SWPC indicates that these storms are associated with possible monitoring problems that require future corrections. Finally, other possible impacts are on the spread of HF radio signals and low frequency radio navigation. An active solar cycle. The situation has stabilized With ups and downs And, although the last one average three -hour data from the KP index is 6, the SWPC has already reduced the intensity of the storm to G1, or minor storm. The last months have been revolts as far as spatial meteorology is concerned. In October 2024, A similar situation He brought spectacular dawn. According to estimates From the experts we are already after the peak of activity of solar cycle 25, but we have not yet moved away much so the solar activity remains intense. Perhaps this is not the last storm of these characteristics that we see in the coming months. In Xataka | We have detected the exact date on which the most brutal solar storm occurred in history. Thanks to the trees Image | Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (Soho) / SWPC/NOA

Good news, the solar system has a new minor planet. Bad news, it’s so far that appears every 25,000 years

by

The International Astronomical Union has added a new celestial body to its Minor planet catalog: The Transneptunian object 2017 of201. The solar system has a new member. 2017 of201 has been officially recognized as a minor planet, but has many ballots to end also cataloged as a dwarf planet. This icy world, which orbits much beyond Neptune, in the dark depths of the solar system, was in file data since 2011, but 19 exhibitions were needed over seven years to be able to analyze and classify it as appropriate. What makes this transneptunian object a fascinating world are two things: its incredibly extensive orbit and its considerable size. The new minor planet takes approximately 25,000 years to take a single round to the sun. A distant and not so dwarf planet. At its closest point to our star (the perihelium of its orbit), it approaches about 44.9 astronomical units, a distance similar to that of Pluto. But at its furthest point (its apelium) it ventures to amazing 1,600 UA. To get an idea, Neptune, the planet known more distant to the sun, orbits about 30 UA of our star. The estimates of astronomer Sihao Cheng and his team of Advanced Studies Institute They suggest that 2017 of201 has a diameter of about 700 kilometers. This would place it in the same league as The Dwarf Planet Ceresthe largest object of the asteroid belt (with about 952 km in diameter). In fact, if we judge it for the light that reflects your body, it is the second largest object known In such a wide orbit and eccentric. What if there were others like him? The existence of 2017 of201 suggests that the region of the solar system beyond the Kuiper belt, which was thought relatively empty, I might not be so much. The transneptunian object is currently 90.5, from us. Since it is only detectable for approximately 0.5% of its orbital time, when it is close to its perihelium, there could be hundreds of similar objects, with orbits and similar sizes, waiting to be discovered. This hidden population could add a total mass close to 1% of the dough of the earth, they estimate Cheng and its team. It takes us away from the planet nine. Many extreme transneptunian objects tend to coincide in their perihelium lengths, a phenomenon that some astronomers want to attribute to the gravitational influence of A mass planet not yet discovered: The planet nine. However, the 2017 of201 perihelium length is 306 degrees, which is significantly diverted from the 60 degree group observed in other objects. This orbital peculiarity Challenge the planet models nine. If the planet nine would exist, it would make 2017 of201 expelled from the solar system in relatively short time scales, of hundreds of millions of years, according to the study of IAS. You just lack a name. Already officially member of the Solar System, 2017 of201 is pending to receive a name with more hook. However, its discovery is already providing clues about the origins of the solar system and the dynamics of its most remote confines. What most excites the scientific community is that its discovery was possible thanks to open data, publicly available through the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (Decals) project of the Víctor M. Blanco telescope and the Canada-France-French telescope (CFHT). Image | NASA/JPL-CALTECH, SIHAO CHENG et al. In Xataka | Planet’s definition is wrong, and Pluto is the great victim of that chaos

