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According to a World Bank report, only in OECD countries, where the consumer society plays a key role, 572 million tonnes of waste are generated each year: that is 44% of global waste generation.

Meanwhile, in Spain, each citizen produces an average of 460 kg of urban waste annually, this is six times more than their average weight.

But these figures pale in comparison with the rest of the world, with more than 3.5 million tonnes of waste worldwide, rising to 1.3 billion tonnes per year.

This shocking fact is due to the linear economic model that has prevailed for years in our society, based on extraction, production, consumption and disposal. This model implies high environmental costs, both at the time of production of products and at the end of their life cycle.

This is why the EU institutions are working on the reform of the legislative framework to promote a change in the current waste management model, promoting a true “circular economy”.

But what does this concept mean? We tell you all about it in this article.

The concept of circular economy

It is defined as an economic and social system that has the purpose of producing goods and services while reducing their consumption and the waste of raw materials, water and energy sources.

The circular economy focuses on production processes and proposes to reuse, repair or recycle by increasing sustainable manufacturing and consumption. This not only reduces waste, it also saves energy and helps to prevent irreversible damage to the climate, biodiversity and air, soil and water pollution caused by using resources at a rate that exceeds the Earth’s capacity to renew them.

To reduce these environmental consequences as much as possible, it is necessary to minimize waste generation and to encourage products, materials and resources to remain in the economy for as long as possible: these are the basis of what is known as the circular economy, which seeks to promote a new model of production and consumption of goods and services linked to sustainability.

The whole of society must contribute to making the circular economy a widespread reality. One example is provided by the United Nations, which, through the Sustainable Development Goals, strives for responsible production and consumption (due to the goal 12). These 17 goals are ambitious and universal, and represent a call to action to address the major environmental, social and economic challenges we face.

Therefore, the main objective of the circular economy is to make the most of the material resources at our disposal by extending the life cycle of the products: this idea arises from imitating nature, where everything has value and everything is used, where waste becomes a new resource. In this way, we manage to maintain the balance between progress and sustainability. 

Differences between circular and linear economy

Throughout modern history we have applied linear production models, that is to say extract, produce, consume and dispose, in that order. But for our society the rhythm of consumption is accelerating, as this is a fast but unsustainable model for the planet.

Meanwhile, the circular economy establishes a more sustainable model of production and consumption, where raw materials would remain longer in the production cycles and can be used in a recurrent way, therefore generating much less waste.

As the name suggests, the essence of this model is to keep resources in the economy for as long as possible, promoting that the waste we generate can be used as raw material in other industries.

Circular economy principles

The 3R rule, which is essential for sustainable development and the preservation of the environmental balance, is already well known: reduce, reuse and recycle. This means that what we take from nature should be returned to it when its useful life is over, in a cyclical and environmentally friendly way. Now, there are also four other lesser-known rules, the 7Rs, which are the necessary steps to achieve the circular economy:

• Redesign: thinking and designing products so that their manufacturing process consumes fewer raw materials, extends their useful life and produces less waste, or at least waste would be easier to recycle. In this way we increase our care for the environment. 
• Reduce: changing our consumption habits towards a more sustainable model. If we minimize consumption, we avoid the generation of residues, the waste of raw materials and also reduce the impact on the environment. 
• Reuse: by reusing or repurposing products we extend their useful life. 
• Repairing: fixing and updating old objects so they can be reused as vintage. 
• Recycle: promoting best practice in waste management and reuse it where possible as raw material for the manufacture of new products. 
• Recover: encouraging new uses for products that are going to be discarded. 

Benefits of circular economy

• Protects the environment: reduces polluting emissions, minimizes the consumption of natural resources and reduces waste generation. 
• Benefits the local economy: by promoting production models based on the reuse of nearby waste as raw material.
• Promotes employment: it stimulates the development of a new, more innovative and competitive industrial model, as well as more economic growth and employment. 
• Favors resource independence: the reuse of local resources can lead to less dependence on imported raw materials. 

But what is the EU doing to implement a circular economy?

Last 2020, the European Commission presented the Circular Economy Action Plan, which aims to make products more sustainable, reduce waste and empower citizens. It also pays special attention to resource-intensive sectors such as electronics and ICT, plastics, textiles or construction. 

A year later, in February 2021, the Parliament voted on the circular economy action plan and called for additional measures to move towards a carbon neutral, sustainable, toxics-free and fully circular economy by 2050. This needs to include stricter laws on recycling and binding objectives for 2030 to reduce the ecological footprint of material use and consumption. 

Finally, in March 2022, the Commission unveiled the first package of measures to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, as part of the Sustainable Action Plan, the empowerment of consumers for the green transition, the revision of the regulation on construction products and a strategy on sustainable textiles. 

