We talk a lot about advantages of sustainable construction. As we said a long time ago, it seems that “it is fashionable now.” But is it true that it is a current fashion? The truth is that no, this trend is not that new. It has been a long time since the energy rating of buildings is a reality. And this reality has not come from nowhere, or from a specific fashion. Its reason for being has to do with the Basic Energy Saving Document. One of the fundamental components of Technical building Code. Today we explain what the appearance of the DB-HE in construction meant in its day.
Basic Energy Saving Document, DB-HE
Without a doubt, the Technical Code has been a before and after in construction in our country. This is the biggest twist ever given to construction. The way of understanding construction changed radically with the entry into force of this standard. Designing and constructing buildings from that moment on is different in our country. And we owe it, among other things, to the Basic Energy Savings Document (DB-HE) of the Technical Code.
Put ourselves in situation
To understand a little about the context of how DB-HE came into our lives, we must go back in time. In 1997, a large group of countries ratified the so-called Kyoto Protocol. From that moment on, different nations with more or less seriousness set out to try to fulfill their commitments. The European Union is perhaps one of the most coherent with the committed agreements. This is how things are launched into the 20/20/20 commitment. This commitment aims to control the emission of greenhouse gases in the European Union. There are many productive sectors indicated, including construction and building.
20/20/20 commitment is already the past
Summing up the 20/20/20 commitment had two objectives and a deadline. The deadline was the current year 2020. The two ambitious objectives from which it started were to reduce primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by twenty percent. And at the same time increase the use of renewable energy by twenty percent. To achieve this, among many other things, we opted for the energy efficiency of newly constructed buildings. Also for the adaptation of the existing ones with this objective.
The 20/20/20 commitment is already past, the 30/30/30 agenda exists on the table. Which is intended to be the next commitment of the European Union. We will see its journey in the coming months without a doubt. The explanation of 30/30/30 is simple, in the next decade we must reach 30% in the two objectives already addressed above.
DB-HE, greenhouse gases in buildings
When facing the 20/20/20 compromise it brought a series of EU Directives. Its purpose was to regulate greenhouse emissions, some of them related to buildings. As we all know, some of the EU directives are mandatory and others are not. Those relating to this topic are binding on all Member States. This means that States must modify their legislation to comply with them. Measures such as restricting demand and consumption of energy, others on rehabilitation, urban renewal or regeneration, were implemented in our legislation.
Laws such as Law 38/1999, of November 5, on Building Planning had to be updated. This with the approval of Royal Decree 314/2006, of March 17, by which the Technical Building Code was approved. Newly created laws such as Law 8/2013, of June 26, on urban rehabilitation, regeneration and renewal. All of them led to the modifications of the Basic Energy Savings Document (DB-HE) of the Technical Code.
The DB-HE changes
What things were modified with the DB-HE? Some of them have been immediate and mandatory changes in new construction. The thicknesses and qualities of thermal insulation. Increasing both the thickness and quality of the material used to comply with the standard. An all-out battle to eliminate the so-called thermal bridges as much as possible. Think better about the openings in buildings. With the aim of achieving low thermal transits. In short, the maximum reduction of energy losses. For this, the study of the thermal envelope is crucial. In two ways of working, the transmittance and the tightness of the whole.
