The value of solar energy is not defined only by how much electricity is produced, but also by when it is produced. In electricity markets where prices change hour by hour, generation timing matters almost as much as the total energy output. For commercial and industrial (C&I) self-consumption systems, aligning generation with demand is equally critical, as poor alignment can significantly reduce self-consumption rates. This idea is captured through what is known as the captured price. The captured price represents the average price a solar installation actually earns for its electricity, taking into account when that energy is generated. It is different from the average market price because it reflects reality: not all kilowatt-hours have the same value. The data used in this analysis is based on Spanish spot electricity market prices and photovoltaic generation profiles from 2025, as reported by Red Eléctrica de España (REE).
Seasonal and intraday price variations
Looking at the full year, a clear pattern emerges. Winter months show significantly higher captured prices for solar production. As the system moves into spring, this value drops sharply, reaching its lowest point around May. From summer onwards, prices gradually recover. In fact, the average solar electricity generated in January, February or December is worth almost ten times more than the electricity generated between March and September (according to real-spot prices in Spain, 2025).
This difference is not mainly about how much energy is produced, but about how supply and demand interact. When a large amount of solar generation happens at the same time, especially around midday, prices tend to fall because the system becomes saturated. When solar production is lower relative to demand, the same electricity becomes more valuable.
The same effect is even clearer within a single day. Electricity generated in early morning and late afternoon consistently achieves higher prices. In contrast, midday generation—when most solar plants are producing at their maximum—tends to have the lowest value. In practical terms, electricity produced between 8–11 and 16–19 hours in 2025 is worth around four times more than electricity produced between 12–15 hours (according to real-spot prices in Spain, 2025).
Vertical bifacial solar technologies
This leads to a simple but important conclusion: producing more energy is not enough. What really matters is producing it at the right time. For this reason, evaluating solar projects only by total annual output can be misleading. A more complete view must include when that energy is generated and when it is needed the most.
That is the main reason why vertical bifacial solar energy has become increasingly relevant in recent years: rather than concentrating generation into a sharp midday peak, it splits production into two peaks—one in the morning and another in the afternoon—better aligning generation with demand.
The technology developed by FutureVoltaics, VectHor, combines vertical bifacial solar panels with proprietary reflector technology and is built around the following principle: delivering more energy, at lower cost, and at the right time. VectHor does not only increases energy generation per kWp installed by more than 42% per year, as experimentally validated in Madrid, but also shifts production toward the hours and seasons when electricity is typically more valuable: early morning, late afternoon, and winter months.
This is what we mean by a smarter way of producing solar energy: More Power, When It Matters.