Now, we would like to know your opinion. What do you think about this economic model and do you think it will be implemented in Europe?

The European Union has set carbon neutrality as a priority objective for the year 2050. The high CO2 emissions that we release into the atmosphere every day lead to global warming, creating an increasingly dense gas blanket and also causing the rise of  planet Earth’s temperature.

This generates a series of problems such as rising sea levels, alterations in the food chain or extreme increases in temperature. One of the best options to reduce these consequences and achieve decarbonization is through the electrification of the economy.

We are sure you are wondering what this concept is all about, so we will tell you all about it in this article.

What is electrification?

The definition of electrification corresponds to the process of replacing those technologies that use fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or natural gas, with others that run on electricity. We can also define this concept as the way to decarbonize final energy consumption in different sectors, such as transport, construction and industry.

Electrification is at the heart of the path towards energy transition. It is characterized by facilitating the development of renewable energy sources, the evolution of distribution networks and a revolution in using electricity.

Another closely related term is electrification with productive uses, which refers to the use of electricity to provide services that previously relied on other energy sources, such as fossil fuels. Electric cars as well as buses are examples of electrification with productive uses.

Another example is the electrification of energy use in buildings: a sector in which the share of electricity in final energy demand will grow from 42% in 2030 to 72% by 2050 thanks to the use of heat pumps and other improvements. Driving the progressive electrification of our buildings helps to replace the fossil fuels needed for heating and cooling systems.

Main sectors to be electrified

As we have already mentioned, electricity obtained from renewable sources can replace the direct use of fossil fuels. This is even more necessary in the sectors causing greenhouse gas emissions. These include:

• Transportation: the car is the vehicle emitting the greatest amount of CO2 per passenger, while electric vehicles are between three and five times more efficient than those with internal combustion engines. This is why it is expected that by 2030 around five million of these types of cars will be on the Spanish roads.
• Buildings: more than 8,000,000 homes have been built in the last three decades in Spain, adding to this number all the public buildings and old constructions, we obtain an immense amount of buildings in need of electricity. For this reason, reduction strategies, such as, the exchange of oil or gas boilers for heat pumps that reduce the energy used by up to four times are necessary.
• Industry: if its production processes are electrified, the energy intensity used decreases significantly, which is one of the objectives to be achieved with the digital transformation of Industry 4.0.

What are the benefits of electrification?

The main objective of electrification is to reduce emissions of polluting gases into the atmosphere, but it is not the only one, since this process brings other benefits with it. We will tell you about them:

• Energy independence: the abandonment of fossil fuels and the increased use of electricity means less dependence on third parties to supply us with these fuels.
• Job creation: The National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030 forecasts that investment in renewable energy could generate between 107,000 and 135,000 jobs by 2030. In addition, according to forecasts, the change in the energy model could create close to 120,000 indirect jobs annually.
• Less energy depletion: not only are fossil fuels highly harmful, but they also cause other problems such as difficulties of supply or resource depletion. As we already know, fossil energy has an established end, since it is extracted and consumed. This is not the case with electricity – natural resources are only means to obtain the final energy but they cannot be depleted.
• Achieving smart homes and offices: electronic devices are increasingly connected thanks to the opportunities of new technologies, which allows the digitization of homes and buildings, paving the way for Smart Homes and Smart Buildings, the new real estate of smart cities. This digitization not only brings greater flexibility and convenience, but also helps us to improve efficiency and reduce time and costs.
• Savings on our bills: another of the major advantages of renewables is their cost-effectiveness, being the cheapest possible source of electricity. With the increase in power generation from renewables, the average cost on the bill that consumers pay will decrease.

The importance of electrification

Electricity produced from renewable energy sources is currently the most efficient and cost-effective solution for achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions.

In addition to promoting electricity production based on the RES, decarbonization requires the electrification of energy demand, i.e. that households and businesses make greater use of electricity instead of using CO2-emitting technologies.

Electricity is therefore the key energy vector to combat climate change and protect the environment.

That is why LRP Energy wants to join this fight and offer the best solutions for photovoltaic self-consumption, with terms that guarantee the minimum payback period and bill savings between 50% and 70%.

Do not hesitate and ask for your free study to know the feasibility of solar energy in your home.

In recent decades, we more often assume that the useful life of many objects is relatively short, because of deteriorating or becoming obsolete with the passage of time. In many cases, in the event of a breakdown, the manufacturer directly says that it is not profitable to repair it and directs us to buy a new one.

But the reality is that this cessation of operation is part of its design and, in many cases, has been carefully planned by these manufacturers to force us to buy new products.

