Renewable Energy

CONTEXT

Energy has become an essential resource within modern society. Energy consumption, above all from fossil and nuclear fuels, leads to high levels of resource consumption and contamination, which have become one of the main environmental problems of the 21st century.

Climate change is causing an increase in temperatures, increasing the frequency of phenomena like heat waves and the heat island effect. One of its consequences is an increase in the energy consumed to cool buildings. It will be essential to propose alternatives based on energy efficient technologies and increase the production of renewable energy in each building.

Public administrations, given their close relationship with citizens, have great responsibility in leading municipal actions that involve raising public awareness of energy saving, more energy efficient technologies and the use of renewable energies.

Facilities must be preach by example, focusing on three essential points: rationalising their energy consumption; generating renewable or clean energy; and raising public awareness about efficiency and the production of renewable energy.

OBJECTIVE

Reduce atmospheric contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable energy consumption and increase energy saving.
Foster an increase in the consumption of clean energy (renewable sources) and reduce the consumption of fossil fuel and nuclear energy while maintaining the same levels of comfort and productivity.
Improve the energy management of facilities.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Install renewable energy generation systems.
Implement the 50/50 energy saving methodology in facilities, reverting 50% of the energy saving directly to the users of the building
Avoid unnecessary energy spending through the inclusion of design criteria (passive air-conditioning) that contribute to improving the thermal comfort of facilities. Specifically and wherever possible:
- Locate corridors, warehouses and other areas that are temporarily occupied on the northern face of the building, given that it is the most difficult to air-condition.
- Orient frequently used rooms to the south-east.
- Install double door (antechamber) systems in the main accesses to avoid energy losses.
- Execution of Trombe walls: a passive solar heating system that requires hardly any maintenance and strengthens the solar energy received by an exterior wall and converts it into a passive heating and air circulation system.
Design cross ventilation systems and ventilation chimneys with the aim of facilitating natural ventilation.
Monitor the facilities and implement an action plan if anomalous consumption is detected.
Optimisation of energy bills, choosing and reviewing the most suitable type of rate and ensuring that the power rating is optimised.
Establish a protocol for the opening and closing of the building, above all in build-ings in which there is no concierge or energy manager and the opening and closure of the building are the responsibility of its various users.
Contact an energy services company to facilitate the energy consumption and billing reduction process.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

Information only available in Catalan

Ajuntament de Barcelona, “Plan de Mejora Energetica de Barcelona 2011-2020 (PMEB)”.
Ajuntament de Barcelona. “Plan de Energía, Cambio climático y Calidad ambiental (PECQ)”.
Gobierno de Navarra. “Casos de éxito de instalaciones térmicas de biomasa en Navarra”.
Notícia a ESEficiencia. “Sabadell triplica las instalaciones de autoconsumo en equipamientos municipales”.

LEGISLATION

Decret 21/2006, de 14 de febrer, pel qual es regula l'adopció de criteris mediambientals i d'ecoeficiència en els edificis.
Ordre FOM / 588/2017, de 15 de juny, per la qual es modifiquen el Document Bàsic DB-HE "Estalvi d'energia" i el Document bàsic DB-HS "Salubritat", del CTE, aprovat pel Reial Decret 314/2006 , de 17 de març.
Reial Decret 897/2017, de 6 d'octubre, pel qual es regula la figura del consumidor vulnerable, el bo social i altres mesures de protecció per als consumidors domèstics d'energia elèctrica.
Reial decret llei 15/2018, de 5 d'octubre, de mesures urgents per a la transició energètica i la protecció dels consumidors.