Solar leads Spain's grid in May as renewables hit 60.5% share

Spain's electricity system recorded 19,783 GWh of gross demand in May 2026, per Red Eléctrica. Adjusted for working-day patterns and temperatures, the year-on-year change was effectively flat at +0.1%, suggesting underlying consumption growth remains subdued despite a headline 1.2% rise.

Solar PV was the single largest generation source for the second month running, delivering 6,254 GWh and a 28.5% system share. Total renewable output reached 13,259 GWh, 60.5% of the mix and 3.2% above May 2025 levels. Self-consumption added a further estimated 1,368 GWh outside the metered grid figures.

Over the first five months of 2026, cumulative demand stood at 104,801 GWh, up 1.4% on the same period of 2025 (1.0% on an adjusted basis). The sustained renewable share above 60% in May reinforces the structural shift already visible in Q1 data, with solar now consistently displacing gas and nuclear from the top of the merit order during daylight hours.