The initiatives of the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) and the European Union, through their Directive on Energy Efficiency, establish that 2020 will be a great year for the improvement of energy efficiency in Spanish households.

2020 is the deadline for complying with the Package of Measures on Climate and Energy that the leaders of the European Union agreed upon in 2007 and that establishes principle goals of a 20% reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG), a 20% increase of renewable energies within the EU and a 20% improvement of energy efficiency.

In order to fulfill the objective of improving energy efficiency, a series of measures will be put into place this year that will affect both new housing and renovation construction. Among them are:

The Spanish urban agenda is a strategic document created by the Ministry of Development which pursues sustainability in urban development policies. These policies are converted into action to avoid urban dispersion, revitalize the existing city, foresee and reduce the effects of climate change and favor proximity and sustainable mobility.

The State Housing Plan 2018 – 2021 centers around aids to improve energy efficiency and the sustainability of housing in Spain. These aids are mainly directed at single-family homes and buildings.

The national banks and principal electric companies have also created offers to finance the installation of energy efficient systems. They offer financing up to 6.000 Euros that will be deducted from the electricity bill within a period of between six months and seven years.

Although a more distant milestone, the Objective 2050 of the European Union proposes the reduction of the levels of contamination and invites people to meet the goal of “neutral climate control” through the improvement of energy efficiency of homes and the investment in technological solutions for housing.

The European regulation also demands the decrease in CO2 emissions of buildings, as well as the use of materials obtained in a sustainable manner for new construction in addition to preexisting.

A timeless fact that does not follow any regulation but is indispensable to take into account when talking about energy efficiency in Spain, is that it is one of the countries with more sunny days in the EU and therefore is an especially attractive place for the installation of solar panels.