Energy Saving Certificates have become a key element in boosting efficiency in companies and public administrations, by allowing monetize energy savings derived from specific actions. In Spain, the system is taking off strongly thanks to a stable regulatory framework, accredited verification, and the interest of the sectors with the highest consumption.
This report brings together the essential elements of the CAE scheme, from its definition and governance to recent data by sector and territoryas well as practical cases and an agenda of events and resources that help to understand how to take advantage of this tool in practice, with a special focus on Spain and the European Union.
What are Energy Saving Certificates?
An Energy Saving Certificate (EAC) is an electronic document that recognizes a annual savings of 1 kWh of final energy after applying an efficiency measure. The actions can be standardized, if they conform to the sheets approved by MITECO, or unique, when they do not fit into said sheets but meet the technical and regulatory requirements.
The system was created in 2023 to turn savings into a transferable assetEach CAE is a negotiable title which can be passed on to obligated parties, thus opening up an additional avenue of financing for those who carry out improvements such as equipment renewal, air conditioning optimization or insulation improvements.
Its impact is not only economic: CAE incentivizes reduction of GHG emissions and compliance with European efficiency and decarbonization objectives, while promoting the modernization of facilities and processes.
Actors and functioning of the CAE system in Spain
The system is structured around different agents with defined functions to ensure the traceability and technical quality of the savings, guaranteeing transparency and reliability in each file.
- State coordination: The Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines (MITECO) ensures the proper functioning and the National Register of CAE.
- Regional managers: They validate files, issue certificates, and carry out pre-registration within their territorial scope.
- Obligated entities: gas and electricity marketers, and petroleum product and LPG operators that can offset their obligations savings through CAE.
- Delegated subjects: They assume, partially or totally, the obligations of the obligated parties.
- Accredited verifiers: independent entities that validate that the savings are real, measurable and compliant with ENAC standards and ministerial orders.
This architecture allows investments in efficiency to become certified and transferable savings, with a control circuit that reduces risks for all participants.
Accredited verification: requirements and process
The file for a standardized procedure must include eligibility according to the form, the CAE agreement between the parties, and technical reports and supporting documentation that support the results. The verifier checks coherence, completeness and veracity according to ENAC criteria.
To be accredited as a verifier, the entity must demonstrate technical competence and have a robust document systemMultidisciplinary teams and, above all, independence: it cannot participate in consulting, execution or advising of the actions it verifies.
The process concludes with a report and accredited opinion This guarantees savings and allows for their registration and monetization. This layer of control standardizes criteria, provides legal certainty, and facilitates the bankability of projects.
ESG and strategic value of CAE
The CAE are naturally integrated into ESG strategies by connecting efficiency with emission reduction and the responsible use of resources. The same logic of measurement and verification supports other indicators such as carbon footprint and water footprint.
When there is no direct physical record of what is no longer consumed or emitted, calculation protocols and methodologies They allow for quantification based on consistent technical data, making results comparable and progress auditable.
Recent trends and data: sectors and territories
According to the latest state report, the activity is concentrated in communities such as Madrid, Catalonia and Galicia, which lead in the volume of applications submitted, with a strong pull from industrial projects.
By sectors, the industry accounts for around 62,4% of the savings requests, followed by transport (approx. 27,7%) and the tertiary sector (around 5,3%), which confirms that large consumers are accelerating efficiency measures.
In terms of prices, the market is operating within a range of 115–140 €/MWh For many actions, this is in line with the growing maturity of the system and the interest of the obligated parties in meeting savings objectives with real projects.
Alongside the industrial focus, aid programs and energy communities are driving initiatives in Galicia, Catalonia, Extremadura and Castile and LeónThis anticipates a greater flow of files and a broader involvement of the business and citizen fabric.
CAE in mobility and transport
Transportation is one of the sectors with the greatest potential due to its significant share of energy consumption. Measures such as the park renovationFleet efficiency improvements or low rolling resistance tires can generate CAE and accelerate decarbonization.
The system is coordinated with other public policies: the future Sustainable Mobility Law finds an ally here, while programs such as MOVES III They provide subsidies for vehicles and charging infrastructure, complemented by 15% income tax deductions.
This arrangement allows for combining direct aid and certificate generationmultiplying the return for investors and developers. Market logic aligns economic interests with climate objectives.
The sector ecosystem is activating specific forums: at ExpoBus Iberia the application of CAE data sheets for transport, with the participation of business associations, manufacturers, mobility platforms and administrations.
Public administrations and SMEs: practical uses on the ground
Several municipalities are using the CAE (Environmental Control Agreement) route to continue their investments in efficiency. The case of [municipality name] stands out. Zaragoza, which tendered the sale of savings in five municipal buildings (air conditioning, among other improvements), with 978,207 MWh/year awarded at €165/MWh, for €161.404,16.
The auction was directed to obligated or delegated entities of the CAE system, taking advantage of the framework of Royal Decree 36/2023. With this, the council turns savings into income and strengthens its position in European initiatives for smart and climate-neutral cities.
At the local level, Valencia has incorporated the CAE to the program sustainable business with the Chamber of Commerce, opening a financing route for businesses and HORECA that replace equipment, improve insulation or update consumption systems.
To promote the mechanism, municipalities and sector agents are organizing technical workshops: in Ermua, the use of the system will be addressed. file management and a new guide for Public Administration prepared with the support of MITECO and regional managers.
Ecosystem and collaborations that accelerate the system
The implementation of CAE is generating new alliances between professional associations, technology platforms and energy companies, with the aim of add and process savings with greater agility and technical quality.
This approach fosters applied engineering, expands verification capabilities, and supports replicable projects in industry, tertiary sector and administration, reducing barriers to entry and processing times.
Resources, events and opportunities
The sectoral calendar includes technical sessions on CAE cards and its application in transport, as well as monographic days for public entities with presentations of practical guides and exhibition spaces of success stories.
For the administrations, the new methodological guides They provide legal and procedural frameworks to identify, measure, inventory and transfer savings, reinforcing the security of the files and their traceability.
The Energy Savings Certificate ecosystem is progressing with a solid technical foundation, encouraging data, and real-world examples of monetization in local government, commerce, and transportation; with accredited verification, clear governance and synergies With public aid, the system is emerging as a stable lever to accelerate efficiency and decarbonization in Spain.