Europe wants solar panels without forced labor. The only problem is that almost everyone comes from China

by

In the early 2000s, Europe was consecrated as The largest solar energy manufacturer worldwide. After more than two decades, that dominant position is a memory against the unstoppable advance of China, which has achieved that more than 80% of global production leaves its factories. A paradigm shift. China has a very particular look of seeing the world in the long term, thanks to that philosophy he has managed to position himself as a leader in solar energy. His method has managed to manufacture cheapest solar panels thanks to a subsidy strategy, vertical integration and almost absolute control of supply chains, such as has detailed Bloombergnef. Meanwhile, European manufacturers have had to compete with those priceswhich has triggered a wave of factor closures, bankruptcies and personnel reductions. Europe’s response. The old continent wants to make its own solar panels again, but motivated by an ethical and geopolitical pressure in the sector. According to Financial TimesThe scrutiny over the Xinjiang region, in China, has grown, which concentrates about 20 % of the world production of polysilicio and where various Western governments have denounced violations of human rights and forced labor against the Uigur population. Faced with this, countries like the United Kingdom have taken a firm position. In April, the British Government declared that your state energy company may not use solar panels linked to forced labor. This ethical trend could force European solar developers to rethink their supply chain and prioritize more transparent suppliers, even if they are less competitive in price. There are already measures underway. On the one hand, in a more ambitious attempt to recover part of its energy autonomy, the EU approved last year The Net Zero Industry Law. This regulation forces to consider not only the price, but also criteria such as the resilience of the supply chain, the environmental impact and the local origin by making public purchases of clean technologies. On the other hand, European products will be prioritized in tenders to equip hospitals, public buildings and other state infrastructure with solar energy. According to Solar Power Europe for Financial Timesthis regulation could create a market of up to 9 gigawatts of solar capacity for “resilient” products already in 2026. But the numbers do not lie. The distance with China is abysmal. Today, Chinese solar panels are sold at about $ 0.09 per watt, a radical decrease from the dollar per watt in 2012, According to Bloombergnef. European companies simply cannot compete in costs compared to the scale and efficiency of the Chinese model. There is something more background. Not only is it a matter of assembly, but strategic minerals. In a broader context, starting a mine can take up to 17 years since it is activated all protocols. Instead, China has been assuring its sources of lithium, rare earths, copper and silicon for 20 years. In this way, even with the new EU regulations working perfectly, the so -called “resilience market” would cover less than 14 % of the solar capacity added in Europe, According to Financial Times. And there would be no guarantees that these panels be produced by European manufacturers: they could come from India, South Korea or other countries that do not use materials of Chinese origin. Will it go through the hoop? Here the main question that arises is: Is Europe ready to assume the political economic cost of reindustrializing its solar sector? Or will it accept the dependence of a cheap but geopolitically complex supplier? For now, the measures seem insufficient to significantly alter the structure of the market. The European energy transition progresses, but does it mounted on Chinese panelseven when their governments promote technological and ethical sovereignty speeches in commerce. Europe has aroused a race that she helped to start. Recovering the lost terrain will be difficult. The sun does not expect, and China already closed the umbrella. Image | Climate Group Xataka | Filling mirrors space is a booming business. THE OBJECTIVE: DO NOT MAKE NIGHT ON SOLAR PANELS

Do not get night on solar panels

by

Suppose you acquire the power to cancel the night in a certain place in the world; of reflecting sunlight from space to illuminate something concrete, so that it is made from day in a given area. What would you use it? Orbital reflect. A Californian startup wants to obtain this power to illuminate the photovoltaic panels in the hours close to dawn and sunset, when I miss its renewable energy, and when the energy companies could sell more. Orbital reflect has just received 20 million dollars in financing, which will use to deploy a constellation of satellites equipped with gigantic mirrors. Its objective is to reflect sunlight towards Earth on demand. The sun to the letter. The concept is simple: to increase the production of solar energy on the earth directing sunlight to the large photovoltaic plants of the soil before dawn and after sunset. Like the space solar stations, but without the complications of concentrating the energy in a laser or microwave beam, placing large mirrors in orbit would significantly expand the light time that a solar farm receives to generate electricity, solving one of the great Peros of solar energy: its intermittency. The company has already performed tests with a mirror in a hot air balloon at almost 3 km on a solar farm, generating 500 watts of energy per square meter of photovoltaic panel with approximately half of the brightness of the sun. A first demonstration. The first orbital reflect mission is scheduled for the spring of 2026. A demonstration satellite will test a 18 x 18 meter mirror made with mylar plastic tensioning to form a solid reflective surface. It is expected to reach a brightness of 0.1 lux, comparable to a full moon on a clear night. The mission aims to illuminate 10 iconic locations during the night to generate dissemination and public interest. An ambitious goal. The initial idea contemplates a constellation of 57 small satellites in a synchronous polar orbit with the sun, about 600 kilometers of altitude. They would provide about 30 additional minutes of sunlight to photovoltaic plants. In the long term, orbital reflects plans to launch a constellation of thousands of satellites with much larger reflectors, up to 55 x 55 meters. On this scale, the total luminosity of the constellation would be comparable to that of the sun at noon. Other applications. Although the impulse to solar energy is the final objective, the company has plans to generate short and medium term income with other applications. Since its foundation in 2021, the company has received more than 260,000 applications from 157 countries for its sunlight delivery service. Among future services, they offer the lighting of night construction projects, public events, disaster help efforts, and defense operations. “We want it to be as easy as possible: you enter a website, you tell us your GPS coordinates and we send you some sunlight after dusk,” explains the CEO of orbital reflect, Ben Nowack. Science fiction made reality. Image | Orbital reflect In Xataka | Space energy never worked. A military escalation in orbit is making it come true

