Photovoltaic Structures

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More than 10 years of experience in engineering, applying synergy of several technical areas together with new technologies to guarantee the success of our customers.

The State of Collective Residential Self-Consumption in 2025

Collective self-consumption in residential communities represents one of the greatest opportunities for the energy transition in Spain, as more than 67% of the population resides in buildings with potential for this type of installation. However, its deployment has been slower than expected. Although the residential sector has maintained a more constant installation rate than the industrial sector, it has experienced a general slowdown in 2025.

While the adoption of collective self-consumption is still low (less than 1% of installations in Spain are collective), recent regulatory measures and increased awareness are expected to boost its growth.

Key Benefits for Residential Communities

Shared self-consumption installations offer multiple advantages for residents and the community as a whole:

Financial Savings
The main benefit is saving on the electricity bill. Installation and maintenance costs are divided among all participants, making the initial investment much more accessible than an individual installation. The energy generated is consumed directly, reducing reliance on the grid and, therefore, electricity expenses.
Greater Efficiency
Collective installations usually have a larger available surface area (e.g., on rooftops), allowing for the installation of more panels and the generation of a greater quantity of energy. This translates into a faster return on investment.
Energy for Common Areas
The energy generated can be used to supply the building's common services, such as stair lighting, the elevator, or the garage pump, further reducing the community's fees.
Energy Independence and Sustainability
By generating their own energy, the community reduces its carbon footprint and becomes less vulnerable to fluctuations in market electricity prices.
Property Revaluation
Homes in buildings with shared photovoltaic installations increase in value by offering long-term energy savings and a contribution to sustainability.

Regulatory Framework and Aid

The current legal framework is evolving to facilitate collective self-consumption. Real Decreto-ley 7/2025 is an important step in this direction, as it introduces measures to simplify administrative procedures and speed up processes.

Administrative Simplification:
Procedures for legalizing shared installations have been streamlined, and the radius of action for sharing energy between homes has been expanded, which benefits energy communities.
Subsidies and Aid
European Next Generation EU funds and other national and regional aid remain in effect. These subsidies can cover up to 45% of the investment cost, with aid ranging from €300 to €600 per kWp for residential installations, with additional incentives for collective projects (up to €710/kWp) and for the incorporation of storage systems (batteries).
Tax Benefits
Many municipalities offer bonuses on the Property Tax (IBI) and the Tax on Constructions, Installations, and Works (ICIO). Additionally, there are personal income tax (IRPF) deductions for individuals participating in these projects.

Note on Legislation: Please remember that the Real Decreto-ley 7/2025 is currently repealed as it was not ratified by Congress. Therefore, the applicable law has reverted to previous regulations, such as the Real Decreto-ley 23/2020, until the government approves a new decree or bill to reincorporate or adapt the necessary measures for reinforcing the electrical system.

Main Challenges and Barriers

Despite the benefits, the deployment of shared self-consumption in the residential sector faces significant challenges:

Issues with Distributors
One of the biggest obstacles remains the slow processing of files by some utility companies. Delays in activation and a lack of efficient communication channels are a recurring industry complaint.
Complexity in Agreements
Achieving consensus within a residential community for a joint investment can be complicated. Agreement is often required on energy sharing, investment, and maintenance.
Coordination and Management
The process of managing the generated energy and its distribution among neighbors requires the figure of an "self-consumption manager," a legislative novelty that seeks to simplify this task but still requires greater practical implementation.
Unequal Profitability
Savings are not uniform for all neighbors. Those who spend more time at home and consume energy during daylight hours are the ones who benefit most from the installation. However, compensation for surpluses helps those who are out, as unconsumed energy is fed into the grid and compensated on their bill.

In conclusion, collective self-consumption in Spain has enormous potential to democratize solar energy and accelerate the energy transition in cities. Regulatory improvements and economic aid are creating a more favorable framework, but overcoming administrative and coordination challenges is essential to unlock its full potential.

Viability and Norms on Usable Roofs

Installing photovoltaic panels on usable roofs (or terraces/flat roofs) of residential buildings is an increasingly popular option in Spain, as it allows for the utilization of common space that is often underutilized. Technical viability depends on several factors:

Structural Integrity
It is essential that the roof can support the additional load of the panels and their support structures, with an approximate weight of around 20 kg/m², if the original use of the roof is to be preserved. A prior structural analysis must be carried out in accordance with the Technical Building Code (CTE).
Waterproofing
The roof must be in perfect condition to prevent water leaks, as once the panels are installed, repair is more complex and costly.
Absence of Asbestos
It is mandatory to ensure that there is no asbestos residue on the roof, a toxic material that is prohibited and must be removed by specialized companies.

