Marta San Román (AFEC): The energy transition must translate into health, comfort and security

CEO of the Spanish Association of Air Conditioning Equipment Manufacturers (AFEC), Marta San Román, relies on some particular strands of philosophy to explain the evolution and development of the air conditioning sector in Spain. 

Empiricism and economic realism

CEO of the Spanish Association of Air Conditioning Equipment Manufacturers (AFEC), Marta San Román, assures us it's not magic, but smart air conditioning. "If we talk about health, comfort, savings, decarbonisation, sustainability or business competitiveness, we are really talking about what AFEC manufacturers' thermal and air conditioning systems provide: heating, cooling, ventilation, indoor air quality (IAQ) and regulation and control systems for homes, public buildings, health centres, shops, factories or public transport".

"2025," she says, "has been a year of realism and learning, of consolidation and adjustment, in which our sector has demonstrated a solid capacity to adapt to a demanding, changing and uncertain environment".

Meanwhile, "demand has remained active in areas such as energy refurbishment, improved equipment efficiency, advanced mechanical ventilation and industrial applications, with a clear focus on more digital and sustainable solutions, capable of delivering measurable value in terms of consumption, emissions and reliability. And "we have made progress based on technical and economic evidence, adapting to a demanding regulatory framework and an increasingly informed and professionalised market.”

Technological and fiscal agnosticism

San Román points out that "we often talk about technological agnosticism, but we should also talk about fiscal agnosticism. That is one of the great challenges ahead: to move towards true tax neutrality.”

The current geopolitical context affects everyone and reinforces the need for energy independence and resilience. "We have renewable resources such as the sun and wind, and we must use them to truly decarbonise heating and cooling processes by electrifying thermal demand, while avoiding harmful emissions from combustion as much as possible".

That's why we must jointly take on very specific challenges: "using surplus energy from cooling processes; recovering heat from mechanical ventilation, which ensures indoor air quality, essential for health, rest and productivity; optimising efficiency and savings through regulation and control systems; hybridising all renewable and efficient technologies; and planning and designing projects holistically, not as isolated equipment, systems or buildings".

Pragmatism and ethics of responsibility

Important challenges remain in terms of specialised technical training, updating digital skills, regulatory knowledge and the professionalisation of installation and maintenance, as well as cultural issues. "This is essential to ensuring the quality, safety and correct performance of the most advanced technologies".

She notes that "our sector needs to reinforce practical and responsibility-oriented training, focused on attracting and training professionals capable of designing, installing, operating and maintaining complex and efficient systems". It is not just a matter of incorporating new technologies, but of "knowing how to integrate them and use them well, guaranteeing quality, safety and results". Today, professionalisation is "a direct question of productivity and sectoral credibility".

Regulatory rationalism

According to San Román, developments in standardisation, the European refrigerant regulation, energy efficiency in buildings, the digital passport and environmental product declaration, eco-design, indoor air quality, digitalisation and cyber security, among others, are particularly important. "We will also keep a close eye on the future implementation of the border carbon adjustment mechanism and the European electrification plan".

It is essential to move towards "a coherent, predictable regulatory framework based on sound technical and economic criteria, avoiding overlaps, contradictions or misaligned implementation schedules".

Rational regulation "does not impose single paths, but sets clear and measurable objectives and leaves room for industry to achieve them in the most efficient way, while allowing it to plan medium and long-term investments with certainty". 

Technological humanism

Finally, San Román explains that "the HVAC sector is a strategic player in the energy transition, not only for its contribution to resilience and energy independence, but also for its direct impact on efficiency and emissions reduction".

But beyond technology, the future rests on the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. "The focus must remain on people, on the quality of the spaces in which we live and work, and on ensuring that the energy transition translates into health, comfort, safety and competitiveness for society as a whole".

Undoubtedly, "maintaining a medium and long-term vision will be key to realising our full potential".