Spanish Regulations Research Articles

A New Way to Obtain Climate Files in Areas with the Presence of Microclimates by Applying the Sandia Method: A Galician Case Study

In order to obtain reliable energy simulation results, it is essential to have accurate climate files corresponding to specific geographical locations. The present work describes a selection process of the Typical Meteorological Months (TMM) that will generate the Typical Meteorological Years (TMY) in eight locations of the Community of Galicia for an analysis period between 2008 and 2017 (10 years). The region of Galicia, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, due to its particular orography, is prone to the generation of differentiated microclimates in relatively close locations. The process of selecting the typical meteorological months has been carried out following the Sandia Laboratories method. In the present work, data from terrestrial meteorological stations have been combined with solar radiation data obtained from satellite images. Finally, for the validation and comparative study of results, files have been generated in Energy Plus Weather (epw) format. Trends have been checked and typical statistics have been used to analyse the correlations between the files generated with the Sandia method, and the usual reference files (LT, WY, BY). It is observed that with the eight files generated, new differentiated climates are detected, which will affect the improvement of the precision of the energy simulations of buildings that are going to be carried out. For example, in the case of the Campus Lugo and Pedro Murias stations, located in the same climatic zone according to Spanish regulations, differences are observed in the annual averages: DTm (13.7%), WV (41%) or GHI (9%).

Sustainability reporting as a tool for fostering sustainable growth in the agri-food sector: the case of Spain

The impact of business activity is of increasing concern to European Union citizens. In response, Directive 2014/95/EU becomes the first supranational regulation that requires companies to report business impacts on social and environmental sustainability using sustainability reports (SR). This study aims to analyse the quantity of sustainability information disclosed by Spanish agri-food companies with respect to the requirements established in Directive 2014/95/EU. In order to achieve this, a content analysis is applied to 30 SR following Global Reporting Initiative – GRI – Standards and published after the transposition of the Directive into Spanish regulation. Our findings show a generally low level of reporting, and most of the analysed SR fails to reliably document the information at indicator level. Indeed, the level of disclosure slightly increases for less material information, such as that related to social local communities and employees. Consequently, Spanish agri-food companies should start to make more of an effort to ensure that the information disclosed is complete and of high quality.

Compositing of Coffee Silverskin with Carbon Rich Materials Leads to High Quality Soil Amendments

PurposeCoffee silverskin (CS) is the integument covering the raw coffee bean, representing the primary waste product of the coffee-roasting industry. Despite the growing attention in seeking potential reuse of this material, the majority of CS is commonly used as a firelighter or discharged to landfills. The study aimed to test co-composting as a low-cost solution that meets the circular economy paradigms proposed by the European Union.MethodsFour composting mixtures were prepared mixing CS with pruning waste and biochar at different ratios, aiming to maximize the amount of compostable CS per batch and monitored for 60 days.ResultsThe contents of macro-, micro- and trace elements of the final composts matched the strictest requirements of the Spanish national regulation on compost quality (Class A amendments), proving that CS composts area high-value amendment rich in N and K.Despite the highly phytotoxic effect of CS raw material, the seed germination tests showed that all the mature composts exhibited phytostimulant properties allowing their harmless application to the soil. The four composts had a high water holding capacity (237–351% dw) and they are likely to promote the persistence of plant-available water in the soil.ConclusionThe present study showed that composting the whole CS produced in Europe would lead to a recovery of 2420–3481 tons of nitrogen and 1873 tons of potassium, reducing the dependency on mineral fertilizers, thus meeting the growing demand for sustainable and low-cost amendments.Graphical

RADIOPROTECTION SURVEILLANCE OF THE TJ-II OPERATION BY TLD.

The TJ-II stellarator presently in operation at the National Laboratory of Fusion is subject to radiological surveillance in compliance with the Spanish Nuclear Regulation. During its pulsed operation hard X-rays are emitted by the runaway electrons, and soft X-rays are generated by bremsstrahlung of thermalized electrons. Inside the experimental hall, the plasma heating systems and some active diagnostics are additional sources of radiation. Outside the experimental hall, some auxiliary systems, such as high-voltage power supplies, must be checked for radiological influence. In order to verify the adequate radiological classification of the different working areas, 15 dosemeters are distributed in radiologically controlled areas close to the machine, as well as in areas of public use in the TJ-II building. The integrated dose equivalent is analyzed to help establish the range of radiological influence of the stellarator. The results of the period 2015-20 are presented and analyzed.