From a legal perspective, the Horizontal Property Law establishes that the installation of collective self-consumption systems requires the approval of the community of neighbors. The agreement must be supported by at least one-third of the owners who, in turn, represent one-third of the participation quotas.

Specific Benefits and Challenges of Usable Roofs

In addition to the general benefits of collective self-consumption (savings, sustainability, and property revaluation), installations on usable roofs have their own advantages and challenges.

Space Utilization:
They use an area that would otherwise not have a productive function, freeing up space for other uses or maintaining street aesthetics.
Protection and Insulation
Solar panels act as an additional layer that protects the roof from the elements and temperature variations, contributing to the building's thermal insulation.
Access and Maintenance
Although most installations do not require major construction work, the maintenance and cleaning of the panels on an accessible roof can be more complex and may require special equipment to ensure safety.
Potential Shading
A shading study is crucial to prevent energy production from being affected by obstacles such as antennas, air conditioning units, or nearby buildings.
Coexistence with Other Uses
The community must agree on how the rooftop space will be allocated, whether it will be shared with other facilities or maintained as a leisure area, which may limit the number of panels that can be installed.

Experts in Photovoltaic Structures for Large Roofs

In a world moving toward sustainability, your solar energy project needs a solid foundation. At Atreydes Engineering, we are engineers specialized in the design and manufacture of structures for photovoltaic installations, both residential and industrial.

Our specialty is projects on buildings for collective use. We have perfected a structural system that maximizes roof space and safety, without compromising its integrity.

Innovative Solutions Without Drilling Your Roof

Unlike traditional systems, our structures are strategically mounted on walls and parapets. This allows us to ensure a robust and stable installation without the need to pierce the roof surface, completely eliminating the risk of leaks and guaranteeing the conventional use of the roof.

Precision Engineering to Comply with Regulations

Every project is unique and requires maximum precision. That is why our engineers design each structure rigorously complying with the Technical Building Code (CTE). This meticulous approach ensures that your installation complies with all state, regional, and local regulations, facilitating the obtaining of the municipal license.

Comprehensive Service, from Concept to Construction

We are your partners every step of the way. We offer a turnkey service that covers the entire process so you don’t have to worry about a thing:

  • Design: Creation of an optimized and secure structure for your project.
  • Manufacturing: Production of high-quality components in our facilities.
  • Assembly: Professional execution of the installation, guaranteeing maximum safety.
  • Construction Management: Management and supervision to ensure the success of the project.

At Atreydes Engineering, we are committed to excellence. Trust us to turn your vision of solar energy into an efficient and safe reality.

Why Is Our Solution the Safest and Most Efficient?

Residential communities often seek to maintain the use of their roofs, such as transit areas or communal clotheslines. This makes installations directly on the roof unviable, as the panels occupy space previously used for other purposes.

Our structures are designed to be fixed to consistent construction elements such as parapets and walls, avoiding anchors on the roof itself. In this way, we eliminate the risk of:

  • Water Leaks: By not perforating the surface, the continuity of the waterproofing membranes is maintained.
  • Wind Collapse: We avoid ballast systems on the paving, which can be insufficient and cause the structure to collapse due to wind uplift forces.

We do not recommend installations on clothesline structures, as they are not designed to withstand the loads of a photovoltaic installation.

No recomendamos instalaciones sobre estructuras de tendederos, ya que estas no están diseñadas para soportar las cargas de una instalación fotovoltaica.

Brick as a Resistant Element

We understand that brick walls, often used as anchors, are discontinuous elements. Therefore, at Atreydes Engineering, we use anchoring components from market-leading companies, increasing safety coefficients to guarantee maximum reliability.

The Cost of Safety

The structure for a clear, accessible roof has a price that ranges between €0.4 and €0.5 per peak watt installed. This is approximately half the total cost of the installation. While it is a significant investment, it is essential to guarantee the safety, regulatory compliance, and durability of your project.

The structure is not just another component; it is the foundation that determines whether an installation is possible or not, as “paper holds everything.” At Atreydes Ingeniería, our experience and precision ensure that the mechanical part of the system is the most solid, allowing your community to enjoy solar energy safely and without risks.

Contact us and discover why we are the experts your community needs for a smarter and safer energy future.

Our Added Value

Our high added value offers the best solution for our customers, combining different tehnical areas, computer applications and technologies to optimize their final products.
Computer Aided Engineering simulations determine structural performances of elements in joints and complex geometries
Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations allow us to stablish the interaction between wind and our structure, identifying the wind exposure coefficients more accurately, optimizing the ones which standards indicate and minimizing structure costs
3D Printing provides a way to visualize smaller-scale structures at a low cost by means of mock-ups, consequently, a better idea of structure dimensions is materialized in order to make decisions in complex geometries.