The “Oficina de rehabilitación”and the “Agente rehabilitador” (retrofitting office and agent)
Next Generation. Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan
The agile management required in the procedures to request for the Next Generation EU fund gives rise to two figures that will play a relevant role from start to finish in the building sector: the “oficina de rehabilitación” and the “agente rehabilitador”.
A relevant part of this grant is assigned to the construction sector, mainly focused on the residential sector, specifically to homes built before 1980 with very low energy efficiency.
The goal is that by the year 2,030 we have a large part of our residential buildings renovated and adapted to greater energy efficiency. The priority is the design and construction of retrofitting buildings.
It is important to bear in mind that it is a grant so these actions will also imply the need for financing to meet the challenges set in the regulation about sustainability and improvement of energy efficiency.
What will be the role of the “oficina de rehabilitación” and the “agente rehabilitador”?
According to regulations, the regional communities will be the depositories of this money and will be in charge of launching the calls and their management. Within this management there are two relevant figures:
- Oficina de rehabilitación: In charge of managing this grant, informing users and collaborators of the options to choose (programmes, topics, call for proposals, etc.) and the status of the grant processing.
- Agente rehabilitador: It will be the role that helps homeowners, communities of owners on how to carry out these projects and be able to benefit from these grants. Its duty will be complete from the beginning to the end of the grant proceedings since he must:
- analyse the state of the existing buildings,
- propose an action plan to meet the energy efficiency requirements
- apply for grants
- Carrying out the actions proposed to renovate and retrofit the buildings to increase their energy efficiency
- Prepare the documents once the renovation is finished in order to receive the grant.
These funds require agile management by professionals with training and knowledge in energy retrofitting building. Its fundamental task will be to provide owners and communities with a technical approach to a real improvement that allows energy savings after the renovation.
Who will be the beneficiaries of these grants?
The beneficiaries of these grants for buildings that have a minimum area of 50% destined for residential, includes:
- Private homeowners
- Public administrations
- Communities of owners
- Cooperative residents
- Tenant companies
Which are the requirements to request these grants?
POR AQUÍ…To start with, it is necessary to generate a “libro del edificio existente” in which the building is analysed and checked to know and do a list of problems and weak points that could be solved for a better energy performance of the existing building.
The idea is to provide prior information with the writing of a report or technical project where the building is adapted to the CTE regulation and to Waste Management, which are the two main focuses required by the RD.
The projects must contemplate actions in order to achieve 30% reduction in primary energy consumption, and make it real through an energy efficiency retrofit to the existing building.
For this reduction, both demand and production are the key to these grants. It is not only required to reduce consumption through its production but also to improve the reduction of demand with the improvement of the building envelope. The key is achieve a better energy performance of the building for both heating and cooling.
Ease the process of informing and getting licences
The “oficina de rehabilitación” and the “agente rehabilitador” must ease the process of informing, preparing and reviewing the documents listed in the RD regulations required prior to the grant application.
The “oficina de rehabilitación” will take 3 months maximum to review and give answers to applicants on whether the grant has been approved or not.
In the same way, the R.D establishes maximum times for the entire process, that is, until the works are concluded. For this reason, city councils must also find a way to speed up the process to obtain permits.
In short, the deadline plays a crucial role in this complete management.
Grant intensity. Financing with special loans
The grant will be based on the actions to improve the energy performance and consumption, but it will not cover the entire cost of the retrofit.
For this reason, banks also plan to provide special loans for this type of energy efficiency projects and retrofit with clearly favourable conditions. Banks are increasingly looking to integrate green renovation financing in with ordinary mortgages.
The “agente rehabilitador” will be also in charge of managing banks and home owners to achieve the necessary loans.
In summary, given the variety of roles involved in the process of obtaining these grants, agile management and timing will be two fundamental requirements. For this reason, both the “oficina de rehabilitación” and the “agente rehabilitador” will be fundamental in the management of the entire process from the beginning of the project to the end of the retrofit to achieve the goals in the short term required.
