Concessions for investments in energy efficiency
What we can do for you
The Energy Business Area of Warrant Hub is at your disposal to help you find the best solutions to support energy efficiency actions.
How we do it
Our team will be able to guide you through choosing the most profitable measures and accompany you along the process to obtain funding and tax relief: pre-feasibility, project analysis, application submission and reporting.
Some of the mechanisms in force at present and available to businesses
1. Ecobonus
Who can benefit?
Businesses of any size, in any industry, which have carried out energy efficiency work on existing buildings. Apart from them, natural persons, professional associations, and public and private entities that operate on a non-business basis can also access the facility.
What does it finance?
The incentive is offered to fund work such as:
- energy renewal of existing buildings;
- installation of solar panels for the production of hot water;
- work on the building envelope (walls, windows, roofs);
- replacement of winter air conditioning systems with heating systems equipped with condensing boilers and heat pumps;
- purchase and installation of solar screens;
- purchase and installation of winter air conditioning systems equipped with a biomass heat generator;
- purchase, installation, and commissioning of multimedia devices for remote system control;
- purchase and installation of micro-cogenerators (combined heat and power units).
The expenses eligible for tax credit also include those relating to professional services (such as the issue of energy performance certificates - EPCs - and necessary technical documents) without affecting the maximum limits of the concession envisaged for this kind of work.
How is it financed?
The funding is provided in the form of tax credit applicable over 10 identical yearly instalments.
2. Conto Termico funding
Who can benefit?
Businesses of any size, in any industry, which have carried out energy efficiency work on existing buildings. Natural persons and Public Administration Authorities can also access the facility.
What does it finance?
Businesses and individuals can access concessions for the following kinds of work:
- replacement of existing systems with generators powered by renewable sources;
- installation of solar heating systems, also combined with solar cooling technologies for the production of cold air.
The expenses incurred for Energy Diagnoses and energy performance certificates (EPCs) also fall within the scope of the funding, with a 50% limit applied to the spending .
How does it work?
The funding is disbursed by the government energy service agency (GSE S.p.A.) by bank transfer, in the form of payments made once a year for a period of between two and five years, depending on the type and extent of the work carried out.
3. White Certificates
What are they?
White certificates, or energy savings certificates (ESCs), are tradable securities that certify energy savings achieved in end-uses of energy.
The ESC system is an incentive mechanism based on a mandatory primary energy saving scheme.
Who can benefit?
Anyone wanting to achieve energy efficiency goals by carrying out the work specified as eligible for the White Certificates mechanism.
This means electricity distribution businesses can meet the savings requirement by either carrying out the energy efficiency projects deemed eligible by the mechanism or by purchasing the securities from other eligible parties, i.e. from other distributers, from certified ESCOs, or from public or private sector end users who have appointed a certified Energy Management expert.
What does it finance?
The energy efficiency projects eligible for the mechanism are projects that have not yet been implemented and can generate additional energy savings, i.e. greater savings than those achievable with the technology system used as a benchmark.
How does it work?
Based on the savings achieved through energy efficiency work, parties are entitled to a certain number of Certificates for the period established by law for each kind of project (from three to 10 years).
Voluntary subscribers to the scheme and those required to comply by law can exchange ESCs on the market platform managed by government-owned power exchange company GME S.p.A. or through bilateral negotiations.
4. National Energy Efficiency Fund
Who can benefit?
Companies of any size (and from all industries, with the exception of those involved in the primary production stages of agricultural produce, fisheries, and aquaculture) can access the fund, either individually or as part of an association, as well as ESCOs and Public Administration authorities, subject to the exclusions and limitations provided for by the GBER and the De Minimis Regulation.
What does it finance?
Concessions are granted for energy efficiency investment projects begun after submission of the application, for work intended to:
- improve the energy efficiency of processes and services, including buildings housing businesses;
- install or upgrade district heating or cooling networks or plants. This category also includes cogeneration (combined heating and power) or trigeneration (combined cooling, heating, and power) plants provided that their High Efficiency Generation is recognised (‘CAR’ certification in Italy).
Only additional investment costs necessary to achieve the highest level of energy efficiency are considered eligible.
Concessions may take the form of a soft loan and/or a guarantee.
These loans are granted at a fixed rate of 0.25%, to cover a maximum amount of 70% of the eligible energy costs, with a minimum of €250, 000 and a maximum of €4 million.
The guarantee covers up to 80% of the transaction amount (principal and interest) and in any case up to a guaranteed amount of between a minimum of €150, 000 and a maximum of €2.5 million.
The concessions can be combined with other state aid (EU, national, and regional) within the limit of the applicable legislation, i.e. Articles 38 and 46 of (EU) Regulation n. 651/2014 and the "de minimis" regulation.