This circle of purchases and renewals generates immense amounts of waste, specifically technological waste, which produces 2.5 billion tons per year only in the European Union. An alternative to this problem would be the circular economy, a model of consumption that invites us to reuse, repair and recycle existing materials and products whenever possible in order to increase their life cycle.

In this article we will tell you about the concept of planned obsolescence and the consequences it can have for the environment. 

What is planned obsolescence?

This term refers to the conscious decision by the manufacturer of a good or product to provide it with a predefined useful life and, after that time, it loses its quality, functionality and usefulness, forcing the consumer to replace it with a new one. Thus, commercial motives drive and sustain the phenomenon of planned obsolescence. 

In historical terms, the light bulb was the first recorded case of planned obsolescence: some 30 years after its invention, manufacturers had achieved such perfection in the design and manufacture of light bulbs that they could operate for almost 2,500 hours. Far from considering this a success for the industry, longevity put the business model at risk, as there was not enough demand to sustain the fixed costs of obtaining raw materials and paying workers. 

Therefore, manufacturers decided to shorten the lifespan and since then, light bulbs melt and we need to change them from time to time. For consumers, this leads to higher costs but the environment also suffers to a greater extent as more resources are needed for their production, increasing the volume of waste generated.

Types of planned obsolescence

There are several types of planned obsolescence, but the most popular are: functional, technological and design or psychological obsolescence. 

Regarding functional obsolescence, it is the most common of all and is easily recognizable: it appears when the product failure is caused by the fact that the manufacturer designed it to stop working after a certain point in time. As an example, the batteries of cell phones usually start to cause problems within a year of a purchase.

On the other hand, the mobile operating system could be related more to technological obsolescence, a form of programmed obsolescence that consists of incorporating outdated technology into products that quickly become obsolete and inoperative. The user will have to renew it, without any possibility of updating the device, as it can happen with desktop computers or laptops. 

Finally, design obsolescence or psychological obsolescence is the one that directly influences the consumer’s mind. It deals with a modality in which a product becomes obsolete just because it goes out of fashion. The world of clothing and textiles, where brands are constantly launching new collections on the market and trends last less and less time, so it seems a perfect example.

Programmed obsolescence and the environment

As we have already mentioned, the most immediate consequence of this constant renewal of products, which in many cases work perfectly but have just gone out of fashion, is the increase in technological waste. Such accumulation of waste, which also has insufficient recycling rate, results in a deterioration of the environment which, in turn, has an impact on climate change. 

Moreover, manufacturing cycles are becoming shorter and shorter and consume a greater amount of raw materials, some of which are scarce and strategic, such as coltan, which allows us to reduce the size of batteries. The product distribution process also consumes large amounts of energy, in addition to increasing atmospheric pollution.

How can we fight against planned obsolescence?

The first step, which is shared with the circular economy, is to consume more responsibly, trying to reduce the level of waste generated by our daily activities as much as possible. In this way we achieve a successful defense and preservation of the natural environment, in addition to supporting new concepts such as “alargascence” and  adopting consumption patterns that extend the useful life of our products or goods on a daily basis. 

Along with this sustainable consumption, it is important to remember not to throw away anything that we can reuse or repair, and thus also increase its lifespan. We cannot forget the importance of recycling, since practically all elements can be recycled. 

But we do not only find individual measures, as collectively the European Union announced in 2015 the introduction of a labeling that tells us how long the product will last, a move that France has already made into law. While the European platform Right to Repair advocates the development of products that last longer and the right of users to repair and replace damaged components. 

Germany has also recently introduced a new law requiring cell phones to last at least seven years. 

Fortunately, more and more countries and citizens are joining forces to promote a more sustainable model of economy.

Photovoltaics, a source of clean and renewable energy, is an increasingly growing trend throughout the world. Spain, with 2,585 hours of sunshine per year, seems to be a perfect example of a great opportunity to bet on energy savings, efficiency and sustainability with the installation of solar panels for households and businesses. 

Moreover, according to various research, the buildings in Spain as well as houses are already prepared for solar system installations, since 85% of Spanish homes could be self-sufficient thanks to solar panels and cover almost 100% of the country’s electricity demand. 

Even today, we continue to find articles as well as people spreading false myths about this source of energy, so today we want to debunk the most common of those. This will help you understand the profitability of these facilities better. 

Let’s start!

1. Solar panel installation is very expensive and not profitable

Yes, it is true that a photovoltaic installation may involve a high cost, depending on the electrical needs that we seek to cover, which will determine the most suitable system power. It is important to understand that the investment cost would not be small, but keeping in mind that solar panels will help us to reduce our monthly bills between 50% and 80%, during the 25 year period, it seems profitable.

