An Energy Saving Certificate (ESC) is an electronic document that guarantees that, after carrying out an energy efficiency action, a new final energy saving equivalent to 1 kWh has been achieved. In this way, if an action is undertaken that results in an annual savings of 30.000 kWh, 30.000 ESC can be obtained.

This instrument allows energy savings to be monetized, recovering part of the cost of investments in energy efficiency (change of lighting, improvement of thermal insulation, renovation of industrial or domestic equipment, etc.), since the end user may receive a payment by selling the savings achieved for subsequent certification through the ESC System.

The actions may be:

• Standardized, those easily replicable and included in the Ministry’s Catalogue of Sheets

• Singular, those more complex or particular, not included in the catalogue.

The CAE System involves the agents described below. The participation in the process by each of them is as follows:

• Obligated parties (SO): these are companies marketing gas and electricity, wholesale operators of petroleum products, and wholesale operators of liquefied petroleum gases and petroleum products and LPG, which are required to achieve a certain amount of energy savings per year.

• Delegated parties (SD): accredited company that helps the obligated parties to achieve CAE, committing to settle a certain amount of CAE on their behalf each year.

• Owner of the savings: the one who has carried out the investment in an energy efficiency action.

• End user: the one who obtains a positive impact from the efficiency action, and usually coincides with the original owner of the savings.

• Energy savings verifier: entity accredited by ENAC that reviews that the action has been carried out, that the documentation is correct, and that the declared energy savings have been achieved.

Representing the Administration are the Regional Managers and the National Coordinator of the CAE System.

The Intermediaries are installation or engineering companies that may work for the rest of the agents who may become owners of energy savings.

As summarized in the process diagram available on the MITECO website.

Leitat’s verification body carries out verifications of standardized actions and is responsible for and retains authority over the verification decisions taken. As an energy savings verification entity, it reviews that the action has been carried out, that the documentation is correct, and that the declared energy savings have been achieved. Based on the result of this review, it generates a verification report and issues an opinion.