The sun, an inexhaustible and abundant resource in the Canary Islands, is becoming the engine that is driving the energy transition on the islands. With more than 4,800 hours of sunshine per year, the archipelago is paving the way towards a more sustainable future, where the installation of solar panels has not stopped growing in recent years. The data attests to this: in 2023, the penetration of green energy in its energy mix (mainly wind and photovoltaic) accounted for 27% of total generation.
This boost responds to the challenge of transforming the Canary Islands' energy model, reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels, both for environmental and economic reasons, considering the high costs of importing gas and oil for energy generation. This reality, together with the privileged geographical position of the islands, has consolidated the Canary Islands as a leader in the adoption of renewable energies, especially in photovoltaic solar energy.
Incentives for the growth of solar energy in the Canary Islands
There are many factors that are promoting the proliferation of solar installations, both in the private and public spheres, in the Archipelago. On the one hand, as we have already seen, its climatic and geographical conditions offer an ideal scenario for solar development.
The high solar radiation, higher than the European average, together with extensive available areas and elevated terrain, provides the perfect environment for the implementation of large-scale solar farms. This natural advantage allows the Canary Islands to obtain superior efficiency in the generation of green energy.
At the same time, the commitment made by public administrations in this advance stands out. Specifically, the Canary Island government has deployed an ambitious program of economic incentives to accelerate the energy transition. The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan has allocated 58.4 million euros in aid for 39 renewable energy projects in 2023 alone. These subsidies, together with attractive tax incentives, have significantly reduced the barriers to entry for companies and individuals.
In this sense, it should be noted that the commitment to sustainability goes beyond the numbers. Not in vain, the authorities have established ambitious objectives to reduce carbon emissions, aiming for energy autonomy that will free the islands from external dependence.
Thus, the Canary Islands is one of the regions that is most committed to innovation in the field of renewable energies. Specifically, technological innovation is playing a crucial role in this process, as the islands have become a natural laboratory for the development of new photovoltaic solutions. Something that is evident with the increasing collaboration between universities, research centers and technology companies.
However, all this growth would not be possible without the commitment of society, who is also betting on self-consumption, as is the business sector. Specifically, the industries that have opted for solar energy highlight that they are reducing their electricity costs by up to 60%.
The role of EAVE in the energy transition and photovoltaics
In this context of energy transformation, EAVE has become one of the key companies. Born in 2019 with the firm purpose of bringing clean and renewable energy solutions to homes, EAVE has experienced exponential growth in just four years, achieving a turnover of close to 11 million euros today.
The key to EAVE's success lies in its comprehensive approach, offering both the installation of solar panels and charging points for electric vehicles. In this way, the Canary Island company allows its customers to generate their own clean energy through self-consumption and, in turn, have the necessary infrastructure to charge their electric cars sustainably.
Thanks to its commitment to sustainability and its strategic collaboration with manufacturers and dealers in the sector, EAVE has managed to expand beyond the Canary Islands (where it is a benchmark in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura) to also establish itself in the Balearic Islands, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville and Alicante, bringing its value proposition to a greater number of homes and businesses.
Undoubtedly, the image of the Canary Islands from the point of view of renewable energies and, above all, photovoltaics is an example for the rest of the country. It is not for less. Its natural conditions, the support policies of public administrations and the existence of an entrepreneurial and innovative business fabric, such as EAVE, are demonstrating that the transition towards a sustainable energy future is not only possible, but also profitable.
