Approved at the Legislative Assembly Friday, the legislation adapts to the Azores the energy certification of buildings, the scheme regulating the access and exercise of the activities performed by qualified experts for energy certification as well as for installation and maintenance technicians of buildings and systems. Moreover, it also implements the exceptional scheme applicable to the rehabilitation of buildings whose construction has been concluded for at least 30 years or those located in areas undergoing urban renewal interventions, when they are mainly used for housing purposes. With this legislation, the Region is line in the provisions set by the European Union, providing it with the necessary means for the exercise of the activities carried out by qualified experts.

During the presentation of the proposal, the Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport stressed that this legislation "also responds to a commitment that becomes a commitment fulfilled by the Government to change a series of building parameters," which will reduce costs and contributes to the development of the construction sector in the archipelago.
 
Vítor Fraga stressed that, under this legislation and in compliance with the political commitment taken by the Government towards the adaptation of the building parameters to the archipelago's climate reality and the reduction of construction costs, the Government of the Azores will regulate a series of 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, among others.

"The altitude of reference will change from 10 to 126 metres, the conversion factor between primary and useful energy will decrease from 2.5 kW to 2.18 kW and the rated thermal input for air conditioning will increase to 40 kW. This will reduce the construction costs associated to the building coating by 16.5% and the running costs of buildings by 10%," revealed Vítor Fraga.

This area was regulated by the European Union through a Community directive that was later transposed into national law.

"Given the fact that we are an archipelago, with a different reality in terms of the number of inhabitants, climate, architecture and construction, we have to define a set of specific rules," said the Regional Secretary.

According to Vítor Fraga, these rules are "in accordance with the reality of energy certification agents, the goals set for the regional energy market, the legal scheme on the protection of movable and immovable heritage and with the legal scheme on land management tools."