X-ray to the market of the carpentry of PVC in Spain

During his last Ordinary General Assembly, the association Asoven PVC presented an interesting report on the current situation of the market of the window of PVC in Spain and his plans of future, in which it discerns by where can happen the main roads of growth of this product to short, half and long term. The rehabilitation of houses, promoted especially by the research of a greater energetic efficiency, supposes one of the big pillars for the development of this market.

Inside the sector of the carpentry of PVC exist 650 companies in Spain that manufacture windows and enclosures of PVC, that suppose 19.000 people involved. Regarding the companies that manufacture and transform the prime matter, exist 1.750 companies, that suppose 38.000 places of direct work and 122.000 places of indirect works or induced. At present it works the national market inside the Iberian Peninsula and increasingly improves the internationalisation of the sector.

In Europe, in 2012, the sector of the PVC employed to more than half million of people, with a demand of 5,17 million tonnes (is the third plastic with more consumption, 11%). In Spain in 2012 the demand reached almost the three hundred one thousand tonnes.

The general market of the windows has reduced considerably of 10.980.000 units in the year 2006, to 2.000.000 of units in the year 2012. In spite of these so negative figures, to the closing of the 2012, the carpentry of PVC found in a quota of participation of 35,7%, with 750.000 units of PVC manufactured in this year.

The European average is of 54%, by what does of our future something very promising, with big perspectives to approach us to this so important figure. The quota of the aluminium is of 51%, the one of the wood is of 7% and the one of other materials is of 4,90%.

The PVC is the most used product for the manufacture of windows in the main countries of Europe, being the percentages of carpentry of PVC the following: Germany 70%, France 65%, England 60%, Austria, Switzerland and Italy 51%, Poland and Slovenia 80% and Russia 85%. In EE UU the percentage of windows of PVC is of 50%.

From does more than 50 years, the carpentry of PVC has been in a constant growth with excellent results and his quality is endorsed by the satisfaction of million users.

The carpentry of PVC gathers the requirements of quality demanded by the final consumer:

• Scarce maintenance.
• The windows of PVC have a long useful life and guarantee a perfect state of use.
• High thermal sensors and acoustic provision. Energetic saving.
• Balance between price and saving.
• The windows of PVC fulfil with the requirements of the new normative.
• Respectful windows with the environingingment and sustainable.

Spain collects a singularity with regard to the typologies of windows of the rest of Europe and is that the windows in Spain incorporate the persiana in the conception of the closing and increasingly increases the use of the monoblock.

The new Technical Code of the Edificación, CTE, contributes to elevate the qualities demanded in the construction in Spain and this requirement goes to be fundamental for the development of the market and the growth of the window of PVC, which answers widely to the requirements of the new Technical Code regarding the requirements of the energetic saving and acoustic mitigation.

In Spain is producing a progressive growth in the demand of the carpentry of PVC, like answer to the new requirements of the CTE, that will approach us to the figures consolidated in Europe. The carpentry of PVC can plant in 100% of the national territory fulfilling widely the requirements of isolation demanded by the CTE.

As it gives off of a study realizar by the Polytechnical University of Catalonia, realizar by the department of projects of engineering through the laboratory of Environingingmental Modelling, the carpentry of PVC treats , according to the experts, of a key material to fulfil with the requirements of the Protocol of Kioto, of the forcing of the reduction of CO₂ to the atmosphere. The use and installation of the carpentry of PVC in the homes contributes an upper energetic saving in 45% to the aluminium and in 15% to the wood. The installation of windows of PVC reduces the energetic consumption in the homes. Besides, the windows of PVC reduce the broadcasts of CO₂ to the atmosphere in 161% regarding the aluminium windows, and in 52% regarding the wooden windows.

The marked CE, of forced fulfillment fulfil them all the partners of Asoven PVC, by what plants us in a perfect position to give an answer to the needs and requirements of provision of the market.

After some years of strong fall of activity by part of the sector of the construction (see table), from Asoven PVC appreciate a tendency to the stabilisation of the market, that does not depend so much of the economic crisis as yes of the public politics.

Evolution of the activity of construction in Spain in the period 2005 -2015. Source: Asoven PVC.

The data that more influence in the evolution of this sector could describe them eat: types of interest, price of the house, new typologies, change of habits of purchase, migrant population, evolution of the no resident in coastal zones, sale of the stock of existent houses in hands of investors…

The sector of the closing in Spain is a faithful reflection of the economic situation and of the current construction. In the six last years, has gone reducing the number of new houses visadas until 90%, what repercute in the levels of production of the sector of carpentry. The problem of the morosidad asphyxia to the companies, that expect see reduced with the implantation of the Law of Morosidad. It has produced a descent of the sales with an accused cooling of the internal consumption and loss of impetus investor. Have besides an accumulation of flats built without selling, 700.000 to finals of the 2012, and an impairment of the financials and closing of the loans to the consumer and to the promoter.