The solar energy that does work without electricity

by

The blackout of April 28 left Spain and Portugal without light, even surprising those who had solar panels at home. How is it possible? The answer is in the connection From facilities to the electricity grid, but there is a solution that comes from Seville. Short. The Toscano company has developed Combi Max, a differential that, when it detects a supply cut, electrically isolates the house of the rest of the network and allows you to continue using the electricity generated by the solar panels. Also, like have indicated on their websitethere is another more complete version and with extra protection against overtops and overloads. More in depth. The device developed in Seville works isolating the electrical installation of the house when the light goes, which allows us to continue using the solar energy generated at that time. In fact, its effectiveness is not only theoretical: during the blackout of April 28, several users managed to maintain the supply thanks to this system. “Correos have reached us by thanking us,” said Luis Toscano, founder of the company, In an interview with the sixth column. There are limitations. It can only be used as long as there is sunlight and the installation is generating electricity. In addition, it is not suitable for feeding high consumption appliances such as furnaces, hobs or electric cars. On the other hand, it does allow the essential elements of the home, such as the fridge, the lighting or the load of the mobile, which can make a big difference during a light cut. But it does not replace a battery. It is a great solution for the day and for moments of blackout with sun, but does not replace a battery system. For that reason, if you want to keep the supply also during the night or in cloudy days, it is necessary have energy storage. Having panels is not enough. The blackout has been a warning: it is not enough to generate energy, we must also know how to manage it. This new device, Combi Max, is a step in that address. In an increasingly electrified world it is a big step. Image | Unspash Xataka | The signals were there: Europe detected the blackout oscillations in Spain but did not know how to anticipate collapse

The ice age had a solar storm so powerful that its effects can still be detected in trees

by

How powerful can it become a solar storm? More than one will have ever asked this question for mere curiosity. And also out of necessity. Answering this question is important in order to prepare in the face of potential storms of great magnitude, but it is complicated: we have a limited sample and the most intensity events are those that happen less frequently. But now we have a new track. The mother of all storms. A recent study has analyzed The remnants of the greatest solar storm of which we have record to date. The storm, about 500 times more powerful than the largest solar storm since the beginning of the space era, would have happened about 14,300 years ago. Although We already had enough previous clues about this eventThe new study facilitates the work of preparing for such events, and can also help us improve our radiocarbon dating techniques. 14,300 years ago. The discovery of this solar storm has been possible thanks to the detection of a radiocarbon peak, the well-known carbon-14, happened towards the year 12,350 AEC, towards the end of the last glacial period. This implies that the storm is not only the most powerful of which we have record, it is also the only solar storm known outside the Holocene, the contemporary geological era (if we exclude the existence debated from the anthropocene). Different storms. The storm analyzed was a solar particle storm. There are different events That we can catalog as solar storms, each with its characteristics, such as radio blackouts, solar radiation storms or geomagnetic storms. Radiation storms, such as the one studied, are produced when large amounts of charged particles from the sun reach the magnetic field of the earth. This field tends to divert the particles towards the poles, making the effect on high latitudes greater. Carbon 14. The team responsible for the new study He turned to a new model Chemist-Climatic, Socol: 14C-EX, for analysis. This is a model designed to rebuild solar storms of particles in climatic conditions of the past glaciations. Thanks to this model, they explain, it was possible to verify that this solar storm was 18% stronger than the event of the year 775 EC, the largest solar storm known until the discovery of this event. “Compared to the largest event in the Modern Era of Satellites (the 2005 particle storm) the old 12,350 AC event was about 500 times more intense, according to our estimates,” explained in a press release Kseniia Golubenko, co -author of the study The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Earth and Planetary Science Letters. More than establishing a record. The study allows us to establish a new framework to the “most pessimistic scenario,” says Golubenko. Knowing what we can face gives us essential tools when preventing this type of event. The study can also help scientists who study something very different: archaeologists. The analysis has been based on carbon-14, a very important isotope when it comes to very diverse organic matter remains, from fabrics to ships. Understanding the peaks of this isotope caused by the impact of loaded particles from the Sun can help us to date back objects created in past times. In Xataka | NASA has calculated how much time we would have to prepare before a devastating solar storm and has got to work to get that time Image | NASA/GSFC/CIL

