The idea that saving energy not only reduces the bill, but can also become a direct source of incomeIt is beginning to take real shape in Spain. What once sounded like textbook theory on energy efficiency is now materializing into concrete mechanisms for homes, businesses, and public administrations.
In this context, the Benidorm City Council and the system of Energy Saving Certificates (CAE) These are two very different but complementary examples of how energy savings can be monetized. One shows the approach from the local government; the other, from the perspective of consumers and homeowners considering upgrading their heating and cooling systems.
Benidorm turns energy savings into money for the municipal coffers
The Benidorm City Council has taken a striking step by unanimously approving the incorporation of various energy savings as part of the municipal heritageThis is not a game of accounting words, but a formal recognition that the energy not consumed thanks to efficiency measures has an economic value that can be transformed into real income.
As explained by the Councillor for Heritage, Jaime Jesús Pérez, in 2023 several energy efficiency improvement projects were carried out in public facilities, generating quantifiable savings in 3.832,24 MWhThe ownership rights to these savings belong to the City Council itself, which has classified them as an intangible asset.
That volume of savings has translated into an economic estimate of 486.694,48 Eurosusing a minimum bid price of 127 euros per MWh as a reference. The municipal strategy involves declaring these savings as an asset and opening a file to process their sale, with the aim of monetize energy savings through auction.
The proposal, which has received favorable technical reports, will allow Benidorm to auction off the savings generated to obtain new economic resources without the need to increase taxes. The councilor himself emphasized that the city is positioned as pioneer in capitalizing on the savings obtained with the energy efficiency policies of recent years, something that until now was seen more as a regulatory obligation than as a financial opportunity.
What does it mean to monetize energy savings?
The key to these types of initiatives is understanding that energy saving can be treated as a measurable, certifiable and marketable assetIt's not just about spending less on electricity or gas bills, but about accounting for the energy saved thanks to a technological upgrade or renovation, and assigning it an independent economic value.
In the case of a city council, this involves registering the savings of its facilities (more efficient public lighting, modernized air conditioning, renewables in municipal buildings, etc.), proving those savings with technical and legal criteria and, finally, to give it value in the marketIn this way, the local administration turns an environmental and consumer benefit into an additional source of funding.
This approach is not exclusive to municipal corporations. Increasingly, European and Spanish regulations are encouraging businesses, homeowners' associations, and individuals to do the same. to obtain financial compensation through actions that verifiably reduce their energy consumption. This is where the Energy Saving Certificate system comes into play.
Energy Saving Certificates (EACs): the official way to get paid for saving
Energy Saving Certificates, known as CAE, are the official mechanism that allows recognize and monetize energy savings Derived from certain efficiency measures. Each certificate is equivalent to 1 kWh of final energy savings, officially certified according to current regulations.
When an improvement is made to a home, building, or facility—for example, an energy retrofit, a change of heating and cooling system, or the replacement of outdated equipment—the energy savings that will be achieved compared to the previous situation are calculated. These annual savings, expressed in kWh, are converted into an equivalent number of recognized CAE.
The unique feature of this system is that these certificates can to be handed over to the agents of the CAE systemThese are usually energy retailers, energy companies, or other entities required to meet savings targets. In return, the savings holder receives financial compensation, which helps reduce the actual cost of the investment.
Simply put: if a single action achieves annual savings of 500 kWh, 500 Energy Efficiency Certificates (CAE) could be generated. These certificates, once processed and validated, form the basis for obtaining an associated income or discount, so that Energy savings translate into real moneynot only in lower monthly consumption.
A regulatory framework that promotes heat pumps and efficient technologies
The push to monetize energy savings is not an isolated idea, but is supported by regulations themselves. Royal Decree-Law 7 / 2026, of March 20, reinforces the deployment of heat pumps through the CAE system and introduces correction coefficients that act as a multiplier of the proven savings when these systems replace others based on fossil fuels.
This means that if an old gas or oil boiler is replaced with an efficient heat pump, the savings calculated for CAE purposes can be seen increased thanks to those coefficientsIn practice, this correction multiplies the amount of recognized savings and increases the number of certificates generated, resulting in potentially greater financial compensation.
