Restaurant Solar - Torremolinos
15kW three-phase commercial solar on a Torremolinos seafront restaurant — ballasted flat-roof mount avoiding membrane penetration, SMA Tripower inverter, commercial CAU for surplus export.
By Ben Hayden
Project Overview
The Challenge
The Torremolinos beachfront restaurant — 480 covers, full operation from midday to midnight — had a total electricity spend of €42,000 per year, driven by commercial kitchen refrigeration, air conditioning, and high kitchen equipment loads. The challenge for solar was timing: commercial kitchens consume electricity mostly during lunch and dinner service (12:00-16:00 and 19:00-23:00), but solar generation peaks between 10:00-16:00 and drops off through the evening. Additionally, the restaurant's flat coastal roof was subject to Torremolinos council's visual impact requirements for rooftop installations within the seafront zone, restricting visible panel height to no more than 400mm above the finished roof level.
The Solution
20kW solar installation for beachfront restaurant. Reduces daytime electricity costs during peak business hours.
Technical Specifications
- 50 x 400W JA Solar JAM60S20 panels
- SMA Sunny Tripower 20000TL inverter
- Three-phase commercial connection
- Remote monitoring system
- Anti-corrosion coastal treatment
Our Installation Process
Commercial Load Profile Analysis & Solar Sizing
We audited 12 months of the restaurant's half-hourly metering data to establish when electricity was being consumed. Lunch service (12:00-16:00) averaged 28kW demand — well within solar coverage window. Pre-service prep (08:00-12:00) averaged 12kW. Evening service (19:00-23:00) averaged 35kW — entirely outside solar generation hours. A 20kW solar system was sized to maximise offset during the 08:00-17:00 window without producing significant unabsorbed excess.
Low-Profile Coastal Installation
All 50 panels were mounted in portrait orientation on ballasted aluminium frames at 12° tilt — maintaining the 400mm maximum height above the roof membrane required by Torremolinos council. At 12° tilt, panels are less visible from street level than the typical 20-25°. Brackets, frames, and all fixings were specified in marine-grade anodised aluminium and stainless steel 316 to resist the salt-laden coastal atmosphere. All junction boxes carry IP68 rating.
Three-Phase Commercial Connection & SMA Monitoring
The SMA Sunny Tripower 20000TL three-phase string inverter was specified for compatibility with the restaurant's 40kW three-phase commercial supply. The SMA Sunny Portal monitoring system gives the restaurant manager a real-time dashboard showing solar production versus consumption, enabling kitchen management to shift energy-intensive processes (dishwashers, ice makers) to peak solar hours. The system is projected to generate 29,200 kWh per year in Torremolinos.
CAU Registration, Boletín Eléctrico & Restaurant Handover
Commercial solar installations above 10kW require a proyecto técnico — a full engineering document signed by a registered industrial engineer — rather than the simplified Boletín Eléctrico used for residential systems. Our registered industrial engineer (Ingeniero Industrial Colegiado) prepared the technical project covering the 20kW three-phase system: single-line diagram, short-circuit calculations, protection coordination, and structural attachment calculations for the ballasted array on the flat commercial roof. The document was submitted to the Delegación de Industria Provincial de Málaga alongside the Boletín Eléctrico for the modified supply and protection circuits. CAU registration with Endesa followed the commercial process (distinct from the residential online portal) and was completed 18 working days after submission — longer than residential due to the three-phase metering change. The restaurant manager received SMA Sunny Portal login credentials and a 6-month optimisation checklist: shifting high-consumption kitchen tasks to 09:00–15:00 solar hours was modelled to increase self-consumption from 65% to 78%.
Results
€6,800 savings/year
Backed by Research
Solar PV performance figures and financial incentives are backed by Spanish law and independent research. These are the facts underpinning every system we design:
1,800+ kWh/kWp annual solar yield in Málaga province
IDAE's solar radiation atlas confirms Málaga receives among the highest irradiance in Europe — enabling solar systems to generate 25–35% more energy per installed kilowatt than equivalent installations in northern Europe.
IDAE — Solar Atlas Spain ↗RD 244/2019 legalised and simplified solar self-consumption in Spain
Spain's Royal Decree of April 2019 abolished the 'sun tax', simplified CAU grid registration, and made surplus energy compensation available — transforming the economics of residential and commercial solar.
BOE — RD 244/2019 ↗20–40% IRPF income tax deduction for solar installation — expires 31 December 2026
Spanish tax law allows residents to deduct 20–40% of solar installation costs from their annual income tax return, capped at €3,000/year per property. This incentive is time-limited and currently expires at the end of 2026.
Agencia Tributaria (Spain Tax Authority) ↗Up to 50% IBI property tax reduction available in most Málaga municipalities
Municipalities across Málaga province offer a 50% reduction in annual IBI property tax for 3–5 years for properties with certified solar installations — a recurring annual saving that compounds over the life of the system.
Diputación de Málaga ↗Frequently Asked Questions
Related Services
LIT services in Torremolinos directly related to this work.
About the Author
Ben Hayden is an English speaking electrician and independent energy advisor based in Marbella, Spain, with over 15 years of electrical experience across Europe. He provides independent energy and electrical checks for overseas property owners and managers across the Costa del Sol — helping clients cut electricity bills, navigate Spanish regulations, and make confident decisions on solar PV, heat pump, EV charger and battery storage projects. Ben advises in plain English on projects where the paperwork is in Spanish and the stakes are high. His writing has appeared in ExpatArrivals, The Olive Press, Euro Weekly News, BuildingTalk and pv magazine.
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Quote ConfiguratorProject Details
- Location
- Torremolinos, Málaga
- Completed
- June 2025
- Service
- Solar
- Author
- Ben Hayden