Analysis of domestic hot water in residential buildings in Spain

Energy analysis in residential buildings considers three main areas of consumption: heating, air conditioning and domestic hot water. Traditionally, the former, heating, has been the most significant area of consumption in Spain but, due to modern technological advances and both the national and European regulations in force, this is no longer the case. The objective of this research is to define some strong, verified consumption patterns which make it possible to compare systems with one another and evaluate their influence on the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, thereby, making progress toward improving generation systems. Real domestic hot water consumption measurements were collected over a one-year period for more than 500 Spanish properties in five different buildings located in both public and private residential developments. Moreover, a comparative study of the indicators set out in Spanish and other European regulations was carried out, evaluating their impact on energy performance certification. Finally, the suitability of the current indicators, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, was evaluated, concluding that the unit of measurement used in the Spanish regulations is not the most appropriate, and confirming that both seasonal impact and residential development type must be considered due to their influence on domestic hot water consumption.

Recalculating the staff required to run a modern assisted reproductive technology laboratory

What number of staff is sufficient to perform increasingly complicated processes in today's modern ART laboratories? The adequate number of personnel required for the efficient and safe operation of modern ART laboratories needs to be calculated. In today's modern ART laboratories, the amount of time required to perform increasingly complicated processes has more than doubled, with a downward trend in the amount of work an embryologist can do. Different workload unit values have been used to evaluate each workload task and efficiency in a particular ART laboratory, as well as to occasionally compare one laboratory with another. Seven senior embryologists working at different IVF centers, three public and four private centers, participated in this multicenter study conducted between 2019 and 2020. We prepared a survey to create a calculator for staff using the average (of three attempts) time spent in every laboratory by each embryologist of the center to perform any ART process. Different laboratory processes and activities related to quality control, time spent and conventional human double witnessing were included in the survey. To calculate the number of processes that each embryologist can perform per year, an embryologist was considered to be having a full-time contract and working 7 or 8 h/day. The times included in the calculation of each task were those corresponding to the 95th percentile. For the calculations, Microsoft® Office Excel® Professional Plus 2019 was used. The survey showed that the time needed per embryologist to perform the different processes necessary for a classic IVF cycle without time lapse (TL) was 8.11 h, and with TL, it was 10.27 h. The calculated time also considered the time spent in documentation handling, cycle preparation, database management and conventional human double witnessing verification. An ICSI without TL needed 8.55 h, and with TL, it needed 10.71 h. An ICSI-PGT without a TL cycle needed 11.75 h, and with TL, it needed 13.91 h. Furthermore, 1.81 h should be added for every vitrification support needed. The time needed to control more than 200 critical steps, including equipment control and culture parameters, was 30 min per day plus 3.9 min per device to control.The time spent in semen analysis (including documentation handling, cycle preparation and database management) or intrauterine insemination with a partner sperm was 2.7 h. For donor sperm, an additional hour was required for the management involved. The time required to perform a testicular biopsy and cryopreserve the sample was 4 h. Similarly, the time required to perform seminal cryopreservation was 3.7 h. The study was conducted considering a full-time contract embryologist working 7 or 8 h/day, 5 days a week, with days off according to the Spanish regulations. However, our findings can be adapted to foreign regulations using the developed online calculation platform. A new advanced staff calculator allows any IVF laboratory to estimate the minimum number of embryologists necessary without compromising the security or success of the results. Nevertheless, we recommend a minimum of two qualified embryologists in every laboratory, regardless of the workload. This work was funded by the Asociación para el Estudio de la Biología de la Reproducción (ASEBIR). None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare. N/A.

