Energy Efficiency

The bank is the first in Spain to certify its entire portfolio of properties for its own use. BBVA successfully audited a total of 30 buildings and 1,882 branch offices in Spain under the ISO 50001 energy efficiency standard. In addition, the bank has renewed its ISO 14001 waste management certificate for a total of 21 buildings and 13 branch offices, or 43 percent of the total surface area of the bank’s properties.

BBVA has built a new advisory tool into its app. With the help of strategic partners, the app now provides personalized guidance on how to lower energy consumption by installing solar panels in family homes. This functionality enables bank customers to see an estimate of how much they could save on their electricity bill thanks to self-consumption, without having to enter any data if they already have their home registered and their electricity bill settled by direct debit. In addition, the solution shows the estimated cost if solar panels are installed, the number of panels required for savings, the investment required, the option of ordering them digitally from the bank's energy partner through a turnkey service, and terms for access to BBVA credit. In the first quarter of 2023, the bank funded nearly 4,000 installations, which represents growth of 67 percent compared to the same period last year.

BBVA has signed a partnership agreement with Acciona to inform, advise and finance projects for energy efficiency upgrades in buildings. The aim is to reduce the electricity bills (by using less energy) and the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of Spanish buildings, some of the most energy obsolete in Europe. In the first stage of this service, BBVA will contact almost 3,000 home owners in Spain to promote energy efficiency.

BBVA has entered into a collaboration agreement with energy services firm Stratenergy in Spain to accompany companies in the transition to a sustainable model. As part of this initiative, the bank will offer funding to contribute to energy efficiency improvements. The ultimate aim is to promote the implementation of projects that help to enhance savings by consuming less energy and decreasing their environmental impact.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed today that the energy transition poses a great opportunity because many existing activities will see enormous growth as new activities will emerge. “Spain has a competitive advantage in the energy transition,” he said. “We have the natural resource - the new oil, which is the sun and the wind,” he added during his presentation on the second day of Wake up Spain, the energy transition symposium organized by El Español, Invertia and D+I.

BBVA illuminated the main building at its company headquarters in Madrid—La Vela—to mark the fifth anniversary of the launching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BBVA opted for the color blue of the United Nations flag to commemorate the date on which 193 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda at UN headquarters in New York.

Industry and institutions consider the Internet of things an opportunity for the present and the future that will digitize many operations and bring tremendous benefits. But it also has the ability to help combat climate change and protect the environment. This is how the Internet of Things could impact the sustainability of the planet in different areas, such as water use and energy efficiency.

Energy savings at BBVA’s headquarters is 5,766,731 kWh a year, equivalent to the consumption of 1,900 households. This equals 12 to 15 percent less than when the complex was inaugurated in 2015 and a 1,430-metric ton per year reduction of CO2 emissions. The building’s sustainable design and equipment are not solely responsible for this success: tools powered by artificial intelligence have also been used to optimize the bank's energy use.

Practicing energy efficiency is essential for the protection of the environment. A few simple household tricks will help you manage to reduce your energy consumption while at the same time adding to the household pocketbook.

Scattered across BBVA City, there are over 50,000 sensors measuring everything from temperature and humidity, to brightness and motion. They were installed to ensure the proper running order of the facilities and employee comfort, but the engineers managing the building have found other ways of harnessing their capabilities to their full potential. By developing several algorithms capable of factoring in the readings they provide and additional data from external sources, they were able to achieve energy savings equivalent to the annual consumption of 200 households.