Its solar panel in tandem already exceeds the theoretical limit of silicon

by

The efficiency of solar panels always andStá in object of studyand the only country capable of developing new advances is China. In fact, the company Longi has achieved have even a certificate of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the United States. Short. The Chinese giant of the solar modules He has achieved A new record in solar energy conversion, reaching 34.85% efficiency in a pervskita solar cell in two terminal tandem. In this way, Longi has managed to overcome The previous 34.6% record that Longi herself held two years ago. A key technical advance. To understand the feat, it is important to know the tandem design. This structure combines an upper cape of Perovskita and a lower crystalline silicon, allowing to capture different ranges of the solar spectrum. Through a technique called bilayer interface passive, two layers are introduced that improve the passage of electricity between both active layers. On the one hand, lithium fluoride (LIF) acts as a barrier against load losses. On the other, the ethylendiamium diyoduro (EDAI) fills the nanometric scale holes, ensuring a more efficient load extraction. It’s not just about materials. The Chinese company has also redesigned the structure of the crystalline silicon, making the frontal surface more rough to facilitate the adhesion of the Perovskita and maintaining a standard texture in the rear to optimize the capture of infrared light. This texturing improves the absorption of light and, therefore, the efficiency of the panel. Achievement is not less. Apart from overcoming its own record, the Chinese company has overcome The so-called Shockley-Queisser limit. In other words, it has managed to exceed the maximum efficiency limit marked by 33.7% for a single union. However, tandem cells, which combine different materials such as Perovskita and silicon, can overcome this limit by taking advantage of a broader range of the solar spectrum from the theoretical aspect. For example, research has shown that tandem cells can achieve higher efficiencies 40%and theoretically, some configurations could reach up to 60% . Institutional support. Thanks to the participation of the universities project such as Suzhou and Hong Kong (HKPU), together with the Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, They have allowed A Longi perfects its silicon hetero -union technology and optimizing manufacturing processes, bringing Tandem technology to a more commercializable level. The next challenge. Longi has shown that the solar efficiency roof remains a mobile objective. However, he will now have this laboratory technology to the mass market. The durability of tandem cells, production costs and industrial scalability They will be key factors To determine if this record becomes a commercial standard or another technical advance without immediate practical application. Image | Pixabay Xataka | New record of efficiency of a solar panel thanks to the Perovskita. The “miraculous material” already exceeds the theoretical limit of conventional panels

