Morocco boosts home energy efficiency measures

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While Morocco is a leader in the field of renewable energy, the same can’t be said for its energy efficiency. Housing represents only 25% of its energy consumption, but the volume in absolute terms increased 80% between 2000 and 2010. The Kingdom is today redoubling its efforts to catch up for lost time and stop the inflationary trend, targeting a 15% reduction between 2009 and 2030.

The Réglementation Thermique de Construction (RTCM), the thermal efficiency regulations for buildings, sets efficiency standards for buildings (insulation, building orientation, choice of materials…) and heating systems. Even though the RTCM is only partially applied at present, substantial efforts are being made to bring it into force for all new constructions.

At the same time, the country is carrying out a training and awareness campaign among all the sector’s stakeholders and interested parties, setting up pilot projects, putting in place labelling and efficiency standards for air conditioners and refrigerators and is deploying energy efficiency demonstrators and technical assistance for improving building thermal efficiency.

Morocco is meanwhile putting the final touches to an energy efficiency label, Eco-Binayate, due for launch in the first quarter of 2020. This voluntary scheme is targeting main contractors and developers, with the aim of improving buildings’ quality in terms of energy-efficiency and the environment. Eco-Binayate will be rolled out progressively, providing visibility for the more virtuous operators. The first phase of deployment will cover only new homes. Its objective is to showcase best practices in order to elicit change in the construction sector towards building sustainable buildings that are more comfortable and more energy-efficient.

Morocco is also investigating other promising avenues, such as promoting solar water heaters, the renovation of public buildings and aid measures for the replacement of older air conditioners and refrigerators. Refrigerators represent 45% of all household electricity consumption and lighting 20%.

The efforts being made by Morocco have recently been rewarded, with €20M of funding received from the NAMA Facility, a programme financed by Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the European Commission aimed at supporting projects to combat climate change. Due to come online in 2021, the Moroccan project involves, among other things, integrating energy efficiency measures into 12,000 homes being built across the country.