On 23 July 2015, the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía - IDAE) released a statement which reflects the outlines of the new aid programme for the energy rehabilitation of existing buildings.
The new programme (Programa PAREER-CRECE), managed by the IDAE, introduces significant changes from the previous 2013 programme which aimed exclusively at homes and hotels; now, it extends to the rehabilitation of all existing buildings of any use.
In the new PAREER-CRECE programme, the aid's objective is to encourage and promote actions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable thermal energy in existing buildings, and to create opportunities for growth and employment in compliance with the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27 / EU.
According to the IDAE, rehabilitation brings opportunities, jobs and markets. So far, renovation activity in Spain has been limited, almost exclusively motivated by the Technical Inspection of Municipality Buildings (Inspección Técnica de los Edificios de los Ayuntamientos). The main problem is financing and return on investments. In addition, in Spain, the construction of new buildings has decreased significantly: it is estimated that by 2050, new buildings built between 2013 and 2050 will represent at the most 10% of the existing building stock.
Therefore, rehabilitation is a priority and an opportunity for all: it reactivates a damaged sector, improves the living conditions of citizens and reduces the country's energy dependence. In this sense, it should not be considered as an expense, but as an investment that is self-financing and pays through the achieved savings and property revaluation.
For further information, please visit the relevant Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE) website.