Getting solar panels on your home in Catalonia: a guide for foreign residents

If you've moved to Barcelona or somewhere else in Catalonia, you've probably noticed two things: there's a lot of sun, and a lot of roofs still don't have a single panel on them. Maybe you've thought about adding your own, then stopped at the idea of Spanish (or Catalan) paperwork in a system you don't know yet.

The good news: there's less paperwork than it seems, and your installer handles most of it. Here's what the process looks like, who does what, and roughly how long it takes.

Do I need planning permission for solar panels?

Usually not a full building licence. In Catalonia, since Decree-law 16/2019, panels on the roof of a building are normally processed with a comunicació prèvia (comunicación previa in Spanish): a prior notification to your town hall, the ajuntament, rather than a licence you have to wait for.

There's one condition: the panels have to sit parallel to a pitched roof or, on a flat roof, no more than one metre high. Protected buildings, or buildings in an area with heritage protection, may still need a licence. That's something we check before any work starts.

Who does what once the panels are installed?

This is where newcomers often get lost, because in Spain the electricity system is split between several companies. Here's the short version:

• The installer issues the certificate for the electrical installation, known locally as the butlletí or boletín eléctrico, and registers your self-consumption system with the Generalitat, the Catalan government. It's then listed in the Registre d'Autoconsum de Catalunya, the regional self-consumption register.
• The distribuidora is the company that runs the local grid your home is connected to. It's usually not the company you pay your bill to. For homes on a low-voltage supply, the Generalitat sends your data to the distribuidora, which updates your access contract. You don't have to visit its offices. Home systems exporting up to 15 kW on urban land don't even need grid access and connection permits.
• Your comercializadora, the company that actually sends you the electricity bill, then activates surplus compensation: the energy you don't use goes to the grid and is discounted on your bill.

How long does the whole process take?

In our experience, from the day the system is switched on it takes around a month until surplus compensation is active. It depends on the administration, the distribuidora and your comercializadora, so it can vary.

In the meantime, your panels already work and power your home. The only thing we do is limit what the system sends to the grid until registration is complete, so you're not giving energy away before it can be discounted on your bill.

What will you need from me?

• Your electricity bills, ideally covering a whole year. Your annual consumption in kWh is the starting point for sizing the system, and August rarely looks like January. With your permission, we can also check your hour-by-hour consumption with the distribuidora.
• Your plans. If you're thinking about an electric car or a heat pump, tell us now, so the system is ready for that extra consumption.
• A word with your landlord, if you rent. The roof and the electrical installation belong to the property, so that conversation comes first.
• Your neighbours, if you live in a flat. The roof belongs to the whole building, so the comunitat de propietaris (comunidad de propietarios), the owners' association, has to agree. It's easier than it sounds, and it doesn't need a unanimous vote. You can see how we work with buildings here.

Are there tax rebates or grants?

Many town halls offer rebates on the IBI, the annual property tax, and the ICIO, a one-off tax on building works. Every town sets its own rules and deadlines, and you almost always have to apply. We check your town's bylaw and file the applications for you.

There are also income tax (IRPF) deductions for solar installations. We're not tax advisers, so please check with your own tax adviser how they apply to you. As for direct grants, as of September 2026 there are none open for solar panels or batteries in homes in Catalonia.

How does it work with Solar Smile?

We install solar panels and batteries within roughly 100 km of Barcelona, and we keep things simple:

• An indicative quote, so you know where you stand from the start.
• A free technical visit to check your roof, shading, electrical panel and consumption.
• A final quote, adjusted to what we find.
• Installation, followed by all the permits and legalisation paperwork, which we handle for you.

You don't need to know how the system works here. That's our job. Get in touch and tell us about your home, or have a look at our home page first.