Energy Savings Certificates (CAE): Monetise Your Energy Efficiency
Every kWh you save is worth money. The CAE scheme turns your investment in energy efficiency into extra income for companies operating in Spain: €115-140/MWh on the market. We manage the whole process so that your company gets paid.
115-140 €
Per MWh of verified savings
How does the Energy Savings Certificates scheme work?
The CAE scheme (Royal Decree 36/2023) requires energy retailers to meet savings quotas. They can do so by buying CAEs from companies that have invested in energy efficiency.
Who can take part?
- Any company that invests in energy efficiency
- SMEs, large companies, property owners' associations
- Measures carried out since 26 January 2023
- Verification by an ENAC-accredited verifier
Measures that generate CAEs
- Replacing light fittings with LED (all sectors)
- Electric motors with variable speed drives (IND240)
- Industrial heat recovery (IND130)
- HVAC upgrade: boilers replaced by heat pumps
How it works
- 1 CAE = 1 kWh of verified final energy saving
- 114 standardised datasheets + one-off measures
- Agreement with an accredited delegated party
- Filing with the regional registry + the national OCAE
Economic value
- 2025 market price: €115-140/MWh
- 500 MWh saved = €57,500-70,000 of income
- Compatible with grants outside the FNEE
- Triple return: CAE + lower bills + grant
How we manage your Energy Savings Certificates
Energy assessment
We analyse your company's energy consumption and identify the eligible measures with the greatest verifiable savings potential. We estimate the volume of CAEs you can generate and their approximate value.
Structuring the CAE agreement
We handle the signing of the agreement with the accredited delegated party, setting the financial compensation and making sure the terms are favourable to your company.
Verification and filing
We coordinate the independent verification by an ENAC-accredited verifier and file the case with the regional body (ICAEN in Catalonia) and the national OCAE.
Settlement and optimisation
We support the settlement of the CAEs and assess compatibility with other energy grants (IDAE, regional) to maximise the total return on the investment.
How much money can your energy saving generate?
An agri-food company in Aragón earned €113,240 in CAEs for a saving of 1,029,451 kWh a year, plus €46,668 a year in lower bills. How much could your company generate?
Calculate your potential CAEsFree energy assessment, with no obligation
More grant services
Non-Repayable Grants
Non-repayable support for your company: NEOTEC, ACCIÓ, Hazitek and regional programmes.
European funds
Access to FEDER, Horizonte Europa, LIFE and Next Generation EU funds.
Tourism grants
Support for energy efficiency in hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses.
The CAE scheme in figures
7.71 TWh
Savings applied for in 2025 (MITECO)
115-140 €
Price per MWh of verified saving
9,325 GWh
National savings target for 2026
+30 years
Tecnocim experience in public funding
Frequently asked questions about Energy Savings Certificates
A CAE is an electronic document certifying 1 kWh of final energy saving achieved through an energy efficiency measure. The mechanism, governed by Royal Decree 36/2023, requires energy retailers to meet annual savings quotas. They can do so by buying CAEs from companies that have generated them through their own investment. This creates a market in which energy saving has a price: between €115 and €140/MWh in 2025. The national target for 2026 is 9,325 GWh, the most ambitious to date.
Any company that invests in eligible energy efficiency measures can generate CAEs, whatever its size. SMEs, large companies, property owners' associations and public authorities can take part. The requirements are that the measure is eligible under the official catalogue of 114 standardised datasheets (or is a verifiable one-off measure), that it was carried out after 26 January 2023, and that a verifier accredited by ENAC confirms the saving. The company owns the saving and works with an accredited delegated party to handle the filing.
A delegated party (sujeto delegado, SD) is an entity accredited by MITECO to act as an intermediary in the CAE scheme. Delegated parties file the applications to issue CAEs on behalf of the companies that generate the saving. To be accredited, they must run a UNE-EN ISO 9001 quality management system. In 2025, delegated parties handled 52.3% of all applications in the scheme. Tecnocim connects companies with accredited delegated parties and manages the relationship to maximise the financial compensation.
The market price in 2025 sits between €115 and €140/MWh of verified saving. A company generating 500 MWh a year of savings can earn an extra €57,500 to €70,000, on top of the saving on its own energy bill. As a real reference: an agri-food company in Aragón earned €113,240 in CAEs for a saving of 1,029,451 kWh a year, plus €46,668 a year in lower bills (case published by CIRCE, 2025). The cost of non-compliance for obligated retailers in 2026 is €198,624/GWh, far above the market price of a CAE.
Yes, in most cases. CAEs are compatible with energy efficiency grants that are not funded by the National Energy Efficiency Fund (FNEE). If a company receives an IDAE grant funded by the FNEE, it must formally waive that grant before applying for CAE verification. For all other regional and European support, or other IDAE lines, compatibility is the general rule. That allows a triple return: sale of CAEs + savings on the energy bill + a compatible grant.
CAEs can be registered up to three years after the measure is completed, provided it started after 26 January 2023 and before 1 January 2031. In other words, if your company invested in energy efficiency in 2023 or 2024, it can still generate CAEs and turn them into cash. The Spanish government is also processing (April 2026) an amendment to Royal Decree 36/2023 that would extend the settlement period from 3 to 5 years. Tecnocim reviews your company's record of energy investment to identify measures already carried out that are still eligible.
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