Spanish HVAC sales rise 11.4% as heat-pump adoption accelerates
Spanish HVAC sales to professional channels reached €2.04188 billion in 2025, up 11.4%, according to AFEC. Heat-pump sales increased 14.9% to 227,524 units, although further adoption depends on regulation, electricity costs, financing and grid capacity.
Professional-channel sales exceed €2 billion
Spain’s thermal installation and air-conditioning market continued to expand in 2025 as electrification and heat pumps gained ground. Sales into professional distribution channels across the categories tracked by the Spanish Association of Air-Conditioning Equipment Manufacturers, or AFEC, reached €2.04188 billion, an increase of 11.4% from 2024.
The combined category covering air-conditioning equipment, heat pumps and domestic hot-water production generated €1.58508 billion, up 6.5%. Residential sales increased 6.1%, the commercial segment grew 6.7%, and the tertiary and industrial segment advanced 7.3%. AFEC’s market update, published in August 2026, compares the outlook in its original February report with developments during the following six months.
Heat-pump volumes grow across technologies
Spain sold 227,524 heat pumps in 2025, 14.9% more than a year earlier. Reversible air-to-air systems accounted for 131,579 units, up 16.4%, while air-to-water sales reached 95,632 units, an increase of 13%. Water-to-water equipment remained a small category at 313 units but recorded growth of 9.1%.
The Spanish trend accompanied a wider European recovery. Subsequent data cited in the AFEC update put 2025 heat-pump sales at 2.9 million units across 21 European countries, 13% above the previous year. AFEC nevertheless said continued expansion would depend on regulation, incentives and economic conditions, including the operating cost of electrical systems, energy taxation and network capacity.
Regulation and savings certificates shape demand
Energy Saving Certificates, known as CAE in Spain, are becoming a more important financial signal for thermal electrification. Royal Decree-law 7/2026 introduced a multiplier for verified savings when a heat pump replaces fossil-fuel equipment. The number of CAE cases rose from about 700 in 2024 to roughly 4,000 in 2025, with more than 8,000 forecast for 2026.
Other regulatory work remains unfinished. In May, Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition opened a public consultation on revised primary-energy conversion factors and carbon-emission factors for building energy certification. The proposal uses forecasts for the national energy mix in the PNIEC 2023-2030, but it was still being processed in August 2026. Spain has also submitted a draft National Building Renovation Plan under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Final national plans are due by 31 December 2026.
Ventilation growth highlights uneven market
Ventilation produced widely varying results. Residential ventilation revenue reached €61.38 million, up 114.5%, although AFEC said new study participants and product reclassification also influenced the comparison. Industrial and tertiary ventilation rose 55.9% to €220.49 million, supported by data centres, air-handling-unit upgrades, plug fans, fan arrays and electronically commutated motors.
By contrast, air distribution and diffusion grew only 0.4% to €69.70 million. Air-handling units and heat-recovery ventilation units increased 0.9% to €105.23 million. AFEC warned that some renovation projects improve the building envelope or heat generation without adequately integrating ventilation, heat recovery, controls and commissioning. The association argues that this can undermine both energy performance and indoor-air quality. Spain’s proposed €9.099 billion Social Climate Plan for 2026-2032, including €4.723 billion for buildings, could support investment, but technical execution and access to finance remain decisive constraints.