Repsol YPF

According to the Practical Guide to Energy published by the IDEA, Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, heating and hot water systems account for 67% of the energy consumed in Spanish homes. As a result, you should think long and hard so as to select the most appropriate system to heat your home without wasting energy. 

In a warm area, a heat pump may be sufficient, whilst in a cold area, it would be more appropriate to have a heating and hot water system with an independent boiler. In this case, we recommend that you take a look at the Repsol services with plans to suit the needs of different property types and communal blocks. 

Boilers (pdf) which use natural gas, propane or butane are perfect for small, medium or large properties located in cold areas. You should always choose high output boilers, for although they are more expensive they generate energy savings of 25% as compared to low output boilers. The size of your home will determine the number of radiators that you should install. Logically, the larger the property and the more rooms you have, the number of radiators will increase. 

Insulation, the key to saving energy   

If you are going to buy a new house, it is essential that you check the quality of the building materials and the level of insulation, because it is no good investing in efficient equipment and systems if you then have to use more energy due to inadequate insulation at the time of building. Domestic energy consumption increases significantly if the new home does not have an appropriate level of insulation in the roof, the walls separating adjoining properties and in the building enclosure (windows and glazing, door frames, roller blind boxes, chimneys and pipes).

In the event that your current home is deficient in this respect, you can make improvements by incorporating cork, glass fibre or polyurethane, materials with a large insulating capacity. They can help to achieve as much as a 30% reduction in energy consumption in your home. 

Use of renewable energy sources  

The new legal framework on building construction, which came into force in 2007, calls for improvements to insulation and lighting in new buildings and promotes the use of renewable energy sources (solar, thermal and photovoltaic) so that part of the energy consumed in the property comes from renewable sources. 

The use of renewable energy sources not only results in significant energy and financial savings, but is an interesting option in terms of sustainability and helps to reduce Spain’s dependence on external resources. Solar thermal energy is a perfect option for Spain, as it is one of the sunniest European countries, receiving high levels of solar radiation per unit of area throughout the year. This kind of system is always designed to work alongside another traditional system, such as gas or oil boilers for heating and hot water. The combination of the two systems is becoming widespread in Spain in new residential blocks, and in several years’ time we will have reliable figures on the energy saving made in these buildings. 

Currently, solar thermal energy has reached a high degree of maturity in Spain, both in terms of technology and sales. The energy saving percentage in producing hot water using these systems is between 50% and 80% compared to conventional systems, according to data produced by the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

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