Currently, the amortization of such investment is becoming shorter and shorter, so that in a few years time all the electricity produced by the panels and consumed by us will be totally free. 

In addition, we cannot forget the grants and subsidies that are available today. Those incentives help us to reduce a large percentage of the initial investment. If you are interested, don’t miss our article dedicated to grants on our website!

2. Solar panels work only when the sun is shining and when the weather is hot

To make it clear, solar photovoltaic systems have their maximum performance on sunny days.  Anyway, it does not mean that on cloudy days the panels are not working: the electricity production would be reduced but Spain, Brazil, Chile, Portugal and many more countries are the areas with the highest number of hours of sunshine per year, Spain has about 2,585 hours, so we can get enough solar radiation and save in the electricity bills.

As for the heat, high temperatures are not the best for solar photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic panels do not produce energy by heat but by solar radiation, so what counts here is the number of hours of sunlight per day.

What about nights? Although the installation does not produce energy at night, we can take advantage of the surplus electricity investing in batteries or energy storage systems.

3. There are many taxes on solar energy

This statement is completely false! Since 2019, with the new regulations on solar self-consumption, the well-known (and hated) Impuesto al Sol – Sun Tax was eliminated; in addition, the possibility of new taxes of this style has been expressly limited to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.

The right of citizens, local authorities, small and medium-sized companies and cooperatives to produce, consume, store and sell their own renewable energy has also been established, without the taxes, achieving a more secure situation for all users.

4. Solar systems need a lot of expensive maintenance

It is logical to worry about taking care of such an expensive product. We seek to extend its life as much as possible but in the case of solar panels, maintenance is very simple and does not involve much effort or money.

As there are no moving parts, photovoltaic installations hardly cause problems. The only things to worry about are keeping the panels clean and avoiding scratching them. To put your mind at ease, we will tell you how to take care of your photovoltaic installation in one of the next articles. Don’t miss it!

5. I don’t need it because I already have a thermal panel

All solar systems seem the same to us, but we should keep in mind that there are different types of panels. One of those are the solar thermal collectors that provide hot water and heating, and others (the ones that interest us in this article) are the solar photovoltaic panels that produce electricity. 

Thanks to the second type you will be able to produce and consume your own energy for all the electrical appliances in your home, while with a thermal collectors you will not obtain electricity. 

LRP Energy offers you all the advice

We hope we have solved some of your doubts about photovoltaic energy. LRP Energy specialists can advise you for free. Contact us even today!

The carbon footprint represents the total volume of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) produced by the various economic as well as daily activities of human beings. Carbon footprint is usually expressed in tons of CO2 emitted. It is extremely important to take measures and implement the necessary initiatives to reduce it as much as possible. Remember that each one of us can help to reduce it!

All the daily activities of human beings, such as traveling by car, charging cell phones or running dishwashers, lead to leaving gasses that accumulate in the atmosphere which leads to overheating the planet. These emissions are known as climate change, as the Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) has warned us in its Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), and if we do not neutralize them in time, even more inhospitable future awaits us. 

That is why, in today’s article, we want to tell you all about the carbon footprint and how to help to reduce it, with a few simple tricks in your everyday life.

What is the carbon footprint?

It is defined as the trail of greenhouse gasses (GHG) left behind by human activities. This environmental indicator measures both direct and indirect emissions of compounds such as methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and, above all, the most abundant and most damaging to our environment since the 1990s: carbon dioxide (CO2).

In this direction, the World Meteorological Organization (Organización Meteorológica Mundial – OMM) points out that the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere reached a new record in 2019. Also, the aforementioned organization highlights that current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are comparable to those of more than three million years ago, when the Earth’s thermometer indicated about 3ºC more and the sea level measured between 10 and 20 meters more than it does today. The carbon footprint has continued to grow, increasing 11-fold since 1961, and now accounts for 60% of the total impact on the environment, according to the Global Footprint Network’s estimations. 

Therefore, we can distinguish 3 types of carbon footprint: personal, corporate and the one of a specific product. 

Personal carbon footprint

It is the footprint of a single individual in his/her everyday life as he/she moves around, consumes, eats and uses resources such as energy. The Nature Conservancy estimates that each inhabitant of our planet generates an average of almost four tons of CO2 per year, and in some countries, such as the United States, this figure quadruples per person per year. 

The mentioned organization says that the personal carbon footprint should be reduced to less than two tons per year by 2050. Experts claim that this would be the best way to prevent the constant rise of environmental temperature. Reaching the worrying threshold of 2ºC would aggravate climate change and make it an irreversible problem. 

