Renewable electricity, audits and monitoring: Cinesa's energy strategy in Spain

Within the framework of World Environment Day this Friday, June 5, Cinesa shares the main initiatives and lines of work developed in Spain in recent years to advance energy efficiency, reduction of emissions and improvement in waste management.

Cinesa has managed to strengthen energy management through continuous monitoring. Its electrical meters and submeters are monitored 24/7 and, if an anomaly is detected, the cinema manager is notified indicating the abnormal consumption and the associated annual cost if it is not corrected. In addition, Odeon Cinemas Group (OCG), the company's parent company, establishes annual objectives to optimize energy consumption and reduce water use.

Eva Valles, Director of Operations for Southern Europe at Odeon Cinemas Group, comments that "at Cinesa we understand sustainability as a key responsibility and a long-term commitment to the environment and communities where we operate. Our 'green' strategy is based on promoting continuous improvement, integrating efficiency and impact reduction criteria in decision-making and daily operations, and promoting the involvement of our teams. At the same time, we want to move towards an increasingly circular model."

The exhibitor performs in Spain energy audits every four years, in accordance with the legislation, to analyze consumption and propose savings. Based on these audits, actions are applied such as staff training and awareness to avoid unnecessary consumption, optimization of air conditioning and projection operating times, and annual updates of lighting and air conditioning equipment according to budget. Cinesa also analyzes the energy cost by activities, such as morning cleaning, projection, lighting and climate control, to identify the highest consumption and guide specific improvements.

On the other hand, since October 2024, Cinesa uses 100% renewable electricity in all its cinemas in Spain thanks to an agreement with its energy supplier, a measure that will contribute to reducing emissions in the coming years. In parallel, the company has remote monitoring with algorithms that detect deviations (managed by an external company), carries out annual training for general directors and develops the plan. Zero Consumption. It also invests, according to priorities, in efficient technology such as LEDs, occupancy sensors, BMS and air conditioning systems. In refrigeration, prioritize chillers with lower greenhouse gases, such as R32 versus R410A. Likewise, some cinemas in Spain already have solar panels and new installations are being considered as far as possible.

DRS and audit at group level

In Spain, this year the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), a national deposit and return system for single-use plastic and aluminum beverage containers, aimed at increasing recycling rates, reducing single-use plastic and creating a circular recycling system.

Additionally, a group-level waste audit has also been carried out in 2026 to better understand the types and volumes of waste. This work will provide guidance on how to increase recycling rates, how to better manage and separate waste, how to involve customers to correctly recycle the waste generated during their visit to the cinema and what opportunities exist to switch to packaging with a lower carbon footprint.

At the group level, Cinesa has recently published a new environmental sustainability statement on the OCG brands' websites, reinforcing the commitment to reducing environmental impact, continuous improvement in sustainability and the involvement of employees, customers and suppliers.

Likewise, it has launched the internal communication platform Every Action Counts, dedicated to increasing knowledge and engagement on sustainability issues among teams. In parallel, conversations are underway internally about how AI could be used to monitor energy needs based on data such as ticket sales, seasonal weather and building performance.