Promotion of grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Spain: Performance analysis of the period 1998–2008 Jordi de la Hoz a, *, Oriol Boix a , Helena Martı ´n a , Blanca Martins b , Moise ` s Graells c a Department of Electrical Engineering, Universitat Polite `cnica de Catalunya (UPC), Escola Te `cnica d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB), Carrer del Comte d’Urgell, 187, 08036 Barcelona, Spain b Department of Business Management, Universitat Polite `cnica de Catalunya (UPC), Escola Te `cnica d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB), Carrer del Comte d’Urgell, 187, 08036 Barcelona, Spain c Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Polite `cnica de Catalunya (UPC), Escola Te `cnica d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB), Carrer del Comte d’Urgell, 187, 08036 Barcelona, Spain Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 2548 2. The energy policy control ......................................................................................... 2548 2.1. Photovoltaic energy policy results ............................................................................. 2548 2.2. Analysis of the control applied to the PV energy sector in Spain ..................................................... 2551 3. Control structure analysis ......................................................................................... 2554 3.1. Control algorithm: feedback and FIT value in the ‘‘power boom’’ .................................................... 2554 3.2. Transition mechanism and system response ..................................................................... 2556 3.3. The effect of delays ......................................................................................... 2557 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 2547–2563 ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 11 May 2010 Accepted 20 July 2010 Keywords: Renewable energy Photovoltaic Market Regulations Spain ABSTRACT This paper contributes a critical view of the development of grid-connected photovoltaic systems (GCPVS) in Spain during the period 1998–2008 by looking into the different actions that were intended to promote this technology. The Spanish photovoltaic (PV) sector has undergone bullish development in the recent years, but its underlying factors still lack systematic identification and analysis. Accordingly, this paper collects and presents detailed data for describing this evolution. It also makes a special case of the particular promotion of PV systems on roof and goes further to analyze how these actions have affected GCPVS evolution as well as the magnitude of their impact on its performance. The exponential growth of installed cumulative PV power at the end of this period, which largely exceeded the target set for 2008, is canvassed by building an analogy with feedback control systems. In this approach, market response or the PV power attained is considered as the system output, while the different regulation changes are regarded as control actions aimed at enabling GCPVS to hit the energy target. Such an analysis allows determining the most significant delays and control actions that explain the system’s performance. Hence, this study suggests an alternative framework to support the formulation and assessment of energy policy as it puts the emphasis not only on the evolution of the system per se but rather on the performance of the system against the energy target. In this regard, it might contribute to enhance the promotion mechanisms of green technologies. ß 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abbreviations: RES-E, electricity from renewable energy sources; PV, photovoltaic; SR, Special Regime; RD, Royal Decree; CNE, National Energy Commission; RIPRE, Special Regime Power Plants Register; PFER, Plan for the Promotion of Renewable Energy 2000–2010; PER, Plan for the Promotion of Renewable Energy 2005–2010; INE, the Spanish National Institute of Statistics; CCAA, autonomous regions or Regional Government; AET, average electricity tariff; FIT, feed-in tariff; IRR, internal rate of return; MITyC, Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce; FHEPMP, final hourly electricity production market price; FAHEPMP, final average hourly electricity production market price. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 934 137 319; fax: +34 934 137 401. E-mail address: jordi.de.la.hoz@upc.edu (J. de la Hoz). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser 1364-0321/$ – see front matter ß 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.059