This approach aligns with the European decarbonization strategy, which aims to accelerate the phasing out of traditional boilers in favor of cleaner systems, such as air source heat pumps. For the end user—whether an individual homeowner, a neighborhood association, or a business—it's not just about consuming less, but about leverage the regulatory framework to recover part of the investment through the CAE.
The result is a double incentive: emissions and dependence on fossil fuels are reduced, and at the same time a pathway is opened for those who invest in energy efficiency to monetize the savings achieved beyond simply cutting the bill.
From paper to practice: Daikin's simulator for estimating monetizable savings
The theory of CAE (Complete Energy Efficiency) can sound somewhat abstract until you get down to the nitty-gritty. To facilitate this step, Daikin has launched a online simulator which allows the user to quickly get an idea of ​​the potential for energy and economic savings when replacing an old boiler with an aerothermal system.
This tool, accessible through a website, requests a series of basic data about the house or building: surface area, year of construction, type of insulation, existing heating system, and characteristics of the proposed new equipment, among other elements. With this information, the simulator calculates the estimated energy savings and the CAE that the action could generate.
One of the simulator's strengths is that it allows you to consider both heating savings and... hot wateroffering a combined estimate of the impact of switching to aerothermal energy. Based on this data, the tool also approximates the economic compensation linked to energy consumption, so the user can see, in numbers, what portion of the investment could be offset.
To refine the calculations, the simulator can rely on the Energy Efficiency Certificate (EEC) official document for the property or building. The user has the option to manually enter the certificate information or, if the function is available, upload the document directly. However, if the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is outdated or does not reflect subsequent renovations, the estimate should be considered as a guideline.
A practical example of the savings potential and APR
Let's imagine the case of a home located in a building constructed around 1975, without energy-efficient renovations and with a traditional boiler. By entering this data into the simulator and proposing a change to an air source heat pump system, the tool could offer a significant amount of annual savings in kWh, precisely because it starts from an inefficient initial situation.
If the simulation result showed, for example, an annual saving of 34.214 kWhThis figure would theoretically equate to approximately 34.214 potential CAE (Energy Efficiency Certificates), since each certificate represents 1 kWh of final energy savings. The exact number will depend on the actual characteristics of the property and the proposed aerothermal solution.
From there, those CAEs could yield to the agents of the systemThis would translate into additional financial compensation on top of the direct savings on the bill. It is precisely this mechanism that transforms a technical decision—changing the air conditioning system—into an operation with a clearer economic return.
It's important to keep in mind, in any case, that this is an indicative simulation. For the calculated savings to translate into aid or actual incomeIt is essential that the property data is valid, that the action is designed and executed with technical support, and that the file is processed within the official CAE system following the established procedures.
From home to town hall: the same concept at different scales
Although the Benidorm case and the use of the Daikin simulator operate on very different levels, both respond to the same logic: treat energy saving as an economic assetAt the municipal level, savings of thousands of MWh in public facilities are declared an asset and prepared for auction. In the domestic or small-scale environment, kWh savings in a building translate into Energy Savings Accounts (EAAs) that generate compensation.
Both scenarios share a common denominator: a lack of rigorous measurement of consumption before and after the intervention, and a lack of a regulatory framework that recognizes that savingIt would be impossible to move forward with monetization. The difference lies in how the value is channeled: in the case of local government, through tenders and asset management procedures; in the case of end users, through the transfer of CAE (Energy Efficiency Contributions) to companies obligated to meet efficiency targets.
This convergence between public policy and individual decisions reflects a shift in how we understand energy efficiency. It's not just about meeting climate targets or reducing dependence on foreign energy, but about offering tangible economic incentives to those who are committed to more efficient solutions, whether they are city councils, neighborhood associations or private owners.
In a European scenario where gas boilers are losing ground to technologies like aerothermal energy, and where municipalities are looking for new ways to finance their operations without further burdening taxpayers, the possibility of monetize energy savings It is emerging as a key element. Both Benidorm's move to capitalize on its public savings and the use of tools like Daikin's simulator point in the same direction: those who invest in efficiency not only consume less, but also have the option of turning that effort into additional income.