Effects of Gender Equality Regulations in the Presence ofWomen in Spanish Hybrid Entities

Talent is not, nor should it be, a gender issue. However, the underrepresentation of women in the governing bodies of organisations is a fact. Spanish regulations have legislated to promote equality between the sexes in the workplace, introducing the principle of balanced presence of women and men on the boards of directors of trading companies. This paper is not based on the hypothesis that the integration of the women generates improvements in the management or the performance of an entity. The objective is to analyse to which extent does the dissemination of information on gender reflects the evolution of the presence of women at different organizational levels of hybrid entities, as a result of regulations issued by the public authorities. Compared to studies focused on the public or private sectors, hybrid entities have a duality in their configuration: their mission is typical of a public entity, providing a public service, which is developed through a private business structure. The sample consists of twenty-four Spanish toll road concessionaires during the period 2007-2018, divided into two groups according to weather they started their activity in the 20th century or only developed it in the 21st century. The results show a heterogeneous situation within the sector and that the mere suggestion of quotas does not seem effective to meet the equality objectives set. Although the presence of women in the case of the most recent concessionaires has improved, because the sociocultural context in which they are born affects their behaviour in this field, there is a perceived lack of a clear strategy that would allow them to participate on equal terms in the different levels of the company. There is also a lack of career policies that considers gender as a variable to bear in mind. The disclosure of information in the financial statement serves to highlight the reality so that public managers can design suitable policies that include reinforcement measures.

First reliability assessment of the coheating test in a semi-desert climate. Identification of the performance gap regarding the Spanish regulation calculations

Coheating test is a widely known method for estimating the heat transfer coefficient of unoccupied buildings. However, it does not exist enough evidence of its application on a broad scope of climatic conditions. This article, presents the analysis of a coheating test carried out in a single-zone building placed in the Tabernas desert (South-East Spain). A test campaign of more than two months, between February and April 2021 was analysed. Coheating test was able to provide consistent results, as all the HTC estimates laid within a 6% from the mean. The effect of solar radiation, ground losses and wind speed was also studied.Along with the coheating test, a theoretical estimate of the HTC was calculated. It was based on the method proposed by the Spanish regulation framework for buildings (CTE). Air infiltration measurements were also used to improve the theoretical estimate. Finally, the theoretical and the experimental values were compared. A performance gap between 23% and 40% was found.

Project Design and Management of Optimized Self-Protection Plans: A Case Study for Spanish Public Buildings

Self-protection plans are the fundamental tool established to prevent and control the risks that threaten people and assets. In turn, they are essential to provide an adequate response to possible emergency situations that may occur in public or private buildings, facilities, or events. In this context, current and future challenges advocate increasing the usefulness, versatility, and adaptability of self-protection plans. For this purpose, this paper aims to develop a conceptual model for the project management of self-protection plans with a lifecycle approach. The research provides results concerning guidelines, aspects, and potential regulations, technologies, tools, methodologies, and maintenance frameworks to be followed for any building in different project phases. The methodology followed has consisted of a process in stages, with literature review and a conceptual development to obtain an adaptable model to any public building. The adaptability of the framework relies on the definition of potential methods, information systems, and technologies that can support any phase during the Self-Protection Plan life cycle. Moreover, it was applied in a specific environment, such as in public buildings under the Spanish regulation using the most common tools and applications available. Results proved that although it is possible to make a base model applicable to any publicly owned building, there is an extensive and precise subsequent work of adaptation to specific cases in which the applicable legal framework makes this task challenging. Finally, the results obtained have allowed us to reflect on future research needs.

Optimizing a MINLP problem for the grid-connected PV renewable energy consumption under Spanish regulations

This paper concerns the problem of electricity consumption of a grid-connected photovoltaic renewable energy system under the net billing mechanism of the new Spanish regulation. The goal is determining the optimal photovoltaic solar kit grid-connected sizing with battery storage that minimizes the average energy cost throughout a finite planning horizon fulfilling the energy requirements in each period. To this end, a MINLP problem is formulated and solved to optimality by means of a linearithmic time algorithm based on the description of the extreme solutions of the problem and the binary search of the optimal sizing of the solar kit. It is proved that, under stationary weather and environment conditions, the battery storage is not necessary. This latter finding is aligned with previous results in the literature. Additionally, a computational experiment to analyze the profitability of the solar kit investment is performed. From the computational results, it can be drawn that, when the input data ranges within the intervals offered by the main Spanish retail companies and PV kits suppliers, the solar kit is only worth investing in when the number of periods in the planning horizon is on average above 1000 billing cycles. This experimental finding corroborates that the use of grid-connected PV energy systems is suitable for long-term investments, as claimed in foregoing research.

Design of affordable sustainable energy supply systems for residential buildings: A case study

The residential sector plays an important role to mitigate climate change due to its high energy consumption. Polygeneration systems are a suitable alternative enabling efficient use of natural resources with low environmental impact. However, their deployment depends, among other factors, on the economic cost and the legal restrictions. This work analyses the potential reduction of greenhouse gases emissions, expressed in CO 2 -equivalent emissions CO 2 eq , in residential buildings installing polygeneration systems and considering the current Spanish self-consumption regulation. This is achieved through a multiobjective optimization, applying a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model, considering economic, environmental and legal aspects. Obtained results provide interesting replicable lessons, and show the interest of collective installations, in which remarkable CO 2 eq emissions reductions, above 65% with respect to conventional systems, can be achieved at an affordable cost. Technologies such as photovoltaic, reversible heat pumps, biomass and thermal energy storage are competitive when properly integrated. Furthermore, the sale of renewable electricity to the grid under a net-billing scheme, with suitable electricity sale prices, is an appropriate approach, aligned with the European climate and energy policy. Nevertheless, the current Spanish self-consumption regulation is mostly appropriate for small-medium size residential buildings.

The Useful Life of Reinforced Concrete Structures with Reinforcement Corrosion Due to Carbonation in Non-Aggressive and Normal Exposures in the Spanish Mediterranean.

Some reinforced concrete structures must be repaired at an early stage in their life due to the oxidation processes suffered by their reinforcements; such processes involve serious pathologies that affect the stability and safety of buildings. Spanish legislation distinguishes several classes of environments, with non-aggressive and normal exposure providing a longer useful life of the structure. The present study shows that some structural elements in reinforced concrete, mainly the pillars in the area of contact with the ground, are exposed to significant corrosion by carbonation. This position of the structural elements dramatically and abruptly shortens the useful life of the models provided for the current regulations. A total of 17 pillars in 10 buildings of different ages and locations in the Spanish Mediterranean area, not subject to the presence of chlorides, have been analyzed. These buildings are situated in environments considered by the standard as normal and non-aggressive. The actual carbonation that these elements present have been compared with that which can be derived from the model established by Spanish regulations. Of these pillars, 14 present a carbonation higher than that derived from the model, and the last three pillars largely conform to the figures of the model. This significant deviation shows the need for a revision of the Spanish EHE 08 regulation, which should include aspects such as the action of dampness by capillarity and the differences in electrochemical potential between the different materials.

Development of light rigid polyurethane foams containing thermoregulating microcapsules

During the past years the incorporation of PCMs in building materials has been extensively studied.The combination of isolation and thermal storage properties that rigid polyurethane foams containing PCMs exhibit allows to reduce  the losses during the warming and cooling at the same time that they store energy, making these composites an ideal element for the increase of the energy efficiency of buildings. In order to combine both properties in an optimal way, in this work the development of rigid polyurethane foams (RPU) containing up to 30 wt% of thermorregulatory microcapsules at 700, 800 mbar and atmospheric pressure has been studied. The used thermorregulatory microcapsules have been obtained in a spray-drying pilot plant at the Instituto de Tecnología Química y Medioambiental (UCLM). Obatined foams have been physically (density), thermally (thermal energy storage capacity and thermal conductivity) and mechanically (modulus of elasticity in compression) characterized. As a result of this research, a RPU foam synthesized at 800 mbar, containing 30 wt% of microcapsules, with a latent heat of 21.3 J/g and a thermal energy storage capacity of 1.43 kWh/m3 has been obtained. In addition, this foam keep the isolation property of the polyurethane. The final composite presents a proper resistance to compression with a density that fulfills the Spanish regulation for the RPU foams application in buildings.

