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BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 29, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
Most of the demand for domestic hot water in
Spain must be met from solar thermal systems, under a new building
code approved by the national government.
The new Technical Buildings Code (Codigo Tecnico de la
Edificacion) is the most significant reform of the Spanish building
sector for decades, according to the European Solar Thermal Industry
Federation. It includes changes to sustainability and energy
efficiency of buildings, and includes an obligation to meet 30% to
70% of demand for domestic hot water from solar thermal systems.
The changes go “far beyond the minimal level of implementation” of
the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings adopted by the
European Commission, and makes Spain “one of the countries with the
most advanced solar legislation in the world,” ESTIF explains. The
requirement for solar thermal applies to all new buildings and
renovations, and applies to all buildings regardless of their use.
Some exceptions are defined under law, mainly for buildings that
heat water from other renewable energy technologies or by
cogeneration, or for buildings that are shaded. The variation of the
solar fraction will depend on a number of parameters, such as the
geographical location of the building, but municipal solar
obligations that have been approved in recent years by many
municipalities, including Barcelona and Madrid, will remain in force
as long as they are stronger than the national obligation included
in the code changes.
In addition, large buildings over 4,000 m2 of floorspace will also
be obliged to install solar PV systems for electrical generation.
“This is excellent news for the Spanish citizens and for all
Europe,” says ESTIF president Ole Pilgaard. “The new Spanish
building codes will help the European construction sector to adapt
sooner to the new reality of scarce energy sources.”
The changes will be published soon in the Spanish Official Journal
and, while most provisions will take effect one year after
publication, the measures on solar energy and energy efficiency are
expected to apply by October, ESTIF notes. The obligation refers to
authorization of new buildings, so it may take another year until
the impact is felt in the market for solar thermal.
“Spain shows a concrete way ahead for Europe, just a few weeks after
the European Parliament approved its resolution on renewable heating
and cooling and the EU Commissioner for Energy announced that the
Commission will table a directive proposal this year,” says ESTIF
policy director Raffaele Piria. “We hope that many countries will
look at the Spanish example and the European Commission will feel
encouraged to propose a strong directive to promote solar thermal as
well as other renewable heating and cooling technologies.”
ESTIF represents manufacturers, associations and service providers
in the solar thermal sector, and its mission is to achieve
acceptance for solar thermal as a key element for sustainable
heating and cooling in Europe.
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