Spain. The Energy Performance Certificate collects the most relevant information on the energy situation of each property and plays a strategic role in improving the quality of energy information and assessing its performance, key elements to evaluate decision-making that affects the building.
This Royal Decree regulates the methodology and technical definitions for the calculation of the energy rating, as well as the documentation required to process the energy certification of buildings. In addition, it sets the minimum content of the Energy Performance Certificate and the conditions for obtaining the energy performance label of buildings.
The standard, which adapts energy certification to European regulations through the partial transposition of Directive 2018/844, updates the obligations of developers and building owners in terms of the technical characteristics that properties must meet in terms of energy certification, both in relation to building projects and completed works.
Housing rehabilitation
The Royal Decree promotes the activation of measures to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, in line with the objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 (PNIEC), which sets as a goal by 2030 the rehabilitation of 1,200,000 homes reducing energy dependence and emissions from buildings.
At the same time, this regulatory change will be key to the promotion and implementation of measures to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, through the actions in terms of housing rehabilitation, urban regeneration and modernization of the Public Administration contemplated in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
In the same way, improvements are incorporated in aspects of digitalization and access to information related to building energy, dynamizing and allowing to promote the actions of energy rehabilitation of buildings.
Extension of mandatory certification
The approval of this Royal Decree expands the stock of buildings required to have an energy efficiency certification. In this way, those constructions with a total useful area of more than 500 m2 and intended for administrative, sanitary, commercial, public residential, educational, cultural, recreational, logistics, hospitality or sports must have their Energy Efficiency Certificate.
The same applies to buildings occupied by a public administration with a total useful area of more than 250 m2, regardless of the frequency and influx of public in it. It is a measure that exceeds the minimum requirements at community level, in line with the commitment of the Public Administration with the energy efficiency of buildings.
In turn, those properties that must pass the Technical Inspection of the Building (ITE) and energy rehabilitations in the coming years will also be required to have this energy efficiency certification.
Source: C&R.