European funds will stimulate the climate control and cooling sectors

European Recovery Plan funds should serve as a backing for the climate control and cooling sectors. "There's no doubting that they can contribute to accelerating energy rehabilitation of buildings and industries and stimulate these sectors, while also promoting job creation", says Pilar Budí, Director General of AFEC (Asociación de Fabricantes de Equipos de Climatización [Association of climate control system manufacturers]).

According to Ms Budí, an expert in this sector, in addition to boosting the market, they will also contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability. "Currently, renovating heating systems in buildings focuses on replacing traditional heating and hot water systems that use fossil fuels with heat pump technology, which is more efficient and environmentally friendly, in line with decarbonisation policies".

This technology, when combined with air ventilation, distribution and treatment, as well as relevant regulation and control systems, "Will contribute to making buildings and industries that are much healthier, more comfortable and safer", and will ensure that they have "Acceptable interior air quality, which is always of utmost importance, but now more than ever given the current state of things as a result of the pandemic".

Ms Budí went on to add that "A key aspect of proper management of these European funds will be the adequate allocation of approved assistance". She also reenforced the importance of "Striking the right balance to ensure that requiring clear justification for the use of these funds and the bureaucratic process is not too burdensome".

Stimulating change

Sonia Pomar Pérez, General Secretary of FEGECA (Asociación de Fabricantes de Generadores y Emisores de Calor [Association of heat generator and transmitter manufacturers]), notes that "European Recovery funds are the tool that will facilitate reactivation of economic activity". We went on to add that "The heating sector, with its large value chain, can contribute to this economic recovery while also meeting the European Union's long-term climate goals for reducing CO₂ from buildings".

The European Green Deal, the Renovation Wave or Spain's long-term strategy for energy renovations in the building sector (ERESEE, Estrategia a largo plazo para la rehabilitación energética en el sector de la edificación), are just some of the mechanisms set into motion in Europe and in Spain to address energy rehabilitation in buildings and industries and achieve a complete and effective ecological transition. "It is essential to focus the impetus on introducing measures to encourage individuals to replace antiquated and inefficient home heating equipment and take advantage of the benefits provided by modern solutions".

In this context, "European funds are necessary to incentivise replacement of existing equipment with more efficient ones via programmes which urgently and aggressively promote their replacement and offer an effective solution for a lack of funding and the need for these new devices". At the same time, "It's quite important that the large variety of systems that exists in Spain be taken into account to ensure that these assistance programmes focus on solutions that are both economically and technically viable".

Ms Pomar estimates that, in Spain "There are up to nine million boiler systems, of which six million are old and outdated, which more than justifies taking action to replace these devices on a national level".

Project submitted

Several associations within the sector related to technical systems in buildings and other businesses have come together to submit a project to rehabilitate building systems and request that public administrations take concrete steps towards the energy transition needed in current building parks using Next Generation funds to create jobs, reduce pollution and stimulate the relevant sectors. Large business groups are currently participating in and promoting the Project, such as the small-to-medium business sector.

European funds, known as Next Generation EU, include more than 750 billion euro to reactivate the economies within the EU and will begin arriving in Spain this year. This funding represents an enormous opportunity to base recovery on both ecological and digital transformation, promoting energy efficiency, renovation of outdated equipment, electric mobility and renewable energy.