Recent housing energy efficiency certificate uses a rating scale, ranging from "A" (the buildings more efficient) to "G" (less efficient). A house with the best rating possible tend to benefit the environment and the economy of their tenants or user. This article offers several tips for consumers to improve their homes to obtain the best possible energy rating.
More than 60% of the Spanish buildings have been built assuming a low standard of energy efficiency up to 2007. If this data is focused from a positive point of view, there is much room for improvement in the Spanish buildings park.
By choosing well the type of measures to save energy can achieve a high rating without elevated investment.
More competitive in the sale or rent market.
For this reason, the new certificate in energy efficiency for homes is a great opportunity. A building with the best possible certificate improves the quality of life of its occupants, saves them money and with the constant increase in energy bills, becomes more competitive in the market for sale or rent to others with worse rating and will also reduces its environmental impact.
A well done certificate must include a list with one sufficient number of energy saving measures, recommended by the technical certification. The regulation points out that the owner can, at will, make other energy efficiency certificate when the proposed modifications have been made.
Measures to save energy in a home are divided into two groups, according to the Institute for the diversification and saving of energy (IDAE):
• Passive measures. They are within the building, increasing the thermal insulation of façades, replaced old windows with double glazing windows, install sunscreens in south facing walls, etc.
• Active measures. They serve to improve the efficiency of the heating, cooling, or lighting systems, as the change of the boiler by a condensation one, substitution of better radiators, the use of a heat pump in refrigeration appliances, the use of energy saving light bulbs or the implementation of control systems and management of lighting and air conditioning.
The idea is to implement the cheapest measures that achieve top ratings.
The ideal would be to follow all key measures for best results. However, you can assume a substantial investment that is not within the reach of everyone; at least not in one go. Therefore it can be prioritized so as to get the best possible rating with a minimum budget.
For example, to replace a boiler of oil or gas by one of biomass may cause, in a cold climate zones (North of Spain) with a very high heating demand, to achieve the energy class "A", without any further action. If your windows are changed in the same house and thermal insulate the façades and its roof without touching the boiler, it is possible not reach the same rating as strange as it might appear.
The IDAE put up a practical case. A building in Madrid, of 24 flats in six floors (600 m2 per floor), with a level of thermal insulation on facades based on the building regulations of 1979, including simple glass windows and a gasoil boiler, would receive an "F" rating. If the facade are improved according to the building regulation for new dwellings which came into forced from 2007, and windows are dotted with double glassing and thermal break frames, would get an "E". The investment to improve thermally the facades can range between 6,000€ to 10,000€ per dwelling. If you replace the heating system, with an investment of about 3,000€, could reduce a 30% this consumption, against the 34% if we improve only the facade. If the building passed from having 75 kgCO2/m2 letter "F" to 65 kgCO2/m2 emissions, will reach the letter "E".
Yet again another new regulation.
The CTE is the new Spanish building regulation which came into force in the year 2007 which revolutionized the building industry as I have written about repeatedly in may earlier articles. Among its objectives, intends that the new buildings are more energy efficient. The Ministry of public works has updated it recently, coming into force from the 13th of March 2014 to any new construction licenses.
Any buildings that apply correctly the CTE regulation of 13th of March will achieve an energy rating of about "B". Previous CTE regulation would obtain a "D" or "E". It is logical that in 2020, the again new proposed CTE will force housing to achieve the highest rating "A".
The new CTE, like the previous one, specifies a minimum standard, although, property developers or builders can be more demanding and achieve the highest rating, and thus achieve a factor of competitiveness compared to other promotions or offers.
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Catherina Mcqueeney (Tuesday, 31 January 2017 15:41)
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with valuable info to work on. You have done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.