If you manage a hotel, a shopping centre, a hospital, a care home or an office building, this measure concerns you directly. TER050 is the CAE catalogue measure that recognises the energy savings from installing or upgrading a building automation and control system (BACS), known in practice as building management.
See the official sheet and its calculator (TER050)What a BACS actually does
A BACS is the brain of the building. It integrates and coordinates the main consumption sources — cooling, heating, domestic hot water, lighting — so they run only when and how they are needed. Instead of each installation working on its own, a central control system monitors consumption continuously, detects inefficiencies and adjusts operation in real time.
This is not comfort home automation: it is energy management. Switching off what is not used, modulating by occupancy, preventing heating and cooling from fighting each other, and giving full visibility of where energy goes.
The key idea
A well-run BACS reduces building consumption. TER050 translates those savings into Energy Savings Certificates, which have economic value: an investment that is often mandatory yet generates revenue that helps pay it back.
No longer optional: the RITE obligation
Since the RITE reform (Royal Decree 178/2021, transposing the European EPBD directive), non-residential buildings with a rated useful HVAC output above 290 kW must have an automation and control system, where technically and economically feasible.
And the timeline tightens: with the EPBD revision the threshold drops to 70 kW from 2030, bringing many more mid-sized buildings — offices, hotels, schools — into scope. In other words: if it does not apply to you today, it probably will soon.
- The common mistake. Installing a BACS only to tick the compliance box and never operating it wastes the investment: without active management the system does not deliver the savings that justify it. The obligation is a chance to do it properly, not a formality.
BAC efficiency classes: where the saving comes from
Standard UNE-EN ISO 52120-1 classifies a building's automation level in four classes, from D (non-efficient, no automation or obsolete systems) to A (high efficiency, integrated control and continuous monitoring). The saving recognised by TER050 comes from moving up a class: from a barely automated building to a well-managed one.
Certifiable savings are generated by moving from a lower class (typically C or D) to a higher one (B or A). The bigger the jump, the larger the saving — and the more CAE.
Class A
High energy efficiency
Advanced automation, integrated control of all services and continuous consumption monitoring.
Class B
Advanced
Improved management of building systems. This is the usual target level of the project.
Class C
Standard
Basic automation. It is the regulatory starting reference in many buildings.
Class D
Non-efficient
No automation or obsolete systems. Consumption is neither optimised nor visible.
What TER050 requires
The measure covers the installation, commissioning or upgrade of a BACS in tertiary buildings: hospitals, hotels, care homes, shopping centres, offices, airports, libraries, cultural venues and similar uses — subject to technical conditions.
- At least two integrated services. The system must control at least two of: heating, domestic hot water, cooling and/or lighting.
- Minimum 5 % share. Each of those services must account for at least 5 % of the building's final energy consumption.
- Documented class improvement. The automation level reached after the works (BAC class) must be demonstrated in line with the standard.
- Existing building in use. The measure targets assets in operation, not new construction.
How it becomes CAE
The savings calculation relies on the efficiency factors of UNE-EN ISO 52120-1, applied to the building's energy demand.
Documentation is demanding — compliant invoices, evidence, class declaration, recognised software tool — and that is exactly where an application stands or falls. Installing is not enough: it has to be proven.
- 01
The baseline is assessed
Initial BAC class of the building and consumption per service.
- 02
The works are carried out
Installation or upgrade of the BACS up to the target class.
- 03
The new class is documented
Declaration of the BAC class achieved, issued by the installer using a recognised software tool.
- 04
Savings are calculated and certified
The final-energy difference between before and after is translated into CAE, ready for monetisation.
2 services
minimum to integrate (≥5 % of consumption each)
290 → 70 kW
obligation threshold, dropping in 2030
C/D → B/A
class jump that generates the saving
Regulatory reference values. Each building's certifiable saving is calculated case by case from the actual technical documentation.
The double (triple) return
This is where TER050 stops being paperwork and becomes a business decision: lower bills month after month, revenue from monetised CAE, early regulatory compliance and an asset that is worth more and easier to operate.
Lower energy bills
Return 1
A well-managed building consumes less, month after month. The saving stays with you for the life of the system.
CAE revenue
Return 2
Certified savings are monetised through CAE, providing income that helps pay back the investment.
Regulatory compliance
Return 3
You meet the RITE obligation and get ahead of the 70 kW threshold coming in 2030.
Asset value
Extra
An automated, efficient building is worth more and easier to run. In some cases it avoids periodic energy inspections.
How we handle the application
An integrator installs the BACS; our job is to turn those savings into a valid CAE. We assess the starting class and improvement potential, confirm the project fits TER050, calculate the certifiable saving and build the full application: evidence, BAC class declaration, documentation and processing through validation.
We coordinate the technical, administrative and commercial sides through a single point of contact so the project reaches monetisation without friction. Our principle does not change: every figure must lead to evidence.
Frequently asked questions
- Does my building have to exceed 290 kW to use TER050?
- No. The 290 kW threshold is the RITE obligation. TER050 can apply to tertiary buildings that upgrade their BACS even when not obliged, provided the measure's conditions are met.
- Does upgrading an existing system qualify?
- Yes. The measure covers both new installations and upgrades of an existing system, as long as a documented class improvement results.
- Which buildings fit best?
- Those with intensive consumption and continuous operation: hotels, hospitals, care homes, shopping centres and large offices. The more manageable consumption, the larger the certifiable saving.
- Can CAE be combined with other support schemes?
- CAE is an independent mechanism and generally compatible with other energy-efficiency support routes. We review this during the initial analysis.