RES-H building obligations (Minimum Renewable Energy contribution to cover heating of water in buildings)

• RD 732/2019
• Building Code

The Building Code of 2006 was modified by RD 732/2019, to include certain basic energy-saving requirements in buildings (residential and non-residential sector).
For instance, it introduces a minimum contribution of RE to cover the demand for domestic hot water. In particular, buildings will meet their hot water demand and indoor pool heating needs largely by using energy from RE sources or form RE cogeneration processes, either generated in the building or through connection to a district heating system (article 15 of Building Code).
The minimum quota of renewable energy contribution is 70% of the total annual energy demand of the building for domestic hot water and pool heating, obtained from monthly values, including heat losses due to distribution, storage and recirculation. This minimum contribution may be reduced to 60% when the heating demand is less than 5000 l/d. (Annex I, RD 732/2019).

According to RD 732/2019, the obligation apply to:
• a) newly constructed buildings with a domestic hot water demand of more than 100 l/d;
• existing buildings with a domestic hot water demand greater than 100 l/d, where either the building itself or the thermal generation installation is completely refurbished or where there is a change in the characteristic use of the building;
• extensions or interventions, not covered in the previous point, in existing buildings with an initial domestic hot water demand of more than 5,000 l/day, involving an increase of more than 50% of the initial demand; and to
• temperature-conditioning of: new indoor swimming pools, existing indoor swimming pools in which the thermal generation installation is renewed or existing open-air swimming pools that become covered.

• MITMA