Sara Aagesen announces 368 million for energy refurbishment of hospitals, health centres, schools and public education centres

The Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, has announced that the Government will allocate 368 million euros for the energy refurbishment of hospitals, health centres, schools and other public educational centres. "At the next Council of Ministers, we will approve a 168 million euros aid line for the energy rehabilitation of our public hospitals, our health centres, our local surgeries. We are going to improve air conditioning, cooling and insulation. Having more efficient hospitals means saving resources and using those resources to improve services, improving the comfort of patients and professionals, reinforcing the quality of a service that is essential," she said, before adding that "in addition, in the coming weeks we are going to take another step in the same direction and give aid to schools and educational centres: 200 million euros also for energy efficiency; in total there are almost 400 million euros to improve energy efficiency in these important services, schools and hospitals."

Shortly before, Aagesen had said that "a better Spain is measured in better services, in modern hospitals, in efficient schools, in lower bills, in quality public services; and this is the kind of progress and future that is worth leading, the one that unites industrial ambition and social justice, innovation and care, efficiency and humanity."

Resources of the National Energy Efficiency Fund

The Council of Ministers will approve the allocation of 168 million euros from the National Energy Efficiency Fund (FNEE) to aid programmes for energy efficiency measures in existing publicly-owned buildings in the health sector (PREE Sanitario).

The Council of Ministers will also approve the proposal for the territorial distribution of aid among the autonomous communities and cities, which must be validated by the Sectoral Conference on Energy. They will be responsible for approving the regulatory bases and the corresponding calls for applications, which will be open to operators, lessees or concessionaires, as well as energy service companies.

The Institute for Energy Diversification and Savings, a body attached to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, which is responsible for managing the FNEE, is already working on another line of aid for the energy refurbishment of schools and other publicly owned educational centres (PREE Educativo) charged to the Fund, which will have a budget of 200 million euros.

Drastic improvement in indoor air conditioning of buildings

Energy efficiency actions include a wide range of measures, from the installation of air conditioning equipment with renewable energy and heat pumps, to increasing the insulation of the building's facades, roofs and windows, as well as improvements in ventilation and lighting. In addition to drastically reducing the building's energy consumption, this also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases comfort and well-being inside the building.

The health sector's building stock consumes around 1% of the country's final energy, so increasing its energy efficiency is a priority measure in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, which includes the target of rehabilitating five million square metres of buildings in the tertiary sector by 2030.

Non official translation