diurnal solar surpluses, night spikes … and increasingly cheaper batteries

by

For years, conversation about the future of Spanish electricity has been reduced to fear of two words: “China photovoltaic”. Panels cheap and reasonably efficient. But the final weapon is not arriving in containers from Shanghai, but increasingly frequently in the van of a neighborhood installer: lithium batteries packs that allow reducing the dependence of the conventional electricity grid. Cut the cable. Or, at least, loosen it. The cheaper that changes the rules Past, present and future of the storage price: 2015: Storing a kilowatt-Hora cost more than 1,100 dollars/kWh. 2024: according to Bloombergnefthe average price of the pack was at 115 dollars/kWh (about 105 euros/kWh), after a 20% drop in the last year. 2026-2027: By then, the same consultant estimates that the psychological bar of the 100 dollars/kWh will be broken. With these prices, Storing domestic energy costs less than the term valley of the PVPC ratewhich now ranges between 0.11 and approximately 0.13 euros/kWh. That makes the battery the natural complement of any roof with panels and a direct enemy of the demand managed by the distributors. To understand the impact of this cheaper on the accounts of the companies in the sector, you have to understand how they earn money. Iberdrola. Its 2024 ebitda, According to its annual resultsit was almost 17,000 million euros, broken down like this: Networks: 6,423 million euros. 38% of the total. Generation and customers: 10,425 million euros. 62%. 52% of Iberdrola’s investment goes to networks, its most stable and regulated segment. Endesa. Its 2024 Ebitda reached 5,300 million euros, with a similar distribution: Electric distribution: 1,750 million (approximately 33%). The rest comes mainly from generation and marketing. Naturgy. With an Ebitda of 5,400 million in 2024: ELECTRIC NETWORKS AND GAS: They represent approximately 45% of the business. The company has increased its investment in this segment by 15% compared to the previous year. For all these companies, Each kilowatt-hora that does not circulate through its networks directly impacts its profitability. Today, the threat is hypothetical, but tomorrow it will be arithmetic. Battery and panel: the combo that takes off According to data from Auto: In 2021, only 2% of residential facilities included battery. In 2024 that figure reached 71%. And they are not just coastal chalets, hybrid kits reach peripheral single -family and even communities of pioneering neighbors. With subsidies and 2.0TD rateamortization drops between 6 and 8 years, and energy self -sufficiency touches 80% in optimal conditions. Electric grid as electron pipe begins to stagger. And not only because of the fall in the demand managed, but because the flow is reversed. In the moments of sun and low demand, thousands of homes are beginning to return energy to the network or simply not need it. For a company that invests billions in transport and distribution infrastructures, that is a problem. But the regulatory framework is starting to move. And your address is not clear. The CNMC has on the table The new toll methodology for the period 2026–2031. Among the Options in consultation: Move part of the fixed costs of the network at the end of power, and begin to remunerate flexibility services, such as storage or coordinated discharge of domestic batteries. They are two changes with opposite consequences: The first penalizes the self -consumer with drums, although he barely consumes. The second rewards it, if your battery helps to balance the network at critical moments. Everything will depend on how normative design is related. And who is heard more. But for now, the government Last the arrival of aid for energy storage through 700 million Feder funds. This transformation is not an isolated case. Several European and American electricity have understood the message before the Spanish. And they have begun to move. Nextera has already hired 81 GW from Solar With storage for 2027, with a good part behind the accountant. That is, in homes. Enel x He has launched virtual power plants pilots (VPPS) In Italy and agreements to display regulated batteries. EDF He is exploring flexibility markets in the United Kingdom and France. In Spain, Endesa has timidly begun to explore this land with its project FlexiCy In Malaga. The background logic is clear: The network will remain necessary, but less as a unidirectional route and more as a smart platform for exchange and balance. And the interesting thing It is not so much the exact point in which we are, but the slope of the curve. According to The International Energy Agencyto meet the objectives set in COP28, world storage capacity It must be multiplied by six before 2030. Of which 1,200 GW must come from batteries. Spain, with its diurnal solar surpluses and nocturnal peaks of consumption, is one of the most fertile land in Europe for that transition. Despite the fear of these years to the threat that came by boat – Chinese plates – the real threat is the one that arrives in a van. In lithium, phosphate and iron packages that allow each home to keep their own energy. In that context, The network business is focused on a transformation: to bill kilowatts to offer guarantees of energy continuity. And there is the key: whoever adapts to the new model will not only resist better. You can also lead it. In Xataka | We have second to second the data on the great blackout in Spain. They complicate everything even more Outstanding image | EcoFlow