Corporate carbon footprint

Not only individuals generate the polluting emissions. Companies also carry out activities that generate greenhouse gasses, such as transport or energy consumption. Thus, the corporate carbon footprint measures all GHG emissions of companies and their scope, whether they are direct and can be controlled or not. 

Companies can choose to reduce their carbon footprint by improving their energy efficiency, consuming 100% renewable energy, carrying out awareness campaigns, investing in environmental projects, paying green taxes or buying tons of CO2 on the international emissions market. There is a wide range of measures to take. 

Carbon footprint of a product

Consumer goods and services also emit greenhouse gasses before, during and after their useful life. Pollution is generated from raw material procurement, processing, production and distribution to the use phase and transformation into waste. Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of events is also remarkable, due to elements such as transport, energy consumption or generating waste, as well as many others. 

Why is it so important to reduce the carbon footprint?

The billions of people on our planet are responsible for depleting the resources we have, and according to United Nations forecasts, the world’s population could reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, and more than 11 billion by 2100. Due to this increase in population, emissions continue to rise and the Earth’s resources are being depleted more rapidly. 

This increase in greenhouse gas emissions has a direct impact on global warming, accelerating climate change with disastrous effects on our planet. We can all contribute to the fight against global warming by making environmentally friendly choices in our daily lives.

How can we reduce our carbon footprint?

The coming years will be decisive in the fight against climate change, so here are some tips to reduce emissions. 

• Opt for responsible consumption, based on local products and produced in a sustainable way, or you can also create your own urban garden!
• Move more sustainably, whether by public transport, bicycle or on foot, and opt for more environmentally friendly vehicles. 
• Purchase energy-efficient appliances and regulate your heating and air conditioning to save energy. 
• Make yourself and others aware of the importance of reducing your carbon footprint. 
• Reduce the amount of waste: reuse your packaging, recycle it – if not possible, dispose of it in its corresponding container. 
• And choose 100% renewable energy consumption!

CALCULATE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

There are numerous free and very simple tools to estimate your personal carbon footprint in just a few minutes available on the Internet. Try one!

 

Many countries are still characterized by their high energy dependence on fossil fuels, which reached an all-time high of 81.3% in 2008 in Spain. Thanks to renewable energy generation, this dependence has been reduced year by year until 2013, when it was minimized to 70.2%.

According to Greenpeace reports, “the potential for renewable energies in Spain is so high that the available renewable technologies could produce more than ten times the total energy demand we would have in 2050”. In other words, a system totally dependent on renewable energy is technically possible if we combine different models of renewable energy generating systems. 

Furthermore, talking about the economic part, this report showed that alternative energy is the lowest cost source. Nowadays, this statement is normal for us but at the time it was found surprising because renewable technologies were the most expensive.

In today’s article, we would like to take the economic aspect into consideration. Precisely, how much does our country save thanks to the generation of electricity from renewable sources?

First, it is important to find out about the current production capacity of these technologies. 

Almost half of Spanish energy is generated by renewable sources

In 2020, renewable sources produced almost 45% of all the energy produced in Spain, a figure that had never before been reached in the country, according to data published by the Spanish Electricity Grid (REE), making Spain the eighth country in the world with the highest installed capacity of RES.

This is largely due to the favorable weather conditions, the increased use of wind and sun, e.g. wind and solar energy as well as the increase in renewable power installed. 

According to the Ministry of Industry, the most widely used renewable energy sources in Spain are: wind energy (51%), hydro energy (36%) and solar energy (8%). Together they generate approximately 40% of the country’s total energy demand, so the remaining percentage comes from alternative energy sources.

A saving of 67 billion euros

In December 2021, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that some savings could be achieved in fuel imports thanks to the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for renewable energy sources, renewable hydrogen and storage could reach 67 billion euros. 

In addition, he indicated that the project would also boost reindustrialisation with the creation of higher-quality jobs as well as new business models,  thanks to factors such as the deployment of biogas around agricultural activity. 

Also, President Sánchez reiterated that the PERTE project could mobilize around €16.37 billion in investments in the coming years, already moving its first €500 million to various calls for proposals.

The future of renewable energy in Spain

Our planet aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Although this goal seems complicated, currently more than 80% of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels, most countries are seeking for more neutral and less polluting systems.

 

The Spanish government aims to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The governors have been working for years on what is known as green recovery- changing the paradigm in saving energy through its efficient consumption. 

The government encourages the renovation of homes to install renewable energy systems and, since last month, it has also allowed Spanish citizens to save up to 40% of their income tax by renovating their homes in order to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. 

Furthermore, Spain is one of the European Union countries with the greatest potential for renewable energy resources, thanks to the high level of sunshine, strong Mediterranean and Atlantic winds and waves, as well as excellent hydro resources; all with sufficient technology and innovation for its development and potential. 

Don’t waste time and go green with LRP Energy: get your free study and a personalized quote on photovoltaic installations now!

Despite the youth of this market, which has operated in Europe since 2011, we can see that electric vehicles are already a reality in the European car fleet. 

Day by day, electric cars are gaining in sales over combustion-engine cars, thanks to their consolidation as a sustainable alternative. Moreover, the number of available charging points is steadily growing, with more than 5,000 in operation in Spain. We are even beginning to see ultra-fast charging post infrastructures strategically distributed along the motorways and highways.

Therefore, today we would like to analyze the advantages offered by this method of transport. 

Zero emissions

The biggest advantage of these vehicles to date is that electric cars produce no emissions during operation and are therefore considered to be environmentally friendly means of transport. They do not emit CO2 or nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. They even have no exhaust pipe. 

This is what makes the electric car the ideal model for daily driving in and around cities, where most pollution is concentrated. This is a consequence not only of road traffic but also of buildings’ heating, construction sites as well as work machinery. 

No emissions is the main benefit we are interested in if we are concerned about the environment and ecology. 

Lower running costs

Although the initial investment in an electric car is higher than in a usual one, it tends to be compensated by the lower cost of driving: if the most efficient combustion vehicles have a cost of around 5 or 6 euros per 100 kilometers, in battery-powered cars the cost of use decreases to just 1.5 euros. This is due to the lower price of electricity in comparison to fuel price. Although the prices of such vehicles are different, they are becoming smaller and smaller.

Spanish tax advantages

The zero pollution of electric vehicles also brings a series of fiscal rewards: by receiving the Zero Emissions label from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), they are exempt from paying registration tax. This is already a significant saving, as this tax can be up to 14.75% of the price of the model. 

There also are discounts on the payment of the Impuesto de Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica, better known as road tax, although this depends on each city council, but in almost all cities in Spain the discounts are offered and, in the case of Madrid and Barcelona, they are up to 75%.

Almost non-existent maintenance

If we do not count the operating costs of wearable elements, such as brakes or tyres, the maintenance of an electric car is reduced to checking the state of the batteries and electric motors from time to time. So there is no need to change filters, lubricants or various fluids. 

Furthermore, as there is no need for a traditional engine and gearbox with clutch, breakdowns of this kind are reduced to practically none: electric vehicles use very few moving parts that are exposed to wear and tear. 

Facilities in cities

In Spain, due to the Climate Change Law, all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are obliged to establish Low Emission Zones (LEZ), where access to the most polluting vehicles is partially restricted, generally on working days and high pollution episodes.

Electric cars, on the other hand, have the DGT’s Zero Emissions label, which allows them to circulate freely in such zones. However, it is important to keep an eye on local regulations, as in Madrid, for example, electric cars must comply with the 70 km/h speed limit on the M-30.

In addition, on certain roads they are also allowed to drive in high occupancy lanes (VAO) even if the driver is traveling alone, which represents a significant saving in travel time.

Parking facilities are also offered in many cities, exempting electric vehicles from parking fees and parking restrictions, including green or blue zones. 

Purchase incentives

The Spanish government has encouraged the purchase of electric cars through the MOVES III Plan, which offers grants of up to €7,000 to individuals who purchase an electric car if they also trade in their old car. 

This plan will run until 31 December 2023, with an initial budget of 400 million euros. 

In addition to these official incentive programmes, the manufacturers themselves offer attractive financing conditions for the purchase of electric vehicles. This is another incentive to buy them and makes them a more affordable investment.

Range on the rise

Research and development of the batteries has significantly improved the energy density and range of the electric vehicles.

While the first electric car of the modern era (2011) only offered 160 kilometers of range, today it is already close to 600 kilometers of range.

Larger network of charging points

As we said at the beginning of our article, the number of charging points is currently expanding rapidly, with more than 5,000 public charging points in Spain, mainly concentrated in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. 

In addition to the general increase in the number of urban charging points, we can see more and more fast charging stations on motorways, designed for traveling, such as the almost 400 that the IONITY consortium has throughout Europe. These are high-capacity posts, with a power of up to 350 kW, allowing us to charge the batteries in record time. They use the CCS charging standard, which is most widespread among European, American and Korean electric models.

Fortunately, home charging has also improved by leaps and bounds, as most electric vehicles are compatible with our home socket, although it has only limited power and will take longer to charge. 

