ENERGY CERTIFICATE
On April 5th 2013 the Spanish Government adopted the State Plan for Promotion of Rental Housing and Urban Refurbishing, Regeneration and Renovation (2013-2016). Furthermore, on 13 April 2013 Royal Decree 235/2013 was published in the Official Gazette of Spain (BOE) adopting the basic procedure for certification of energy efficiency in buildings.
The Royal Decree establishes 1 June 2013 as the date after which all housing sold or rented and all public buildings with an area of more than 500 m2 must be provided with an energy efficiency certificate.
Definitions:
The energy efficiency index is the result of calculating the power consumption required to meet the energy demand of the building under normal operating and occupation conditions. It classifies buildings according to a scale of seven letters in which G corresponds to the least efficient building and A to the most efficient according to power consumption and CO2 emissions compared to a base building of similar type and location.
Energy efficiency certification is the process by which an energy efficiency score is awarded to a building in the form of a certificate and an energy efficiency marking.
The energy efficiency certificate is a document verifying conformity with the energy efficiency score obtained and enables issue of the energy efficiency marking of the building.
Purpose:
The energy efficiency certificate provides information useful to the end user on the energy-related behaviour of the building or dwelling that said user intends to buy or rent. It also serves to provide options to the user on how to enhance the energy efficiency by means of recommendations included in the energy efficiency certificates issued to existing buildings.
Buildings for which energy efficiency certification is mandatory:
- New buildings.
- Buildings or parts of buildings sold or rented to a new tenant. Part of a building is understood as a unit, floor, dwelling or apartment in a building or premise devoted to independent use or different legal title designed or modified for independent use.
- Existing buildings or parts of buildings occupied by a public body with a total useful area of 250 m2, habitually used by the public.
Responsibilities:
- Developer or owner:
- To order energy efficiency certification from an authorized certifying body.
- To submit the certificate to the competent registry (this may be delegated to the certifying body).
- To include the energy efficiency marking of the building in all offers, promotions and publicity aimed at sale or rental.
- The marking must be displayed in a clearly visible place in buildings used by the public.
- To transfer the certificate and marking to the new owner in the event of sale or a copy to the tenant in the case of rental.
- To provide the cooperation necessary to enable certification verification controls and inspections.
- To conserve the original documentation.
- To renew or update the energy efficiency certificate on expiry.
Certifying body:
- To perform the tests, checks and inspections required to confirm the authenticity of the information contained in the certificate.
- To recommend technically feasible and financially advantageous changes to enhance energy efficiency.
- To provide the cooperation necessary to enable certification verification controls and inspections.
Certification procedure:
- Energy efficiency score: Visit by the certifying body and performance of the procedures laid down in the General Registry of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism.
- Validation of the energy efficiency certification: Submission of the certificate to the Department of Industry of the Balearic Islands Government and registration. The file is opened and the validation procedure begins.
- Award of the certificate and the marking: Once the certificate is validated the marking will be awarded. Award of the energy efficiency certificate grants the right to use the marking, which will be provided by the competent public authority to the certifying body and to the developer or owner.
- Visibility of the marking: The energy efficiency marking shall be included in all offers, promotions and publicity aimed at sale or rental of the building or part thereof. The certificate shall be transferred to the new owner in the event of sale or a copy to the tenant in the case of rental along with the rest of the documentation.
Where the energy efficiency marking is mandatory (sale, rental, new buildings and renovations), privately-owned buildings and parts of those habitually used by the public with a useful area of more than 500 m2 shall display said marking in a clearly visible place.
Display the energy efficiency marking in a clearly visible place shall be mandatory for all buildings or units of buildings with a total useful area of more than 250 m2 occupied by public authorities and habitually used by the public.
In other cases display of the marking shall be voluntary.
Content of the energy efficiency certificate:
The certificate shall contain:
- Identification of the building: Identification of the material: Name of the building, address, property registry reference, etc.
- Details of the certifying body and developer/owner.
- Use of the building and occupation and operating conditions.
- Indication of the approved procedures used to obtain the energy efficiency score.
- Indication of the applicable regulation.
- Description of the energy-related features of the building: envelope and installations.
- Energy efficiency score obtained.
In the case of existing buildings the certificate shall also contain:
Description of the tests, checks and inspections carried out by the certifying body. Recommendations for improving the score.
Expiry date of the energy efficiency certificate:
The period of validity shall be ten (10) years. The certificate must be renewed on expiry. In addition, the certificate may be renewed voluntarily in the event of changes to the energy-related features of the building. Therefore the efficiency score and the certificate can be modified during the period of validity.
