The importance of thermal insulation

The cold is coming, and with it comes the dreaded gas bill. Climate change is causing summers to become warmer, so we use air conditioners more in the summer, and we can’t live without heating in the winter. This makes the bill more and more expensive.According to data from the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), Spaniards spend on average Heating costs 750 euros per year per house. Problems arose when the homes were not well insulated and the Spaniards were unable to keep their homes at the proper temperature.

In winter, heat “escaps” from the house, and in summer, heat seems to flood every corner of the house. In Spain, 60% of homes are built without insulation, meaning 17% claim they are unable to keep their homes at the right temperature. Not only that. The harmful effects of poor housing are greater than we think.this lack of ventilation It increases air humidity, which can lead to an increase in respiratory illnesses, especially in children and people with asthma.

“People worry a lot about the condition of our cars. Does it run well and does it need a check, but we worry less about our homes and their insulation. Too often we don’t take it seriously because we think of home rehab as a cost, not an investment.Cecilia Foronda, Director of Energy and Manpower at ECODES expressed her gratitude.

health problems

Poorly insulated buildings have far more consequences than we think. As Foronda said, “It’s not just affecting our wallets, it’s affecting our health.”

Lack of ventilation increases air humidity, which can lead to an increase in respiratory illnesses, especially in children and those with asthma.

The insulation effect is poor, and the windows are tightly closed in winter to prevent more cold air from entering. In addition to reducing indoor air quality, a lack of ventilation can lead to increased air humidity, which can settle on cold walls and lead to the appearance of mold. Respiratory diseases, asthma and bronchitis increase as a result.In fact, living in unhealthy building They are 40% more likely to develop asthma.

Mariano Pastor Sanz, president of the Spanish Federation of Allergy sufferers and Respiratory Diseases Associations (FENAER), warned that “the consequences are obvious and could be severe”. Additionally, as Pastor explains, poor air quality or humidity in enclosed spaces can affect not only people with asthma or respiratory disease, but healthy people as well. Therefore, he said: “It is important to raise society’s awareness of the importance of indoor air quality. “We think a lot about the outdoors, but the reality is we spend more than 80 percent of our time indoors.”

The sound insulation effect of the school is very poor

Schools have been in the spotlight for their poor insulation and the impact it has on children. According to a study by RenOnBill, nine out of 10 teachers say the insulation of the buildings where they teach needs improvement.

“Children go to class, eat, participate in extracurricular activities… some even stay in school for eight hours. And most do not have good insulation measures. The temperature in the classroom reaches 34 degrees, which affects their Performance “It affects the focus of our boys and girls. ” said the Director of Energy and Manpower at ECODES.

RenOnBill research shows Spanish children miss around 94,000 school days every year due to indoor dampness and mold. Poor school conditions affect healthy days. Children can get sick, catch a cold, or suffer from heatstroke. “This year there were no classes in the Canary Islands because of the hot weather and schools had to close,” recalls Foronda. She insists that “both heat and cold can cause illness” and that sometimes “you can’t even go to class because of the conditions.”

Reforms to improve energy efficiency will solve many of these problems: they will produce drier and warmer indoor environments, improve people’s health awareness, reduce days off from school or work, reduce visits to the GP and hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses. They may also reduce the incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and high blood pressure.

In fact, Furonda says, far from being a cost, avoiding disease-causing indoor humidity and mold may actually result in The cumulative economic benefit is nearly 1.9 billion yuan euros between now and 2060.

Negotiations with EU on repairing buildings

All eyes are now on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).This is an EU standard that sets out an action plan to repair European buildings and implement technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels to Reduce greenhouse gas emissions From now to 2050.

After months of negotiations on the EU Building Energy Efficiency Directive, This Thursday we enter the final round One of the Extensive restoration of public and private buildings. While many terms have been agreed, including easing physical rehabilitation requirements, the overall target level remains to be determined.Countries including Spain must set overall levels Energy saving They have until 2030 and 2035 to achieve this.

For Foronda, negotiations are complicated because “ambition levels are decreasing.” “It is important that the Spanish government, which currently holds the European Presidency, is working to increase the ambition of the Directive, focusing on the rehabilitation of the 25% of the least efficient buildings, which are typically those with higher numbers of occupants. vulnerable Or in poverty,” he added.

In the meantime…what can we do?

Even so, the ECODES Director of Energy and People recalled that “at present the autonomous region has provided assistance to rebuild their homes” and urged citizens to “go to the reconstruction offices to find out what assistance is available for their communities”.

At the same time, to increase the efficiency of the building and avoid moisture, he suggested open the window And use a dehumidifier. Not only that, there are some low-cost measures we can implement: using curtains and awnings, doubling under doors, lowering blinds when darkness falls in winter and when there is more solar radiation in summer.

The FENAER president agreed that these measures “mean progress not only in terms of the environment, but also in terms of health.” “As patients with respiratory diseases, we first want to improve the air, but also raise awareness in society about indoor air quality and let them know How you ventilate is very important, especially during periods of less pollution,” he added.