On 29 May 2026 the deadline expired for Member States to transpose the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD, 2024/1275). According to the Green Building Council España, Spain had covered 60% of the 155 provisions requiring transposition by that date. Still pending are, among others, the RITE thermal installations regulation, renovation passports, building databases and the infrastructure for the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI, due June 2027).
EPBD Hits the Job Site: Why the 2030 Hotel Is Decided at Design Stage Today
Spain has transposed only 60% of the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. For hotels and real estate, waiting for the full rulebook is the costliest mistake.
Last updated: October 2026
Two figures that change the conversation
85% of Spain’s building stock is energy inefficient, and only about 2% is renovated each year. The challenge is not only building better, but intervening better in what already exists. For an operating hotel, that means upgrading systems without stopping the business, with planning and site supervision that understand operations.
From design to data: the BMS as nervous system
The EPBD strengthens building automation and control (BACS) and the monitoring of real performance. A well-designed building management system (BMS) is not an add-on: it turns investment in HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems into actionable data and makes compliance demonstrable. The common mistake is integrating it last. We do it first: services and controls are designed as a single system, modelled in BIM, so clashes are solved in the model, not on site.
What we recommend to owners and operators
- Design for the 2030 horizon (zero-emission), not for today’s minimum.
- Define the data strategy up front: what is measured, at what granularity, and who uses it.
- Keep technical site supervision aligned with the design intent, so what is designed is what is built.
- Treat certifications such as BREEAM as a management tool, not a marketing one.
A closing thought
Every building asks a different question, and the coming rules only raise the bar. Is your next project designed for today’s code or for the 2030 building? Let’s talk.