Knowing your home's energy efficiency is essential to understanding how much energy it consumes and how much you could save on your bills. This information not only affects the comfort and value of your property but is also required for real estate transactions such as sales or rentals. In this article, we explain how to obtain a property’s Energy Performance Certificate.
How do I find out my home's energy rating?
Thanks to the collaboration between the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), since 2022, you can find out the energy rating of any home in Spain through the following geoportal (only available in Spanish).
To determine your home's energy rating, you'll need to arrange an on-site assessment by a qualified technician. Doing it yourself is complex and not legally valid. You can easily obtain your property's energy rating via this link, hassle-free.
How is energy efficiency calculated?
Energy efficiency is calculated by measuring annual energy consumption under normal conditions of use and occupancy, taking into account systems such as heating, domestic hot water, ventilation and lighting.
This data allows for the calculation of final energy consumption values. The resulting indicators will be assigned a letter on the energy efficiency scale. Furthermore, two indicators are used to measure a building's energy efficiency:
- Annual CO2 emissions: They reveal the building's environmental impact.
- Annual consumption of non-renewable primary energy: Indicates the amount of energy from non-renewable sources used by the home.
What factors influence the energy performance certificate?
There are several factors taken into account when evaluating a home's energy efficiency:
- Climate zone: The geographical location, climate zone and altitude of the property significantly affect the energy performance certificate, as efficiency depends on the surrounding climatic conditions. Depending on the building's systems, more electricity will generally be needed for heating in colder areas, etc.
- House size and layout: Two homes with similar features, installations and insulation can receive different ratings depending on their size and layout. For example, a living room in a four-story house where each floor is enclosed by some type of door or structure will be easier to heat than one where all four levels are open.
- Insulation and building envelope: This includes all the elements that separate the habitable interior from the exterior, such as walls, openings and thermal bridges, and is crucial for the energy performance certificate. For solid walls, the thickness and composition of the materials are considered. For openings (windows and doors), the materials of the frames, the type of glazing and the blinds/shutters are evaluated.