Having solar panels at home sounds very good in case of national blackout. The problem is that they don’t work

by

The national blackout that Spain has suffered It has been historicalbut has also sown the doubt. While the vast majority of citizens ran out of light, in the street there was “life” in some supermarkets or marques that made the use of other renewable alternatives. Surely also, today more than ever many will ask about the need to have a solar installation in their home, which leads us to another question: how does a network of domestic panels work before a national blackout? Installation in normal conditions. Before talking about the case of a blackout as the one that occurred in Spain, it is convenient to explain the most basic of A “standard” installation In a typical home. In most cases, solar panels capture the radiation of the sun and generate what we call DC (DC). This current passes through an investor that converts it in turn in alternating current (CA), and that is precisely what we use in homes. In Spain and in almost all countries, most solar facilities are connected to the electricity network (known systems as on-Grid). This allows, on the one hand, to consume solar energy directly in the house. On the other, pour the surplus to the network (which entitles economic compensation, such as the net balance or Simplified compensation). Finally, of course, it allows you to receive electricity from the network when there is not enough solar generation (for example, at night or on cloudy days). The problem occurs when there is a situation like that occurred yesterday. Installation in blackouts. When you have a photovoltaic installation in the house of only panels and there is a blackout, something contradictory but very important happens: even if you have solar panels working, the sky is sunny and the beginning of the day, your house is also It is left without electricity. As? Yes, this occurs by security regulations (for example, in Europe under the standard VDE 0126-1-1 and similar), all solar investors connected to the network must detect the loss of tension and turn off immediately, is what is called Anti-Isla protection. The reason? The reason for this “cut” is to protect network maintenance technicians: if there were thousands of houses by sending electricity to a supposedly “dead” network, it could be lethal for workers They are at that time repairing the failure. Therefore, if you have only solar panels connected to the network, you cannot use electricity during a blackout. Your solar panels are automatically disconnected. There is no more. The solution: batteries. If you also have batteries, the thing changes, although here the situation varies depending on the type of investor and configuration you have. If you have hybrid investors (solar + battery), there are modern investors that already allow to continue operating in what is called Island or back-up mode. This means that when they detect a blackout, they are physically disconnected from the network and come to feed only your house using solar energy and energy stored in your batteries. In addition, there are also systems for backup investors (The so-called back-up inverters), where a separate system is used that can feed a specific part of the house (for example, fridge, essential lights or internet). One More Thing. But even so, for this to work you need lithium or lead batteries properly sizeda hybrid investor compatible with operation in island mode or an inverter with backup function (Back-UP), a automatic cutting system that separates your home from the public network in case of blackout guaranteeing safety, and finally an electrical panel prepared to isolate non-essential loads (for example, it makes no sense to keep the electric oven or air conditioning on if the energy is limited). In any case and to place all this in perspective in the Spanish landscape, only 33% of facilities Current domestic lots in Spain include batteries. This means that most households with solar panels would continue to suffer electric cuts during a blackout like the one that occurred yesterday. The reasons are very varied, but the extra cost of investment of them after the solar installation (already large) is key. The promise of self -supply. All this leads to a final question: Is it possible to be self -sufficient (energetically) in Spain? The short response is no. The promise of solar self -supply on the peninsula is based on taking advantage of the high solar radiation (Spain receives on average between 1,600 and 2,000 kWh/m²/year) to generate clean energy and reduce dependence on the electricity grid, especially in single -family homes. Thanks to photovoltaic self -consumption and the Price drop Of the solar panels (more than 80% have fallen in the last decade), today it is technically possible to cover between 60% and 80% of the annual consumption of an average house in Spain only with solar energy, and in some cases, almost 100% If appropriate storage batteries are installed (although with the network hitch). The problem. However, self -supply has important limits: solar production is intermittent (there is no generation of night and lowers a lot in winter or cloudy days), the batteries remain expensive (between 4,000 and 9,000 euros a complete domestic installation) and its capacity only allows a few hours or days of autonomy without network. Plus: We already said it, the current legislation requires that the systems connected to the network be disconnected in blackouts if they are not equipped to function in Isla mode, which implies that, without a specific design (and of large disbursement), even with solar panels, you could run out of electricity in general cuts. Image | Pxhere In Xataka | What is the “energy zero” and why the supply can go suddenly but it takes hours to recover In Xataka | Spain is dark: a general blackout has left us all without light

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.