The energy certificate of a villa in Mallorca: what an A rating means for your bills and its value

In the paperwork of any home for sale there is a coloured label, from green A to red G, that most buyers look at for half a second. That is a mistake: that letter sums up how much it will cost to keep the house cool in August and warm in January, and it weighs more every year on the mortgage and the resale price. This guide explains what the energy certificate measures, why a well-built new villa comes out A, and how to read it with judgement.

What it is and when it is mandatory

• An official document, issued by a qualified technician and filed in the regional register, that rates a home's efficiency on a scale from A (best) to G.
• Mandatory since 2013 to sell or rent any home. Without it, the notary does not sign and the listing is illegal.
• Validity: ten years. If the house is renovated, it is worth renewing so it reflects the improvement.
• For new-build there are two: the design-stage certificate, calculated before construction, and the completed-building one, which is the one that counts. Always ask for the second.

What exactly it measures

The letter summarises two indicators, and it is worth looking at the numbers behind it:

• Non-renewable primary energy consumption, in kWh per square metre per year: how much energy the house needs for heating, cooling, hot water and lighting.
• CO₂ emissions, in kilos per square metre per year.
• Two houses with the same letter can differ a lot: an A at 25 kWh/m² is not an A at 45. The number matters more than the colour.

Why new-build comes out A or B

Since the 2019 update of Spain's Building Code, every new home must be a nearly zero-energy building. In practice that requires a highly insulated envelope, high-performance windows, efficient systems and a share of renewable energy. A villa designed and built to that code reaches A or B almost by construction; if it comes out C or worse, something was done by halves.

The resale stock is another story: most homes in Mallorca built before 2007 rate between E and G. Buying one and bringing it up to A costs, between insulation, windows and systems, far more than its price discounts.

What achieves an A in Alcúdia's climate

Northern Mallorca is in climate zone B3: mild winters and hot summers. Here cooling weighs as much as heating, and that changes which measures matter:

• Continuous external insulation (façade and roof) that cuts thermal bridges. In summer it keeps the heat out; in winter, in.
• Thermally broken window frames and low-emissivity glass with solar control. The window is the weak point of any house; in one with sea views, more so.
• External solar shading: louvres, shutters and overhangs that stop the sun before the glass. A shutter lowered on the outside saves more air conditioning than any machine.
• Orientation: villas facing east get morning sun and afternoon shade. It is free and worth more than a grade of insulation.
• Aerothermal heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water, delivering three to four units of heat for each unit of electricity. We compare them with other options in aerothermal, geothermal and propane.
• Rooftop photovoltaics, which produce all year here. Details and payback in solar power in coastal villas.
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, which renews the air without throwing energy out of the window and, along the way, controls humidity.

What it means for your bills and its value

• Bills: an A-rated home consumes, with the same use, between half and a third of a D. In a 200 m² villa with a pool in Mallorca, that makes a notable difference on the bill, above all in the months of heaviest heating or cooling.
• Mortgage: several banks offer "green mortgages" with a discounted rate for A or B homes. Even a small reduction in the margin, sustained over the whole life of the loan, adds up to a considerable saving.
• Property tax: many town halls grant a multi-year rebate on homes with solar installations. Check Alcúdia's by-law.
• Resale: various studies of the Spanish market agree that an A-rated home sells more easily and for more than a D, and the gap widens every year energy prices rise.
• Comfort: the one that does not show on the bill. An A-rated house has no cold walls, no draughts, no condensation on the windows in January.

How to read it before buying

• Look at the number, not just the letter. Ask for the full certificate, not the summary label.
• Check the date and whether it refers to the completed building or the design stage.
• Read the recommendations. The certificate includes a section of proposed improvements. If on a new house it proposes "improve insulation", ask why.
• Beware the "desk" certificate: the technician must visit the house. A certificate issued in an hour without a visit is usually a G by default or a B by generosity; neither is worth anything.
• Cross-check with the specifications. If the certificate says A and the specifications do not mention insulation, windows or systems, something does not add up. What to demand in a new-build house we cover separately.

Conclusion

The energy rating is the only figure on a home that sums up comfort, bills and future value at once. In quality new-build, the A is not an extra: it is the result of doing things properly. In resale, the letter that appears is the hidden cost the price does not mention. Whatever the house, ask for it, read all of it and question what you do not understand. Ten minutes that save twenty-five years of bills.