The home chargers are even more interesting. LRP Energy can offer you such solutions. The operation of such systems is so simple that you can use it not only for your electric vehicle but also for any other electrical device you need. 

Disadvantages and drawbacks

It is also important to be aware of the downsides of such investment, so here are the disadvantages that still exist in electric models.

Although the increase in range is being continuously developed, the average is usually between 150 and 450 km. Taking the average charging time as well as long journeys as our main car use into account, those figures seem to be very low.

We should also bear in mind that this type of vehicle achieves lower top speeds than traditional combustion vehicles do. Although this seems not to be a decisive point for all the drivers. 

We have already mentioned that one of the advantages of electric cars is that they have fewer parts. However, this fact is also likely to become a major disadvantage especially when it comes to finding a specialized workshop. As the proliferation of this type of vehicle is not yet so widespread, not too many mechanics know how to fix the faults. In addition, due to the limited number of vehicles in the national automotive universe, obtaining parts can be complicated, and it may even be necessary to import the components. 

After this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles, what do you think of such car models? Do you think they fit your driving style?

At LRP Energy we know that when it comes to such installations, many people have a lot of doubts, so in our articles and posts we try to solve them all. 

If you’ve been thinking about investing in photovoltaics, you have surely asked yourself what is the best time to start this project. At first, you probably thought of summer, due to the many hours of sunshine and high temperatures we usually have all over the country. 

Interestingly – it is not the best time of the year to install photovoltaic panels because the modules can overheat from the strong sun and high temperatures. The wrong thinking may come from connecting the sun with heat. Photovoltaics need sunlight to convert it into electricity, not the heat. 

 So if not in the summer, when is the best time to get our installation done? The first thing you should know is that solar panels are profitable all over the year, although their production and efficiency is different depending on the season.

In addition, it is important to consider the time of installation and commissioning of the project in order to calculate when we should start planning it. 

Summer vs. winter

Regardless of the season in progress, whether it is hot or cold, photovoltaic installations do not stop working at any time when there is sunlight, thanks to the fact that their operation, as we have already mentioned, is due to solar radiation converting light into electricity for our home. Therefore, as long as we have a good location that allows us to make the most of the daylight hours, our installation will generate energy all year round. 

First of all, we should know that the efficiency of photovoltaic installations does not decrease in winter, in fact, it can even be higher than in summer in some cases, as the panels will not overheat. However, it is true that the total energy production is usually lower because the days are shorter and therefore we have fewer hours of daylight. 

In summer, on the other hand, hot weather can affect the output of solar panels, with the possibility that on the hottest days the installation will not reach maximum output due to heating up the panels. Nevertheless, summer production is usually the highest of the year thanks to the 15 or more hours of sunshine per day we receive in our country. 

Autumn and spring, the optimal seasons

In Spain and the geographical region in which we are located, we are fortunate to enjoy long periods of sunshine throughout the year, keeping solar energy production stable. Spring and autumn are considered better than the opposite seasons, summer and winter: many hours of light and milder temperatures. This makes spring and autumn the perfect time to consider a solar installation. 

Also, as an installation company, it’s true that we have a contracting boom in the summer, so in the off-season you can benefit from shorter delivery times and quicker processes. Similarly, if we have administrative procedures, we cannot carry them out if town halls and public offices are closed.

Is it cost-effective to install solar panels?

In general, a photovoltaic installation helps us to reduce our electricity costs by 50% to 80% throughout the year but it is possible to fluctuate depending on external conditions and even increase these percentages if our installation has batteries or storage systems. 

On the other hand, when calculating the cost-effectiveness of these projects, we must bear in mind that the price of solar panels has dropped considerably in recent years, so if we find that photovoltaic installations are getting cheaper while electricity is constantly getting more expensive, there is little doubt: the use of photovoltaic panels is completely cost-effective and the savings they provide us with have multiplied in recent years. 

Now, we can say without a doubt that we are in the ideal scenario to place a bet on renewables, and that going solar is now more cost-effective than ever – the investment can amortize in around five or six years. 

If you are considering a photovoltaic installation with LRP Energy, we advise you to take into account that the process of installing, legalizing and commissioning solar installations requires an estimated time of five to seven weeks from the start of the project. Especially, if we are talking about the legalization and commissioning of solar installations for self-consumption, there are stages requiring the intervention of the public administration that are difficult to speed up. 

Therefore, if you want to make the most of your photovoltaic installation during the coldest periods, when we are at home using the most electricity, do not hesitate to start the project now to reduce your monthly bill this winter. 

Request a free survey with us now and find out if solar power is cost-effective for your home.