Charakter prawny umowy deweloperskiej w prawie hiszpańskim

The present work is supposed to describe the legal nature of contract for the sale of property in Spain. The article refers mainly to the contracts for the sale of new apartments which are still under construction, or have only just been planned without any building works having been started yet, so – called ‘developing contracts’ in Polish. Contracts for the sale of real properties are of utmost importance in the economy of the country in many different regards. First, because of the legal complexities involved in this process, very often connected with signing the mortgage agreement at the same time. Second, from the economic point of view, since in most cases it is the most important financial decision in the life of the purchaser of the apartment. Third, just looking at this process from the human side, because apartment is the place where the buyer and his family spend most of their time. Taking all that into consideration, the Spanish law maker decided to regulate this matter in a very thorough way. There are many legal acts involved in regulating this process, like Spanish civil code, Act 1/2007 on protection of consumers, Act 515/1989 on the information duties in the contract for the sale of real property, Act 38/1999 on construction, and Act 57/1968 on advance payments. All of them create legal complexities of the contract for the sale of real properties, which as has been emphasized in the article is, as a rule, a contract for the sale of future thing in Spanish law. Generally, Spanish regulation concerning this type of contracts should be evaluated in a very positive way, since the consumer stands there in the first position and is protected against the abuses and malpractices coming from the developer not only by a number of regulations created by the lawmaker, but also by a rich body of rulings passed by judges in this area of law.

Improving the detection and reporting of suspicious financial transactions: the Spanish case

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the obligation of regulated entities to detect unusual and suspicious transactions and to report them to external control bodies, as established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, the European Community Directive and also the Spanish regulations for the Prevention of Money Laundering. This research paper also aims to create a model to identify and report suspicious transactions to improve financial institutions’ current procedures.Design/methodology/approachAccording to the Spanish regulations which comply with the FATF recommendations and the European Community Directive on the Prevention of Money Laundering, regulated entities must detect unusual and suspicious transactions. Within this framework, the present research work analyzes both criteria and procedures used by the regulated entities to report suspicious operations. It also assesses the efficiency of the reports sent to an external control body. For this purpose, both analytical and interpretative methods are used in this research paper.FindingsIn Spain, the current procedures followed by regulated entities to analyze unusual transactions are complex. This results in difficulties to report suspicious transactions involving money laundering. As a consequence, the cases of suspicious transactions reported to the external control body are often unclear and the related process is inefficient.Originality/valueThe creation of a harmonized model with the aim of detecting suspicious operations and analyzing them will improve the detection and the effectiveness of the suspicious operations procedure which are reported to the external control body. However, such unified model should take into account the currently used activities proposed by each financial institution.

Critical Review of the ATAD Implementation: Implementation of the EU ATAD in Spain: Outstanding Issues of a Partial Transposion

The purpose of this work is to critically analyse the transposition of the Anti-tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) (1 and 2) into the Spanish tax system. To do so, a distinction is made between the rules that are transposed (exit taxation, controlled foreign companies (CFCs) and hybrid mismatches) and those that are not (limitation on interest deductions and general anti-abuse clause). This analysis will highlight the main differences between the directive and Spanish law and examine whether such discrepancies may be the source of problems of application and even uncertainties about the alignment of Spanish regulations to the directive itself or to EU primary law. Tax avoidance, corporate taxation, general anti-abuse clause, limitation on interest deductions, exit taxation, controlled foreign companies, hybrid mismatches, fundamental freedoms, proportionality, legal certainty.

