Climate change is undoubtedly one of the main threats to sustainable development, representing one of the greatest environmental challenges with effects on the economy, health and social welfare of our generation and generations to come, making it necessary to tackle the issues raised by this enormous challenge urgently and effectively. In this context, initiatives have been launched to promote energy savings and improve energy efficiency. Additionally, given the scale of the challenge both globally and in Europe, the full potential of energy generation from renewable energy sources (RES) is being sought when replacing conventional sources of generation from more highly polluting fossil fuels. As a result of RES support policies, RES can be deemed to play a leading role in the current energy scenario. It is not a purely circumstantial phenomenon, but governments and societies as a whole, at least in the European context, have shown a clear commitment to RES for the future.

Such a determined commitment to this type of energy should be understood in terms of the significant and growing advantages associated with this type of electricity generation in three key areas: the environment, security of energy supply and economic development (ie, the so-called energy trilemma). From an environmental point of view, RES, unlike electricity generation from fossil fuels, does not emit greenhouse gases (GHG). From the perspective of energy supply, its marked local character reduces external dependence for economies that are committed to promoting it.