The complex and turbulent situation we are currently experiencing in the energy market, the continuous increases in electricity prices and the depletion of conventional fossil fuels, such as gas, oil and coal, are making us rethink the current energy consumption model. 

For this reason, energy efficiency has become the priority for governments, especially with a view to decarbonization by 2050; but not everyone is clear about what this concept consists of. 

In this article we tell you everything you need to know about energy efficiency. 

The concept of energy efficiency

This concept refers to the ability to obtain the best results in any activity using the least possible amount of energy resources. Thanks to such a concept, we can reduce the consumption of any type of energy and the possible environmental impact associated with it. This term is applied from the generation of such energy to its final consumption. 

Energy efficiency seeks to maintain the same performance of our activity, but incorporating a series of sustainable management models, reasonable habits and investments as well as technological innovation. 

In a country or territory having an adequate level of energy efficiency it is possible, for example, to increase the security that there will be sufficient energy supply for the entire population. In our home the concept also provides numerous benefits since, according to the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), it allows us both to reduce our electricity bill in a long term and to reduce the chance of a blackout – a situation that can lead to the breakdown of our electronic devices or other household appliances. 

This is the reason why energy efficiency has become a priority on the agendas of governments around the world, due to the limited nature of traditional energy sources, their ever-increasing prices and the dependence on the foreign markets, in addition to their significantly negative impact on the environment and the ecosystem. 

Many production companies and public administrations are currently implementing various measures and initiatives to promote renewable energy and sustainability, in such a way that they serve as a guide to energy savings and, therefore, contribute to making the planet more sustainable. One example is European Directive 2010/31/EU, which requires new houses to implement various measures to reduce energy consumption and make them more sustainable.

Other objectives related to energy efficiency set by The European Union for 2030, and included in The Green Pact, are: 

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990.
• Achieving a 42% share of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydrogen. 
• An overall improvement of 36% to 39% in energy efficiency.

How is energy efficiency calculated?

One of the main standards for measuring and calculating energy efficiency is ISO 50001, although it rivals in popularity with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP). 

Estos, y otros sistemas, se encargan de estimar principalmente la eficiencia en el uso de la energía de acuerdo a la productividad, es decir, están creadas sobre todo para empresas, y en el caso de los hogares esto se calcula en base al óptimo funcionamiento de equipos e instalaciones comparados con un bajo consumo, lo que se traduce, finalmente, en un ahorro en el pago de las facturas de los proveedores de energía. 

These, and other systems, are mainly responsible for estimating the efficiency of energy consumption related to productivity, i.e. they are created mainly for companies, and in the case of households the calculation is based on the optimal operation of equipment and facilities compared to low consumption, which ultimately leads to savings on the bills from energy suppliers. 

This means, in order to find out whether a house is energy efficient, different indicators that measure energy consumption over a given period of time have to be taken into consideration. Energy efficiency is closely linked to energy intensity but in an inversely proportional way: the more energy intensity we use in our home, the less energy efficiency we are carrying out. 

The benefits of energy efficiency in houses 

If helping to improve the planet or lowering our electricity bill by up to 40% were not enough benefits, opting for an energy efficiency strategy in a house can provide families with a series of advantages, such as less noise in the rooms, thanks to the fact that windows can be closed and the need to use air conditioners can be reduced; better habitable conditions of the building, with less temperature fluctuations all year round; or enjoying cleaner cities, since there are buildings currently remaining the major sources of pollution. 

To make our home efficient it is necessary to implement a series of measures and routines that are within everyone’s reach in reality. One of them is to achieve a correct air conditioning thanks to the use of mechanical ventilation systems of double flow, which besides supposing a minor economic cost also contributes to our well-being and health, eliminating the stale air and introducing air from the outside, previously filtered. 

Another of the key elements is to bet for an optimal consumption of our electrical appliances, favoring the purchase of electrical appliances with label A+, A++ or A+++. An easy example is energy-saving light bulbs, which may be a higher initial investment, their life can be tripled, so that it means considerable savings on every field in the long term. 

If we are talking about more structural elements of the house, opting for watertight and resistant windows and doors greatly improves the air conditioning, as well as walls built with robust elements, since they help to reduce the heat escaping in winter. On the other hand, awnings or insulating roof coverings also help to keep the indoor temperature stable. 

In addition to water heating, implement condensing boilers, which involve significant investment at the beginning, ensure greater efficiency in the long term, which means energy and economic savings. 

If you want to go for energy efficiency in your home and disengage from fossil fuels, LRP Energy helps you in the process towards renewable energy solutions. 

Ask for your free study with one of our Energy Advisors now and check the profitability of a photovoltaic installation for your home.

Go solar now!