A Parametric Analysis for Short-Term Residential Electrification with Electric Water Tanks. The Case of Spain

Buildings are great contributors to global GHG emissions, because they are responsible for direct and indirect emissions. In light of increased renewable energy share in the electricity mix, it is crucial to boost residential electrification for building decarbonization. Consequently, building regulation ought to send the proper signals to the market to encourage electrification and avoid establishing new fossil fuel-based infrastructure, which may lock in future interventions and seriously compromise climate change mitigation. This paper studies short-term residential electrification with electric water tanks in Spain using a parametric analysis considering several water heater configurations with various sizes and management strategies, using different draw-off profiles, actual time-dependent electricity prices, and CO2 factors. The results demonstrate significant GHG savings when substituting fossil fuel boilers for any water heater configuration. However, current electricity prices are such that technology change is only cost effective for low hot water demands (1–2 people) and the provided fossil fuel supply is completely removed from dwellings. The exploitation of implicit demand response increases cost-effectiveness. The analysis of Spanish regulation shows that some elements of current policies on energy efficiency in buildings hamper residential electrification, consequently policy changes are proposed.

Regulating Biobanks: An ethical analysis of the Spanish law and the new challenges of the big data-driven biomedical research

In the European landscape, Spain represents a positive reference point when it comes to biobank regulation. Indeed, at the beginning of XXI century, the Spanish legislation has promptly responded to challenges posed by new biotechnologies and advances in genomics in the field of biomedical research by enacting in 2007 the Ley de Investigación Biomédica in order to keep up with the paradigm shift. Over the past 10 years, this Spanish framework along with the Real Decreto 1716/2011 has hold the merit to tackle the most controversial ethical issues related to use of human samples and personal data in biomedical research and biobanking (e.g. broad consent, secondary uses, governance, etc.). However, today the regulation of biomedical research and biobanks has to deal with big data, artificial intelligence and data-intensive research which have brought a number of challenges and controversies. The aim of this paper is two-fold. First, I will analyse from an ethical point of view the merits of Spanish regulation on biobanking in order to draw some lessons for the still unregulated situation in other Member States. Secondly, I will discuss the big data paradigm shift in biomedical research and question if the ethical and legal framework introduced the Spanish law at the beginning of the century is still able to hold the ground with the new contextual and societal challenges. In this respect, I will identify some opportunities for implementation and suggest strategies to achieve them in the specific context of biobanks.

Evaluating Inclusive Transparency in Spanish Local Government

This article defines and analyzes a new concept: inclusive transparency. Specifically, it conducts a comparative study of transparency portals in twenty-five Spanish local councils, all of which occupy prime positions in Transparency International’s Index of Municipalities. The evaluation aims to establish their degree of compliance with Spanish and European regulations, ensuring website accessibility for people with disabilities. To this end, an evaluation model (composed of 4 criteria, 11 variables and 45 indicators) has been generated, taking inspiration from electronic accessibility guidelines, which have been applied using automatic techniques and transparency portal revision manuals. The results of the research allow verification of a positive correlation between the levels of active and inclusive transparency. In other words, whether in terms of active advertising benchmark municipalities design and manage their portals in ways which also guarantee, alongside all other citizens, the right of access for people with limited capacities (hearing, visual, mobile and cognitive) thereby enahancing the exercise of their political citizenship and their social integration.

Regulating language: Territoriality and personality in plurinational Spain

This article examines the regulation of linguistic diversity in Spain from a combined empirical and normative perspective. Spain is a particularly interesting case due to the intersection of linguistic and national diversity and its peculiar combination of territoriality and personality. We first present a conceptual framework which draws on the personality and territoriality distinction as established by political philosophers. Second, we examine the way multilingualism is regulated in Spain. A dual system emerges in which Castilian is the only state language while four other languages – Aranese, Basque, Catalan and Galician – are co-official in six Autonomous Communities. We identify two models concerning the degree of institutionalisation of non-Castilian languages: co-officiality and limited recognition. Finally, we characterise and assess normatively the advantages and disadvantages of the Spanish linguistic regulation. We argue that the Spanish linguistic system may be characterised as an Unequal Personality Linguistic Regime. This regime offers several instrumental advantages related to the prevalence of a shared language as well as a significant degree of territorial accommodation for minority language groups, but it also gives rise to injustices related to unequal treatment and domination. This article contributes to the academic debate about the politics of language by analysing a paradigmatic case of multilingualism and plurinationalism, Spain, and considering the usefulness of the territoriality and personality framework to study specific cases.