Eligible measure
The measure must match a standardised sheet in the current catalogue, or be processed as a singular project with its own calculation methodology.
Reference guide
CAE system · Royal Decree 36/2023
Spanish Energy Saving Certificates (CAE): the complete guide for companies.
A CAE certifies a real, verifiable final-energy saving. For a company, that saving stops being a technical figure and becomes a monetisable asset that lowers the net cost of the investment.
CAE / FLUJO_01
01
INTERVENTION
Technical data + baseline
02
SAVING
Calculation + applicable methodology
03
FILE
Evidence + documentary control
04
VALUE
Verification + acquisition pathway
CONTROL PRINCIPLE
Every data point must lead to evidence.
NOTE
What an Energy Saving Certificate is
A CAE (Certificado de Ahorro Energético) is the document that certifies, within the framework created by Royal Decree 36/2023, a final-energy saving achieved through an energy-efficiency measure. Each certificate equals 1 kWh of verified final energy saved.
The system exists because energy retailers carry annual saving obligations. They can meet them by contributing to the National Energy Efficiency Fund or by acquiring CAE generated from real projects. That demand is what gives economic value to certified savings.
For the owner of the measure — an industrial site, a hotel, an office, a condominium or a homeowner — a CAE is not a grant: it recognises a saving that actually happened, was calculated with the applicable methodology and is backed by verifiable evidence.
SCOPE
The four conditions of a valid CAE
Before discussing economic value, a project must clear four filters. If one fails, the application does not move forward.
Additional, calculated saving
The saving is calculated against a defined baseline. A theoretical saving, or an improvement already required as a regulatory minimum, does not count.
Clear ownership of the saving
Who owns the saving and who transfers it must be documented. In leases, rentals or energy performance contracts this is settled by contract.
Document traceability
Invoices, technical datasheets, photographic report, dates and equipment data must be consistent with each other. Verification reviews that consistency, not intent.
KEY FIGURES
The CAE system in figures
1 kWh
Final energy saved per certificate
RD 36/2023
Regulation creating the system
3 sectors
Residential, tertiary and industrial
100+
Standardised sheets in the catalogue
PROCESS
How an investment becomes CAE
The same route for an industrial plant, a hotel or an asset portfolio. The volume changes, the method does not.
Eligibility analysis
We identify the applicable sheet, check the technical conditions and rule out from the start whatever cannot be certified.
Certifiable saving calculation
We apply the sheet's methodology with real building or process data: capacity, floor area, climate zone, operating hours.
Building the application
We collect and order the evidence, check its consistency and prepare the documentation in the format verification requires.
Verification and monetisation
We support the verifier's review and connect the certified saving with the obliged party acquiring it.
SCENARIOS
Who can monetise CAE
If you have carried out or plan an energy-efficiency measure, there is a route. The fit depends on the sector and on who owns the saving.
Industry and production processes
Motors and drives, compressed air, heat recovery, industrial refrigeration, process improvements. These carry the largest saving volume per application.
Tertiary: hotels, offices, retail, healthcare
HVAC, LED lighting, BACS building automation, envelope and hot water. Intensive consumption and long schedules: a solid base of certifiable savings.
Residential portfolios and condominiums
Insulation, windows, heat pumps, collective systems. Several projects can be aggregated to reach the application threshold.
Installers, engineering firms and asset managers
You bring the project; we handle the technical, documentary and monetisation side. One point of contact for the whole application.
SCOPE
What it adds to the bottom line
A CAE does not replace the saving on your bill: it adds to it and improves the project's return.
Lowers the net cost of the investment
Certificate revenue is deducted from project CAPEX and shortens the payback period.
Adds to the saving on your bill
The energy saving stays year after year. The CAE is additional income tied to that same saving.
Compatible with other support routes
CAE is an independent mechanism and generally compatible with other energy-efficiency support. We review this case by case.
Strengthens energy reporting
The application leaves a documented trail of the saving achieved, useful for audits and sustainability reporting.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions from companies
01Is a CAE a grant?
No. A grant is public support awarded on the investment. A CAE certifies a final-energy saving already achieved, and its value comes from obliged parties' demand, not from a public budget.
02Can CAE be claimed for works already completed?
In certain cases yes, provided the dates, the applicable sheet and the documentary evidence allow it. That is the first thing we check in the eligibility analysis.
03Who owns the saving if the building is leased?
It depends on the contract. In leases, rentals, leasing or energy performance contracts, the transfer of the saving must be documented before the application is filed.
04Is there a minimum to file an application?
Yes, the system sets minimum saving thresholds. When a single project falls short, several measures from the same owner can be aggregated into one application.
05How long does the process take?
It depends on the quality of the starting documentation and on verification workload. A well-prepared application moves without back-and-forth; an incomplete one stops at the first review.
06What documentation do we need to provide?
Invoices for the measure, technical datasheets for installed equipment, building or process data, a photographic report and ownership documents. We tell you exactly what is missing and in what format.
NEXT STEP
Request a company analysisDo you have an energy-efficiency project underway?
Tell us about the case and we will confirm whether it generates CAE, under which sheet, and what evidence is needed. Initial analysis at no cost for companies.