Overview of the energy performance certificates in Spain. The perspective of the main actors of the real estate housing industry

Abstract

As in other countries, in Spain, the implementation of the EPC has been controversial and pointed as ineffective. This paper gathers the opinion of experts from the financial, real estate development, building, architecture, energy certification, valuation and brokerage industries as well as the public authorities in order to study the perceived confidence on the EPC scheme and its role in their decision making as a way to learn if the EPBD’s objective regarding the promotion of efficient housing, by means of energy information transparency, has been achieved. The experts’ consensus suggests that such policy has failed to attract the demand’s interest, and consequently that of the supply, producing a vicious cycle of inaction. Behind such issue, there are limitations regarding a clear communication, using the proper dimensions or the relevance of energy efficiency. For that reasons, the experts propose publicprivate actions regarding the communication, education, research, financing and taxability that might help to overcome the present limitations.