DRIVERS OF CONSTRUCTION AND REFURBISHMENT OF BUILDINGS THAT MEET THE PASSIVE HOUSE (PH) STANDARD IN SPAIN

Abstract

Considering their potential to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast set the objective that by December 2020 all new buildings shall be nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB). This study gives an overview of those buildings that follow the Passive House (PH) certification standard in Spain, focusing on the analysis of some fundamental driving forces (population, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), climatic zones, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and building construction/refurbishment specialists) that may explain the regional distribution of these type of buildings. Main conclusions illustrate that the “climate zone effect” may have a relevant effect on their geographical location. In contrast, the evolution of the real estate market is not related with their location, and that despite the GDP and the population having a certain effect, the number of PH Constructors is found to be a fundamental variable in explaining the number of buildings in Spanish regions. Therefore, a policy destined to raise awareness and to improve the technical training of these specialists and to extend this standard (or similar ones) to new and refurbished multifamily houses in big cities, may be fundamental to increase the number of NZEBs in this country. Keywords: nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB); Passive House (PH); Energy Certification; Spanish Building Code ; Energy performance; Climate Change.