What are CAE and why do they matter to you as an installer?
Certificados de Ahorro Energetico (CAE) are electronic documents that certify the energy saving achieved after carrying out an energy efficiency action. Each CAE is worth 1 kWh of annual saving.
As an electrical or thermal installer, every time you replace lighting, install a heat pump or change a frequency converter, you are generating savings that can be turned into CAE and additional income.
How much can you earn?
The market price of a CAE ranges between 0.10 and 0.30 EUR per kWh of saving. A typical LED lighting replacement action in an industrial building (datasheet IND050) can generate between 30 and 200 MWh of saving, which amounts to between 3,000 and 60,000 EUR in CAE value.
Examples of common actions and their potential:
- IND050 (industrial LED): 30-200 MWh, value 3,000-60,000 EUR
- TER030 (tertiary LED): 30-80 MWh, value 3,000-24,000 EUR
- IND240 (variable speed drive): 50-300 MWh, value 5,000-90,000 EUR
The process step by step
Step 1: Calculate the saving
Select the IDAE datasheet corresponding to the action carried out and enter the technical parameters (power before/after, operating hours, etc.). The result is the annual saving in MWh. Remember that the minimum threshold is 30 MWh per file (article 14.6 Orden TED/815/2023).
Step 2: Build the file
Gather the 9 regulatory documents: baseline situation (D1), technical documentation (D2), invoice (D3), photographic report (D4), justifying calculation (D5), Acto de Compromiso, Acuerdo de Participacion, and the verification documents.
The Acto de Compromiso must be signed BEFORE the start of the works (article 8 RD 36/2023). If it is signed afterwards, the file is inadmissible.
Step 3: Transfer the savings to a delegated subject
As an installer, you cannot request the issuance of CAE directly from the MITECO. You need to transfer your savings to an accredited delegated subject, who will handle the procedures with the Sede MITECO.
Do you need a delegated subject?
Yes. Only delegated subjects accredited by the MITECO can request the issuance of CAE. Your role as an installer is to build the file with the calculation and documentation, and to pass it on to your partner delegated subject.
Spain currently has 66 accredited delegated subjects. You can consult them in the MITECO public register.
How CertificAhorro helps you
CertificAhorro automates the most tedious parts of the process:
- Automatic calculation: select the datasheet, enter the parameters, get the result in MWh and tep.
- Validation before sending: the system detects errors (invalid CUPS, commitment dated after the works, threshold not reached) before they reach the delegated subject.
- Compliant ZIP: generates the file ZIP with the exact naming required by the Sede MITECO.
- Transmission to the delegated subject: sends the file directly to your delegated subject from the platform.
The Basico plan at 49 EUR/month covers up to 5 files per year, enough for an installer starting out with CAE.