The Spanish Renewable Energies Plan (2005-2010) provides for the granting of incentives for investments by enterprises in technological innovation in the field of renewable energies, as well as the creation of lines of public aid, with a planned investment of approximately €23.6 million. 

The Plan has a twofold purpose, first to bolster the priority aims of the Government’s energy policy, focused on guaranteeing the supply of electricity, on its security and on respect for the environment, and secondly, to fulfill Spain’s commitments at international level (Kyoto Protocol, National Allotment Plan) and those arising from Spain’s membership in the EU.  

In line with this line of support for business investments in renewable energies, the Council of Ministers approved a new Action Plan 2008-2012 for the Energy Saving and Efficiency Strategy in Spain (PAE 4+) which is to strengthen Spain’s position at the cutting edge of energy saving and efficiency. 

In this context, the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía or IDAE) has been developing a number of specific aid programs in the renewable energy industry. In particular, the IDAE currently provides potential investors, inter alia, with a line of loans to finance investments in solar thermal, stand-alone photovoltaic and domestic biomass energy and in cogeneration installation projects, initially allocated a total budget of approximately 30 million euros. The beneficiaries of these loans can be individuals, SMEs, condominiums of owners, municipal councils and other public bodies, their dependent agencies and other legal forms, excluding large enterprises. 

The IDAE also makes available to enterprises the Project Finance and Lease of Services Line fundamentally aimed at investment projects in energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energies, which have a preliminary analysis of technical/economic viability. 

Meeting the objectives of the Plan for the Development of Renewable Energies also requires R&D&I initiatives, which has led to the involvement of the energy industry in the various R&D&I programs currently being implemented at EU and national level. In particular, the new National Plan for R&D&I (2008-2011) includes an initiative focused on Energy and Climatic Change in the area known as “Strategic Action”. 

In turn, most Autonomous Communities also offer subsidies and public aid under their own plans and programs to support renewable energies.