Energy ratings and running costs of new builds in Spain
New homes in Spain are built to nearly zero-energy standards and usually rate A or B. Here is what the energy certificate measures, what the building code requires, and how that translates into running costs.
By Investidad advisory team · Last reviewed 16 Oct 2026
The energy certificate
Every home sold or let in Spain needs a energy performance certificate. The current rules are in Real Decreto 390/2021. The label rates the home on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) using two indicators: non-renewable primary energy consumption (kWh per m² per year) and CO₂ emissions (kg per m² per year). The letters are relative: the home is compared with a reference building, and the class boundaries vary by climate zone and building type.
For a new building, certification has two stages: a project certificate, based on the approved design, and a finished-building certificate, issued once the works are complete. If you buy before completion, the seller must give you the project label, and the energy label must appear in all advertising, stating which certificate it refers to. At the sale, a copy of the registered certificate and label is annexed to the purchase contract. A certificate is valid for up to ten years (five if the rating is G) and must be registered with the regional authority to be valid.
What the building code requires
The energy standards themselves are set by the CTE, Spain's technical building code, in its energy-saving document (DB HE). Real Decreto 732/2019 updated it so that new buildings must be nearly zero-energy. The update became compulsory for works whose licence was applied for from 24 September 2020, so a home in a project licensed after that date is built to the stricter standard.
- HE0
- WHAT IT GOVERNSLimits on total and non-renewable primary energy consumption, set by climate zone
- WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUThe main reason new builds rate A or B
- HE1
- WHAT IT GOVERNSThermal envelope: insulation, windows, airtightness and solar control
- WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOULess heat lost in winter and gained in summer
- HE4
- WHAT IT GOVERNSMinimum renewable share of hot-water demand: 70%, or 60% where demand is below 5,000 litres a day
- WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUIn practice, usually met with aerothermal heat pumps or solar thermal panels
- HE5
- WHAT IT GOVERNSMinimum on-site electricity generation from renewables for new buildings over 1,000 m² built
- WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOULarger developments must include a renewable installation, usually solar panels
- HE6
- WHAT IT GOVERNSElectric vehicle charging infrastructure
- WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUIn residential car parks, provision for future charging points at every space
| SECTION | WHAT IT GOVERNS | WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU |
|---|---|---|
| HE0 | Limits on total and non-renewable primary energy consumption, set by climate zone | The main reason new builds rate A or B |
| HE1 | Thermal envelope: insulation, windows, airtightness and solar control | Less heat lost in winter and gained in summer |
| HE4 | Minimum renewable share of hot-water demand: 70%, or 60% where demand is below 5,000 litres a day | In practice, usually met with aerothermal heat pumps or solar thermal panels |
| HE5 | Minimum on-site electricity generation from renewables for new buildings over 1,000 m² built | Larger developments must include a renewable installation, usually solar panels |
| HE6 | Electric vehicle charging infrastructure | In residential car parks, provision for future charging points at every space |
Two points are worth knowing. First, the HE5 generation requirement was extended to residential buildings by Real Decreto 450/2022, compulsory for licences applied for from 16 December 2022; a small block or single villa below 1,000 m² built is not covered by it. Second, the code requires generation but does not dictate how the electricity is shared: in an apartment building, ask whether the panels feed only communal areas or are set up for collective self-consumption that reduces each owner's bill.
Heat pumps and solar panels
Most new developments use Aerotermia: an air-source heat pump that heats, cools and makes hot water. Under the code, the energy a heat pump draws from outside air counts as renewable for hot water only if the unit reaches a minimum seasonal performance (an SCOP of at least 2.5 for electric units), which is why the specification should name the system rather than just 'aerotermia'.
- Ask what the heat pump serves: hot water only, or heating and cooling too, and through which system (underfloor, ducts, fan coils).
- Ask about the panels: solar thermal (hot water) or photovoltaic (electricity), communal or private, and who maintains them. Maintenance contracts appear in the community budget.
- Ask about ventilation: airtight homes need controlled ventilation; check whether it has heat recovery and how filters are changed.
From rating to running costs
A rating is not a bill. Actual costs depend on climate, how you use the home, occupancy and your electricity tariff. But a home rated A or B with a heat pump will normally use far less energy than an older home with electric water heaters and old split units. Enter the figures from the certificate into our energy cost calculator to estimate the difference, and see new build vs resale for the wider comparison.
Questions buyers ask
- Is an A rating guaranteed in a new build?
- No. The code sets minimum standards that make A or B common, but the rating depends on the design, the climate zone and the systems installed. Ask for the project certificate before you sign.
- Will a new build have solar panels?
- Buildings over 1,000 m² built with a licence applied for from 16 December 2022 must generate some renewable electricity on site, usually with panels. Smaller buildings and older licences may not have them. Check the specification.
- How long is the energy certificate valid?
- Up to ten years, or five years if the rating is G. A new home will have a certificate issued on completion.
