Manuel J. Ruiz (FEGECA): “DHW production should be supported by renewable sources.”
Domestic hot water (DHW) is a crucial requirement for all households and workplaces. It must be provided with utmost energy efficiency to ensure savings and reduce pollutant emissions. Manuel J. Ruiz Gil, a member of the FEGECA Technical Commission, suggests that this service should be supported by renewable energies and optimised energy resource exploitation in each building.
Nowadays, domestic hot water (DHW) is a necessity in our homes, workplaces, and educational institutions. According to Manuel J. Ruiz Gil, a member of the Technical Commission of FEGECA (Manufacturers of Heat Generators and Emitters), “while the coverage of DHW production service is 100%, there are still buildings in our country that lack a fixed installation for heating or cooling. It is crucial that the DHW service operates with maximum comfort guarantees.”
He highlights that “users expect maximum comfort while also considering the importance of energy efficiency in our environment. This leads to savings and a reduction of polluting emissions. To achieve this, renewable energies must be used and energy resources in each building must be optimised.”
Renewable Energy Sources
The Technical Building Code (CTE) with the latest amendments approved in the Council of Ministers on 20/12/2019, corresponding to the Royal Decree 732/2019 and published in the BOE on 27/12/2019, establishes the requirements for a 'nearly' zero-energy building.
Ruiz Gil notes that the latest modifications to the CTE no longer require the use of solar thermal energy to obtain DHW, depending on solar radiation zones and percentages of coverage from solar thermal collectors. “The options for obtaining domestic hot water (DHW) from renewable sources in buildings are increasing. It will no longer be mandatory to rely solely on solar thermal energy, as it will also be feasible to obtain DHW from aerothermal or geothermal heat pumps.” The Basic Energy Saving Document HE4 mentions “the minimum contribution of renewable energy to cover the demand for domestic hot water and, for the first time, considers the use of waste energy.”