The park of houses in Spain is estimated of 26 to 27 million houses. A fourth part has built in the last 10/12 years. An analysis reveals that 4,5 million houses are susceptible to be rehabilitated. The Plans Renove for windows of the autonomous communities, are allowing his energetic renewal to brake the broadcast of gases effect invernadero and a more sustainable adaptation and respectful with the environingingment. The current Plans Renove of replacement of the carpentries have given a new impulse, very important, dinamizando the sector of the carpentry of PVC because they fulfil the whole of the requirements and provision required by the Plans Renove of carpentry in all Spain. Practically the carpentry of PVC is planting in 50% of the Plans Renove like average in all Spain.

All the governmental politics are directed to the improvement of the energetic efficiency of the buildings and the quality of the installed materials, looking for a more skilled sector and of greater quality of the window. The carpentry of PVC is a perfect solution to fulfil these new requirements.

Has been approved recently by the Council of Ministers the Law of Rehabilitation, Regeneration and Urban Renewal, that will be a big incentive for the sector of the edificación and will contribute to the improvement of the energetic efficiency and sustainability of our park of house. It will allocate a game of almost 2.500 €/m² in helps for rent, rehabilitation and urban regeneration.

Also has begun on 1 June 2013 to be compulsory the Royal decree of Energetic Certification of Existent Buildings. The owners of real estate will have to have of a certificate of energetic efficiency, that has a force of 10 years, to rent or sell the house, This certificate, that already exists for buildings of new construction, will have to include information on the energetic characteristics of the buildings, being the classification G for the worst and the To for the best. In addition to facilitating a document of recommendations for the improvement of the energetic efficiency, this certificate contributes, for the first time, the knowledge of the thermal sensors quality of the houses and enters new parameters to value the real estate.

To fault of concretion of said recommendations, the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) and Environingingmentalists in action, have published in April of the 2013, the main measures to save in the home, advising like first measure, change the windows “by some more insulating like the ones of PVC. This material is 'no thermal sensors driver', therefore, does not leave to happen the cold neither the heat through him. Besides, it is twice more insulating that any window of aluminium. With this, would reduce the consumption of the heating or air conditioned when keeping the most isolated house”.

The year 2013 begin it working in the new ‘Plan Renove of PVC windows with maximum energetic efficiency', signing an agreement between the Community of Madrid and Asoven PVC, funded with private bottoms whose purpose is the energetic saving and the energetic efficiency. With the Plans Renove of windows, the energetic saving end achieved surpasses the equivalent to 50.000 tonnes of annual oil, that in economic terms, supposes for the Madrilenian society an economic saving of some 60 annual millions.

Besides, has achieved that they have left to issue to the atmosphere 260.000 tonnes of CO₂ (carbon dioxide).

The crisis goes to produce changes in the economic models of our industry, and in our sector of the enclosures of PVC are focused to the customer, improving the quality and the environingingmental and energetic efficiency. We are convinced that it will surpass this crisis contributing big business and financial doses, with diversification and internationalisation.

These changes will contribute dynamism to the carpentries with energetic efficiency, as it is it the one of PVC, with profesionalización and always in the road of the quality and the innovation.

The situation of the sector keeps on being very worrisome and the levels of activity in general are low minima, but if reflexionamos and value the new normative, that already are a reality, can expect with optimism a better future where the sector of the enclosures of quality will be leading. As they indicate the last assessments, expects the start of the recovery of the construction in Spain to final of year, eat: the containment of the deficit, the significant increase of the exports and the descent of the risk premium.

These data position us to bet by the sector of the rehabilitation so that it was a fundamental piece for the trace back of the situation of crisis.

Asoven PVC

The association of manufacturers of windows of PVC of Spain, Asoven PVC, is formed by the extrusores of profiles of PVC Deceuninck, Profine Kömmerling/KBE, Rehau, Veka Iberian and Schüco, and by manufacturers and distributors of windows of PVC and companies related with this industrial state (sponsor of Asoven: SGC Climalit Plus).

The number of associated current is of 75 companies, whose data of contact can consult in the web page www.asoven.com in the section ‘associated'.

Asoven Carries working in Spain 17 years and his figure of partners considers it “promising and representative of our sector”.

“Find us in a moment of expansion and dynamism –signal from the Association- and what offer to the associated through the association is:

1. Follow-up of the technical and juridical regulations.
2. Benefit of the exclusive informations, prioritarias and up to date of the market. Inform and communicate is an indispensable work.
3. Look for notoriety of each company and the differentiation by quality recognised.
4. Anticipate to the evolutions and market trends, to adapt the companies of our sector.
5. Place of meeting and connection with other professionals. Presence in the events and professional living rooms that affect to our market”.