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A study is conducted of real PV production from two 100 kW p grid-connected installations located in the same area, both of which experience the same fluctuations in temperature and radiation. Data sets on production were collected over an entire year and both installations were compared under various levels of radiation. The installations were assembled with mono-Si panels, mounted on the same support system, and the power supply was equal for the inverter and the measurement system; the same parameters were also employed for the wiring, and electrical losses were calculated in both cases. The results, in economic terms, highlight the importance of properly selecting the system components and the design parameters for maximum profitability.

The implementation process of a photovoltaic system and its connection to the national grid in Spain is examined from an economic, an administrative and a legal standpoint. In the first place, this case study describes the solar farm, and it goes on to examine the economic aspects of electricity production, its associated costs, and relevant grants and financial subsidies. Finally, problems related to the administration of the project and the issuing of permits by local and regional authorities are discussed.

This paper presents a methodology to design and to predict the behaviour of electronic circuits, which combines artificial neural networks and design of experiments. This methodology can be used to model output variables in electronic circuits either with similar features to the circuit configuration that is analysed in this study or with more complex configurations in order to improve the process of electronic circuit design.

Potential photovoltaic (PV) production from vertical façades facing the four cardinal points of the compass are calculated from daily average vertical global insolation readings measured in Burgos, Spain. Ten-minute data sets are collected over forty-five months, from January, 2014 to September 2017, in the experimental campaign to produce estimates of daily average insolation levels, from which the PV potential of the vertical surfaces was calculated. Given the scarcity of data on Global Vertical Insolation (GVI), the main sky-related variables were processed in four classic decomposition models (Isotropic, Circumsolar, Klucher, and Hay) to predict the insolation values. Both the experimentally measured GVI values and those calculated with the models were then compared using the statistical indicators RMSE and MBE. The results highlighted the economic viability of Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic (BIPV) facilities, even on the north-facing façades, in comparison with the horizontal facility at the same location.

Spain is a country with a high dependence on fossil fuels. For this reason, in 2007, it implemented a bonus system that aimed to encourage the production of renewable energies, particularly photovoltaic solar energy. These production bonuses, guaranteed by the Spanish government, led to an exponential increase in the number of companies in the market and, consequently, the MWh produced. However, in 2012, given the excessive budgetary burden involved in maintaining this “feed-in tariff” system and after several years of institutional instability, the aforementioned system of incentives for phoyovoltaic (PV) energy was eliminated. This paper has tried to analyze the consequences of this institutional change, a clear example of the “hold up” problem. For this purpose, a sample of 5354 companies, which was divided, geographically, into Spanish regions and, temporarily, into three different periods, has been taken, considering diverse economic and financial variables. The results show a notable weakening of the sector that, due to the effects of the regulatory change, has lost attractiveness and profitability for investors and is consequently suffering from stagnation, which has led to the disappearance of many companies in the sector.

A small hydropower plant in Spain is studied from an energetic and economic perspective. The viability of the facility is examined using the freeware software RETScreen. Calculated and standard operational data are compared, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of the project from all points of view. The study highlights the growing interest in renewable energies.

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