The Regulation of the Energy Certification System of Buildings in the Autonomous Region of the Azores was published today in the Official Journal.
 
The implementation of this energy certification system will allow a reduction of 16.5% in the construction costs with building coating and 10% in the operating costs of buildings.
 
The regulations published today also define the content and the supplementary training and evaluation system of qualified experts in the PQ-I category for energy certification of small buildings equipped with air-conditioning systems with a nominal power between 25 kW and 40 kW.
 
The models regarding different pre-certificates and licenses to be issued for new buildings, buildings undergoing major interventions and existing buildings were also approved and published.
 
The scheme on the energy certification system of regional buildings and the scheme on the access and exercise of activities carried out by qualified experts were approved by the Regional Legislative Decree no. 4/2016/A of February 2. The Region aims to streamline and simplify procedures and, above all, reduce the average cost of construction in the archipelago, thus fulfilling a commitment taken by the Azorean Government in its programme.
 
Continuing this commitment and proceeding with the application of this legal document, the Government has decided change a set of parameters, taking into account that the Azores are an archipelago with a different reality regarding the number of inhabitants as well as morphological climate, architectural and construction characteristics.
 
Hence, the Government of the Azores changed the following factors: altitude of reference, the maximum amount of useful energy for heating, the maximum amount of useful energy for cooling, the maximum amount of annual nominal needs of primary energy, the heat transfer coefficient in opaque envelope elements and glazed surfaces, the solar factor of horizontal and vertical glazed areas and the minimum value of air changes per hour.