BARCELONA, Spain, July 21 -- In June, for a second consecutive month, photovoltaic solar power was the leading source of electricity in Spain's energy mix, and the tendency will be for it to grow even more in the future, an energy expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Spain has access to a great deal of solar power due to the very high levels of solar radiation," Cristian Fabrega, coordinator of the master in renewable energies and energy sustainability at the University of Barcelona, said, adding, "Here we still have a lot of potential in terms of this energy."

Data from the operator of the Spanish electricity system Red Electrica showed that photovoltaic solar energy sources produced 4,791 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in June, representing 22.2 percent of the total mix, ahead of wind and nuclear energy sources, which produced 4,414 GWh (20.5 percent) and 4,349 GWh (20 percent), respectively.

The expert explained that the growth in the adoption of photovoltaic solar energy has risen, on the one hand, "thanks to the impetus from European aid for the installation of this kind of technology" but also because the technology is now more affordable "due to the boost from China as the main producer of solar panels."

"It's no longer an energy that is simply a matter of image but is an economically viable alternative," Fabrega said.

However, the expert pointed out that while the production of solar power and other renewable energies is growing in Spain, one of the biggest issues that needs to be addressed is managing the electrical power they produce.

"We need ways to store this renewable energy because otherwise it will be impossible to match the supply to the demand and this is fundamental because if not the electrical grid would not be sustainable," Fabrega said.

  - Xinhua