Iberdrola España turns Efisa Tower in A Coruña into an energy efficiency icon
- The iconic building complex has reduced its heating requirements by more than 75%
- The completion ceremony, presided over by the mayor of A Coruña, Inés Rey García, was attended by the Regional Minister for Housing, María Martínez Allegue, and various representatives from the energy company
Iberdrola España has completed the energy rehaul of the iconic Efisa Tower in A Coruña, a complex of seven buildings with 181 homes and 72 commercial premises. The completion ceremony was attended by the mayor of A Coruña, Inés Rey García, who closed the event, the Regional Minister for Housing and Infrastructure Planning, María Martínez Allegue, and the Regional Director of the Regional Ministry of Housing in A Coruña, Begoña Freire Vázquez. The energy company was represented by the institutional representative in Galicia, Francisco Silva Castaño, the sales manager in the Galician community, Borja Cancela Blasco, the head of Smart Clima, Víctor Carballo Collado, and the head of Refurbishment, Vanessa Castro Jiménez.
The project, one of the most important undertaken by Iberdrola España in the country to date, included the insulation and renovation of façades and roofs, as well as the electrification of heating and hot water systems. The old gas boilers were replaced with heat pumps and new condensation equipment, which, together with a self-consumption system consisting of 209 photovoltaic panels, 55 on the roofs and 154 on the façades simulating an innovative vertical garden, will reduce its heating needs by more than 75% and CO₂ emissions by 90%.
Cleaner and more sustainable cities
The work also required the installation of a new electrical connection system for the entire complex, including provisions for the installation of electric vehicle charging points in the car park. The meter rooms were refurbished and their hydraulic infrastructure renovated, incorporating individual metering for heating and domestic hot water in homes, and the entire electrical connection system was replaced for shared self-consumption among the owners, and another for self-consumption without surpluses for the new installation of aerothermal energy.
‘Energy efficiency is currently the best and most cost-effective solution both for family finances and for the environment’.
During his speech, Borja Cancela said that ‘energy efficiency is currently the best and most cost-effective solution both for family finances and for the environment. Work like what we have done in A Coruña helps to reduce emissions and with it improve air quality and move towards cleaner and more sustainable cities. At Iberdrola España, we know that self-consumption is key on the road to a more sustainable, efficient and independent energy model’.
The Regional Minister for Housing highlighted the collaboration of the Regional Government in this project to ‘achieve an efficient and sustainable building’ and pointed out that Efisa Tower ‘received aid for energy efficiency improvements processed by the regional administration with Next Generation funds’. Allegue added that ‘as part of this commitment, from 2022 to 2024, the regional government processed more than 750 grants in Galicia for this same type of building, which enabled work to be carried out on 9,500 homes. With this transformation, the residential complex adds another milestone to its long history as an emblem of the city’ through ‘technical solutions that are statements of principle and fundamental steps towards a more environmentally friendly model. The future is built with responsibility, innovation and collective commitment’, he concluded.
Finally, the mayor of A Coruña, who closed the event, highlighted that ‘Efisa Tower is one of the great emblems of the city's skyline, and the energy renovation work done on the building is very important in terms of improving efficiency and sustainability. It’s a commitment that we share at the municipal government because we understand that it’s essential to improve the comfort and quality of life of our residents.’ Inés Rey recalled that, this year, ‘the City Council launched €5M in aid to co-finance energy renovation in residential blocks in various districts of the city’.
To make this project a reality, €7.5M was required, of which €4.6M was managed by the Regional Government of Galicia through Next Generation funds and €0.2M thanks to additional discounts on energy savings certificates. With this intervention, an average home with an average annual expenditure of €1,400 will be able to reduce its consumption by an estimated €700, achieving savings of up to 50%. The work was recognised at the 2022 Galicia Energy Awards for its innovation and energy efficiency.
You may also be interested in products and services:
