Energy Qualification in Buildings. The Effect of Changes in Construction Methods in the Spanish A4 Climate Zone

Spain has one of the highest energy consumption rates per GDP in the European Union, and the construction industry is one of its main energy demands. The new Technical Building Code, partially transposed from the European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings, has changed construction methods in an attempt at improving energy efficiency in buildings. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of changes in construction methods in Almeria (Spanish Climate Zone A4) in three different periods (1988-1994, 1995-2006 and 2007 to date). One of the main results was that it was observed that changes in the construction methods decreased primary energy consumption and overall CO2 emissions by about 50%, which is in agreement with the current European energy policy, which intends to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020.