The new RITE and how it will reduce energy consumption

As we have been saying for some time, the pharmaceutical industry requires changes in many aspects. One of them is the environmental impact generated by its different activities. In line with this need for change, there has been a modification of the RITE.

The RITE, or Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings, is the Spanish national regulatory framework that regulates the energy efficiency and safety requirements that must be met by thermal installations. In other words, it directly affects all buildings, including medicine production plants.

In our opinion, the most remarkable news of this modification is the improvement of the energy efficiency of thermal installations, thanks to the reduction of primary energy consumption. It means that some of the equipment in the factories will be obliged by law to have a lower energy consumption. In addition, there is also an obligation to use equipment that allows the use of renewable energy, wherever possible.

How does the new RITE reduce the environmental impact of thermal installations?

When changing or building a thermal installation, the installer must carry out a study of the different options available to assess the level of energy efficiency, technical feasibility and economic costs offered by each of the possibilities. If an efficient and environmentally friendly options is not chosen and a more conventional and therefore more polluting system is chosen, this must be duly justified.

In addition, the installer must try to prioritise the use of energy from renewable sources, avoiding the use of equipment that requires fossil fuels. The new RITE also expressly includes automation and control systems. It also repeatedly mentions renewable and residual energies, i.e. the new regulation promotes the use of residual energies from the installation (heat in extraction air, condensation water from batteries, etc.) and promotes – even in renovations – highly energy-efficient alternatives.

Through these measures, the primary energy consumption of thermal installations is expected to be reduced by 39.5% by 2030. Furthermore, most of the energy used for this equipment should come from renewable sources that compromise the environment as little as possible.

How does the new RITE affect pharmaceutical production factories?

As mentioned above, RITE affects any building, and that, of course, includes pharmaceutical production plants. These changes especially affect the systems in charge of the production of the services that we know as “industrial”. In other words, those services that can be found in practically any type of factory: domestic hot water, cooling water, steam, etc.

When does the new RITE come into force?

The modifications made to the RITE are in force from July 2021. This means that any new installation, change or maintenance that affects the thermal installation of a building must comply with the new regulation.

At Klinea, as an engineering company specialising in the biopharmaceutical sector, we are up to date with the regulations in order to:

• be able to apply it in our designs
• advise our clients to choose the alternatives that best suit their needs, while at the same time meet their objectives to reduce the impact on the environment
• to be able to work together with the installers to meet the initial expectations of our clients.

If you are interested in finding out more about sustainability in pharmaceutical plants and how we can help you, please contact us: klinea@klinea.es