Something I just recieved and I thought might be of interest i have included this item in this thread for max viewing

updated 10:32 a.m. ET Nov. 13, 2006

MADRID - Solar panels are now compulsory on all new and renovated buildings in Spain as part of the country’s efforts to bring its building rules up to date and curb growing demand for energy, ministers said on Monday.

Until now Spain’s building standards have dated from the 1970s and have done little in seeking to improve energy efficiency.

“We have to make up the time we have lost,” Environment Minister Cristina Narbona said, inaugurating a seminar on the new technical building code.
The code will come into force fully next March but the energy saving element was implemented on Sept. 29.

This means new homes have to be equipped with solar panels to provide between 30 and 70 percent of their hot water, depending on where the building is located and on its expected water usage.

New non-residential buildings, such as shopping centers and hospitals, now have to have photovoltaic panels to generate a proportion of their electricity.

Solar power has not yet taken off in Spain, largely because subsidies have been directed at wind energy, and it provided a negligible amount of the country’s electricity in 2005.

Other measures in the new building code enforce the use of better insulation, improve the maintenance of heating and cooling systems and increase the use of natural light.

“The new standards will bring energy savings of 30 to 40 percent for each building and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy consumption of 40 to 55 percent,” the Environment and Housing Ministries said in a joint statement.

The Housing Ministry is trying to rein in the amount of new building, although it is Spain’s local and regional governments that are responsible for planning permission.

“In the last decade we have built the equivalent of a quarter of all the urban area that existed until then,” Housing Minister Maria Antonio Trujillo told the seminar.

The building standards code should limit the damage of continued new construction and is the most significant legal change for the sector in the last 30 years, she said.

The construction lobby Asprima estimates that the new requirements will increase building costs by between 8 and 12 percent.

Trujillo said that was “absolutely untrue” and that the extra cost was 1 percent, which would be offset by the energy savings achieved.

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Interesting stuff !!

Does this only apply to developments at concept stage, or will it be enforced on those developments which have already started the build ? I doubt it's the latter because of the contractual issues it would create.

I would appreciate any other info if it's out there.

Regards

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Hi,  as far as Im aware this came into force for all new builds early 2007, I know where Im purchasing just north of murcia all of the regulations have been implemented all ready last year and the houses are being constructed to the new specifications, it caused a bit of a hold up at the time but its obviously good news, especially for those of us that were not charged any extra for it.  We all know what the majority of old builds were like. !!  regards  Biddy

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Hi, have just checked the new specifications that my builder gave me back last year for a property that i am having built on a new development north of Murcia, the project started a couple of couple of years ago but because the houses only started construction during last year they had to comply with the NEW BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNICAL CODE 314/2006 ACT, which includes The hot sanitary water supply has to be supported by individual solar energy units, and the houses have to have a high specification thermal insulation.  I was given the impression that all new projects that started from 2007 were suppose to have these new specifications, but I would expect that if the houses were started before that date there maybe a loop hole for the builder to get out of having to comply with the new standards. I have friends on the coast that want to build their own house and they have to meet the new regulations.  Biddy

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We have bought on Florida Golf, everything is great, having a bit of trouble with the electricity though, always cutting out, if we have any heating on, then we start to cook, or have the telly on, it goes, total darkness, god help us if we have a few things on and then want a brew, its a no no, we were better off when we were on builders supply, now that we are paying for it, it is rubbish, has anyone got any ideas what we can do

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Elaine

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