The patchwork plains of Castilla-La Mancha, in central Spain, were once known for their windmills.<\/strong><\/p>\n But now it is wind turbines, their modern-day equivalent, which are much more visible on the region\u2019s skyline.<\/p>\n The 28 vast turbines of the Sierra del Romeral windfarm, perched on hills not far from the historic city of Toledo, look out over this landscape.<\/p>\n Operated by Spanish firm Iberdrola, they are part of a trend that has accelerated Spain\u2019s renewable energy output over the past half-decade, making the country a major presence in the industry.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s total wind generation capacity, its prime renewable source in recent years, has doubled since 2008. Solar energy capacity, meanwhile, has increased by a factor of eight over the same period.<\/p>\n This makes Spain the EU member state with the second-largest<\/a> renewable energy infrastructure, after Sweden in first place.<\/p>\n