The perfect storm in which the energy and climate crises converge, which threaten the economy and the sustainability of the planet, requires actions to improve the efficiency of the real estate park, with more than half of its buildings built before 1980. According to data of the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy, eight out of ten homes in Spain are energy inefficient -with ratings E, F or G-. To improve its efficiency, for the benefit of sustainability and the economy of families, the Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate set as its objective the rehabilitation of 1,200,000 homes by 2030.
The 7,000 million euros from the Next Generation EU European funds allocated to the energy rehabilitation of the real estate park constitute an “opportunity”, the director of European Funds of Banco Sabadell, Carmen Urraca, agreed; the president of the National Council of Property Administrators, Pablo Abascal; the director of the Banco Sabadell Professional Groups Segment, Rosario Fernández, and the expert on building refurbishment issues and property manager Ricardo Pulido, in the Future Banco Sabadell Dialogues session with La Vanguardia on “Energy efficiency through rehabilitation of the real estate park”.
In addition to contributing to "compliance with the European decarbonisation objectives" and "generating employment", the energy rehabilitation of buildings with European funds offers "advantages" for owners, among which "the revaluation of housing", " energy saving” and “fiscal incentives”, underlined Carmen Urraca. In order for the owners to be convinced of these advantages, the president of the National Council of Property Administrators, which has more than 15,000 collegiate property administrators representing 12 million property owners in Spain, considers that it is necessary to "carry out campaigns raising awareness among the citizenship” of this opportunity. In Pablo Abascal's opinion, his sector feels "abandoned by the administration" in the task of "educating the owner, convincing him and managing aid."
As a member of this same group, Ricardo Pulido also notes that "a lot of pedagogy has to be done", because "sadly, in Spain, what is not compulsory is not done". "The advantages are many, but it is difficult to explain them and persuade the owners that now, with European funds, is the right time" with inflation and conjunctural energy" to undertake the necessary energy rehabilitation of the real estate park. "It would be necessary to help the owners anticipating the cost of program 5 of Royal Decree 853/2021," he adds.
The director of the Professional Groups Segment of Banco Sabadell, a financial institution that has more than half of the property managers in Spain as clients, also carries out this work of "raising awareness of the need to have a more efficient and sustainable real estate park" . In addition, adds Rosario Fernández, "being a benchmark in this segment allows Banco Sabadell to offer tailor-made solutions", among which the Initial Project Loan of up to 35,000 euros stands out to finance the book of the building, the cost of the project and the licenses of work, in addition to the "Rehabilitation Loan" intended to finance the investment project and which allows, both to anticipate European aid, and to cover the part that said aid does not reach and that reaches a maximum of 80% if energy savings are achieved greater than 65%.
To accompany the property owners in this process and "mitigate the risks in the execution of the actions" that are necessary to make it more energy efficient with the help of European funds, Carmen Urraca points out the importance of the figure of the "rehabilitation agent , which has the function of studying the feasibility of the rehabilitation project, monitoring it, requesting aid and financing and, as a last step, presenting the pertinent justification to the Administration”. The Director of European Funds at Banco Sabadell reminds the group of property administrators that her entity, which organizes training sessions and specific information on this subject, that Banco Sabadell will accompany them "in this challenge, since it is a challenge for the country ”.
