Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)
Photo: Generalitat de Catalunya / Author: Norto Méndez
- Client: Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona
- Place: Barcelona
- Time period: 2012 - Present
CCCB – Energy management and greenhouse gas emissions inventory
Motivation
The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) is one of Barcelona’s leading cultural institutions, hosting exhibitions, conferences and festivals across a complex of buildings totalling more than 15,000 m². Its highly dynamic activity requires strict indoor comfort conditions, which makes energy performance and operational efficiency particularly challenging.
Aware of the financial and environmental impact of energy consumption, CCCB has been actively working for years to reduce its energy use and carbon footprint through continuous improvement strategies based on monitoring, optimisation and sustainability commitments.
Within this context, ERF has supported CCCB through two complementary areas of work:
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the implementation and ongoing operation of a real-time energy monitoring and immediate savings system, providing continuous technical support,
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and the development of a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory, covering both direct and indirect emissions linked to the organisation’s activity.
This work aligns with CCCB’s broader climate strategy, reinforced by initiatives such as sourcing renewable electricity since 2020 and joining the Voluntary Agreements Programme in 2022.
Results
Operational improvements identified through continuous energy monitoring enabled CCCB to achieve energy savings of over 10% within the first seven months, allowing the monitoring system to be fully paid back in under six months.
In parallel, the GHG inventory was developed in accordance with ISO 14064-1:2019, the standard used as a reference framework for the Voluntary Agreements Programme promoted by the Catalan Climate Change Office. The inventory covered emissions linked to the facilities under CCCB’s operational control (Casa de la Caritat and the Theatre building) for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, including indirect emissions associated with mobility and part of its cultural programme.
This assessment made it possible to:
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identify additional opportunities for emissions reduction,
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prioritise future mitigation actions,
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and highlight areas for improvement in internal data collection and reporting processes.
Scope of work
ERF’s services included:
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Installation and configuration of a real-time online energy monitoring system.
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Training of staff in the use of specialised monitoring software.
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Technical analysis of building performance: envelope, HVAC systems, operation and control strategies.
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Automation of energy accounting and periodic performance reporting.
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Continuous technical assistance and implementation of no-cost optimisation measures (including HVAC scheduling optimisation).
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Development of a GHG emissions inventory aligned with ISO 14064-1:2019.
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Emissions trend analysis (2019–2022) and identification of priority reduction measures.
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Support in improving environmental data collection and management procedures.
