The energy efficiency of the building stock is not one of the characteristics that Catalonia or the whole of Spain can boast of. However, things could start to change if we are able to take advantage of the current situation and take action. Experts in energy management and sustainability highlight that the conjunction of Next Generation aid for rehabilitation and the commitment to decarbonisation offer a unique opportunity.
Although the opportunity is evident, it is also true that the process is not without difficulties. Most of them have to do with the complexity of the administrative procedures that surround this type of process. On the other hand, access to the necessary financing to undertake the works is another element that worries many neighborhood communities.
Professional advice is essential to successfully undertake a process that involves an economic effort and the inconvenience of enduring the discomfort of living in a space under construction for several months. All in all, the benefits compensate both the environment and the pocket of the residents, who after the changes see their energy bill substantially reduced.
To analyze in more detail and learn more about the process that must be followed to rehabilitate a home and the impact that this action will have on the sustainability of cities, La Vanguardia, with the support of BBVA, organized a writing table at the that experts in various fundamental areas were represented to be able to develop this type of initiative. Ana Puig-Pey, director of the master's degree in Innovative Real Estate Management (COAC-APCEUPC); Yago Rosendo García, head of the Energy Efficiency department at Iberdrola, and Víctor Echevarría, head of the Energy and Sustainability Area at BBVA were the members of this space for debate and reflection.
The weight of buildings in the sustainability of cities was the first element of the conversation. Puig-Pey highlighted the importance of these constructions. The architect herself stated that "it is true that they consume a lot of energy, but we have other issues such as transportation and the behavior of citizens that are also determining factors." In any case, she valued the need to "intervene in buildings already built and also in new construction to achieve greater energy efficiency from which the city will benefit."
In this sense, García stated that the air conditioning of homes represents "30% of energy consumption in Europe". In the case of Spain, although the weather is much more favorable than in central and northern Europe, "80% of homes have a very low energy rating: E, F or G". For the Iberdrola representative, "until now this situation did not worry us much because we live in a hot country and energy was cheap." But with the increase in the bill "it has become more relevant." To this must be added "the commitment to reduce emissions", since in 2050 all buildings must be zero emissions.
"We know that buildings are an area that we must attack so that cities can reduce their energy consumption and be more sustainable," explained Echevarría. Compared to the rest of Europe, our situation in terms of energy efficiency is clearly worse. Head of the BBVA Energy and Sustainability Area attributed this situation to the fact that “we have an aging housing stock; we live more in vertical constructions than in single-family homes and our rehabilitation rate is clearly lower”.
Echevarría affirmed that "the present moment is the opportune one to undertake this type of action." And he highlighted three factors that coincide in time and are solid claims: “Technological improvements in rehabilitation; the European funds that assume a very important part of the costs and the skyrocketing price of energy”.
Although the improvement of energy efficiency is necessary both in new construction and in the existing housing stock, Puig-Pey highlighted that "attention and effort must be focused on buildings already built, since the technical conditions required by the regulations set the guidelines for new buildings”. For the architect, a wise measure would be for "aid to be maintained beyond 2026, since these efficiency policies must be considered in the long term."
These resources, which mostly come from Europe, must be used "in two things: isolating and reducing the use of non-renewable energy," said Yago Rosendo García. For this sustainability expert "it is not enough to do one of the two things, you have to do both". Among other interventions, the Iberdrola executive explained that "it is necessary to install heat pumps, aerothermal or geothermal, renewable technologies that are already highly developed, as well as solar panels."
García stated that "now we have aid that can reach 80% of the investment until 2026", but recalled that the commitment to zero emissions by 2050 will force the citizen to assume this investment with their own resources. Hence, in part, the importance of taking advantage of the current moment. On the economic level, the person in charge of Energy Efficiency at Iberdrola highlighted that this type of rehabilitation increases the value of the home which, depending on its location, can reach 20%, and referred to the French case in which "within two years, it will not be possible to sell a property that is qualified with an energy non-acceptable letter”.
For his part, Puig-Pey referred to the importance of the user when it comes to achieving an improvement in energy efficiency. Actions such as raising or lowering awnings and blinds, closing or opening windows and correctly using "existing equipment can generate significant savings", as demonstrated by an initiative developed by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya in office buildings, and that "without investing in works, it generated savings of up to 20% in energy consumption." Subsequently, these resources "were invested in rehabilitation."
Víctor Echevarría assured that “at BBVA we are convinced that financial institutions are key in this process”. In addition, he referred to the fact that "many residents go to the bank office at minute zero, just after deciding that they want to improve the energy efficiency of their building, and they want to know what steps they have to take." In this sense, he explained how the entity has been adapting to this reality and "we are training our commercial network so that they can advise clients on these issues."
However, a transcendental change for the viability of the building rehabilitation process occurred just over two years ago when BBVA created a mortgage loan for homeowners' associations,” Echevarría pointed out.
Another aspect that BBVA has also incorporated into its proposal is "the signing of agreements with specialized companies that make it possible to offer turnkey solutions." In this way, "we manage to accompany our clients from the outset, advising them, managing public aid, providing financing for the project and facilitating contact with a company that provides them with the technical solution they need". The purpose is "to make things easier for customers and thus fulfill the role of promoting energy efficiency in buildings." On the other hand, the financing “can reach 100% of the cost”.
Ana Puig-Pey, for her part, introduced into the debate a relevant element for many citizens, which is the impossibility in some cases of assuming a contribution to invest in the rehabilitation of the building in which she lives and called for "measures that can make these interventions”.
The three experts agreed that the challenge posed is colossal. Yago Rosendo García indicated that "the home renovation rate in France is 2.01% and in Germany it reaches 1.5%, while in Spain it is 0.08%, according to the CSCAE Observatory", which groups to the country's colleges of architects. The Iberdrola executive revealed that "what the plans ask of us is to reach some 350,000 rehabilitated homes per year in the next 10 years, which is the equivalent of multiplying by 35 what we do now." The Iberdrola manager stressed that it is essential to "change the way of working, look for highly specialized labor and introduce technological innovations." Among other objectives, it is essential to “shorten the execution times of the works”.
Ana Puig-Pey demanded that long-term measures be combined with "other short-term ones that meet the needs that the current situation is generating", basically those that derive from the increase in the energy bill that is putting people on the ropes companies and citizens.
For Víctor Echevarría, one of the levers that must be pulled in this process of energy transformation is “disclosure from the academic world, the media, the Public Administrations and financial entities of the great opportunity that we have now and that we must take advantage of; at the same time that the complexity of the process is also explained so that no one is deceived”. Along these lines, "at BBVA we are convinced that it is essential for the owner to feel accompanied throughout the process."
