Group purchases allow a reduction in purchasing and assembly costs of up to 30% and facilitates negotiation with suppliers.
Since the known as sun tax was repealed On October 5, 2019 and the new regulation will clarify energy self-consumption, the sector has been noticing a growing interest in the installation of solar panels with which to capture enough energy to supply homes or businesses. Communities like Aragón have received up to 800 applications during 2019 for new solar and photovoltaic installations in factories, farms and private homes.
In this new framework, companies linked to the activity that promote collective purchases of self-consumption facilities have gained presence, a practice that has been operating in Europe for some time and that in Spain has already taken root in other communities such as Catalonia or Madrid. This type of group procurement allows a reduction in purchasing and assembly costs of up to 30% and facilitates negotiation with suppliers.
The case of Aragon
In Aragon the first action has just begun, which aims to bring together several dozen buyers. The idea is to unite a total of 40 interested parties (individuals, private entities, associations...) to acquire all the materials at once. These types of actions have already been called 'solar avalanche' in some contexts. This option is open to all types of users, whether they live in an apartment in the city, in a single-family home or in a house in rural areas, the latter environment is where companies such as Endef from Zaragoza perceive the greatest interest.
The plates are installed on the roof of the properties, as long as the percentage of owners required by law support it. For shared self-consumption, that which brings energy to the residents of different parts of the Aragonese geography, it is enough for a third of the neighbors to be interested and approve it at a meeting. The assembly is paid exclusively by those who use the system.
Self-consumption
Producing your own energy does not have to imply disconnection from the grid. Consumption throughout the day is nourished by sunlight, adjusting to the definition of self-consumption. At night, when the plate does not generate energy, if the stored energy is not enough, the electricity arrives through the usual channels. In case of surpluses, these are reflected in the following month's invoice, as financial compensation. The facilities have mobile and computer applications to monitor energy generation in real time.
Costs and savings
The self-consumption kits have different prices, depending on whether they are going to be located in a small home (about 4,000 euros) or a medium-sized company (around 32,700 euros). In between there are facilities that range between 4,800 and 11,500 euros.
The system is designed for self-consumption, and although the savings are notable, the system is not designed to generate income. The production of energy to produce income corresponds to another model, with other demands and with a much greater installation deployment.
Regarding savings, the company that promotes the first collective purchase in Aragon, gives the example of a community with 16 homes: with a power of 10kW generated by 33 panels (53 square meters) a saving of 15,700 kWh would be generated, which which in the annual invoice would be reflected in a saving of 1,884 euros. The amortization of the installation, always according to the company's estimates, would take place after six and a half years.
