Spain adopts from next midnight”urgent measures” energy-saving features including storefronts without lighting at night and air conditioning at 27 degrees in summer in public and commercial spaces.
The “Shock Plan for Energy Savings and Management” announced by the Government of Spain provides that refrigerated spaces have a minimum temperature of 27 degrees and that the heating, when winter comes, do not exceed 19.
All spaces with direct entry from the street have until September 30 to install a system of doors that remain closed when no one enters or leaves.
In addition, they have until September 2 to publish information on the interior temperature and the measures taken to save energy.
These energy saving measures, which will be in force until November 2023, cover official and public administration buildings, commercial spaces, hotels and restaurants, cultural spaces (such as cinemas, theaters, museums or auditoriums), trains, buses or subways and airports. .
The decree published by the Spanish government provides exceptions for the air conditioning and heating of spaces such as restaurant kitchens, gyms, hairdressers, hospitals, nursing homes or laboratories.
Public lighting will not be modified, but the lighting of shop windows and public buildings that are not used must be changed turn off after 22:00.
The decree published last week does not refer to the lighting of monuments, contrary to what Minister Teresa Ribera, who has the portfolio of Energy in the Government of Spain, had said at the press conference to present the measures, approved last August 1 in Extraordinary Council. Minister council.
“Energy saving is the fastest and cheapest way to face the current energy crisis and reduce the bill”, defends the Spanish Government in the text of the explanatory statement of the decree.
The estimate, always according to the same document, is that one degree more or less in cooling or heating will mean a saving of 7% in consumption.
These measures have been adopted within the framework of the agreement reached by the countries of the European Union at the end of July to save energy consumption, given the gas supply cuts by Russiaafter the sanctions imposed on Moscow for the military attack on Ukraine.
The European agreement provides for a 15% savings commitment, with exceptions for countries such as Portugal or Spain, which do not depend on Russian gas, as is the case with other member states.
According to the Spanish decree, Russian gas was equivalent to 9% of the total gas imports carried out by Spain last year and Madrid’s commitment to its European allies is to save 7% in energy consumption.
A “immediate effect measuresthat will come into force at midnight, additional ones will be added, in coordination with regional governments and local authorities, guaranteeing the Spanish Executive that it will approve a more complete “contingency plan” in September.
Spain has insisted on the little dependence it has on Russia for energy, together with Portugal, and on the investments it has made in infrastructure, that would allow it to supply gas to other European countries and thus lessen the need for Russian supplies.
To this end, like Portugal, it has been requesting more connections for the transport of gas between the Iberian Peninsula and other EU countries.
“Spain has 34% of the regasification capacity of the European Union, which would allow it to replace Russian gas imports with LNG [Gás Natural Liquefeito] from other providers. In fact, Spain is the gateway to the liquefied natural gas market in Europe”, reads the text of the decree that comes into force at midnight.
Source: Observadora
