Decide how we power buildings with energy It is key to decarbonization. 30% of final energy consumption in Spain comes from homes and services, so we must rethink how we heat, cool and light our lives. However, the full electrification of buildings, an initially attractive solution, also poses colossal challenges. The latest Frontier Economics report, published by the Naturgy Foundation, offers an alternative path: biomethane.
Thus, the analysis details the result of what could seem like a simple replacement exercise: changing fossil fuels for electricity. However, fully electrifying buildings would generate an additional firm demand of 28 GW, which represents 67.5% of current peak demand. This would lead to a massive increase in the renewable infrastructure needed: 397 GW of solar and 323 GW of wind. In other words, almost quadruple and sextuple current capacitiesrespectively.
The Spanish winter, with its seasonal demand for heating, intensifies the problem. During December, electricity consumption would skyrocket by 60%according to the report. This would require seasonal storage of electricity which today is far from being economically viable. Even the promised efficiencies of heat pumps, between 48% and 73% depending on climatic conditions and building insulation, are reduced when considering the costs associated with long-term energy storage.
Here comes the scene biomethane, a fuel that does not need to wait the construction of new distribution networks. This renewable gas takes advantage of existing infrastructure, from pipelines to condensing boilers, drastically reducing the initial investment. In addition, seasonal storage of biomethane is more efficient, raising the overall efficiency of its value chain to 85%. And, when costs per unit of energy are considered, including seasonal storage, biomethane emerges as the most economical option, followed by electricity and, finally, synthetic methane.
As Spain strives to meet its climate commitments, solutions to decarbonize buildings are far from unilateral. The report does not rule out electrification, but it does emphasize that a successful transition will require a combination of solutions. From heat pumps in well-insulated buildings to the strategic use of biomethane in regions where gas networks are already established, it is clear that flexibility will be key.
As politicians and energy experts debate, the message is clear: the green transition of buildings will not be decided by a single switch, but by a patchwork of innovations that balance costs, technology and sustainability. And, in that balance, biomethane could be the gas that “lights” our path.