ACCIONA Energy is a leader in the field of photovoltaic solar power thanks to its pioneering work in the expansion of this technology in Spain and its experience in the construction of large photovoltaic plants.

The company has worked since 1996 on the design, construction, operation and maintenance and application procedures for photovoltaic plants. It has installed 69 MWp in Spain - mostly for customers - among which we would highlight the so-called 'huertas solares'(solar gardens).

Outside Spain the company has built (and owns and operates) a 45.8 MWp plant at Amareleja (Moura, Portugal), one of the the biggest ones in the world with solar tracking. It was grid connected in December 2008, and the Japanese group Mitsubishi Corporation has acquired a 34% stake in the company that owns the plant.

Last May, the Department of Energy of South Africa selected two projects presented by ACCIONA and Aveng in the second round of the Independent Power Producers Renewable Bid (IPP REBID). The installations are a 135.2 MW wind park (138 MW nominal capacity) and a 74 MW photovoltaic solar plant (94 MWp), which will be built between 2013 and 2014.

STATUS OF ACCIONA'S SOLAR PV PROJECTS

'Huertas solares'

As well has owning solar PV plants, the company also develops facilities for other companies. It has created and popularized the concept of huerta solar (solar garden), an innovative (and patented) way of exploiting energy, allowing private individuals to invest directly in small PV plants that become their property but are grouped together on a single site.

The 19 solar gardens developed by ACCIONA Solar in Spain (which come to a total 61.80 MWp) have drawn interest from more than 3,500 buyers, who invested a total of approximately 456 million euros. This is probably the highest investment in renewables made by individuals in Spain through a single company.

The owners have solar trackers and panels of different capacity, depending on the model chosen. Locating the equipment on a common site to share infrastructures and services allows cost reductions, better performance, improved safety and lower operation and maintenance costs.

All the solar gardens feature Buskill solar trackers - home-grown technology - that increase production by around 35%. Other ground-breaking technological features include an inverter that brings togther in a single unit he control system for solar monitoring and all electrical devices.

ACCIONA Solar service includes end-to-end management of solar gardens: e.g. billing, administrative arrangements and the control of the production of each owner. Owners can keep a watch on daily, monthly and annual production online.