More on UK’s VAT issue with European Commission

In the recent post on Britain's taxing issue, EiD quoted Andrew Warren, Director of the UK Association for the Conservation of Energy. Following other comments that EiD has received, Andrew has kindly provided the following extended note. As all Europeans are trying to address how to finance energy efficiency investments, this is an important issue … Continue reading More on UK’s VAT issue with European Commission →

A taxing issue

The European Commission’s press release this week was quite stark in its announcement: . . . The European Commission has decided to refer the United Kingdom to the EU Court of Justice for its reduced VAT rate on the supply and installation of energy-saving materials. This measure goes beyond what is allowed under the VAT … Continue reading A taxing issue →

Innovative financing for solar energy systems

Diane Cardwell writes in the New York Times about how the Honda car company has now linked with a major solar energy installer to provide solar incentives to encourage customers in the US to buy their hybrid and electric vehicles. It will be interesting to know if such support for renewables will be provided in … Continue reading Innovative financing for solar energy systems →

How consumers can work together to finance climate change solutions

Lisa Palmer recently provided a blog in the New York Times about how consumers can bundle their efforts to finance climate change solutions. A Climate Proposal: Bundling Consumer Buying Power Each year, an estimated 46 percent of the population is responsible for 77 percent of discretionary spending in the United States. To strengthen individual buying … Continue reading How consumers can work together to finance climate change solutions →

A Q&A on a carbon tax versus cap-and-trade

Luca Taschini, Simon Dietz and Naomi Hicks of Grantham Research Institute recently provided a Q&A in the Guardian comparing a carbon tax against cap-and-trade. This is a useful article for all EiD readers. Carbon tax v cap-and-trade: which is better? Economists argue that, if the market is left to operate freely, greenhouse gas emissions … Continue reading A Q&A on a carbon tax versus cap-and-trade →

Retrofits at a fast PACE

Jim Witkin writes for the New York Times about a new financing programme for retrofits in Sacramento California. The programme is modelled on the PACE concept – Property Assessed Clean Energy that has no up-front costs. As countries in Europe are starting to either implement or assess the possibility of such a scheme, it is … Continue reading Retrofits at a fast PACE →

Is the Green Deal a big deal?

Everyone in Europe is watching with great interest how the Green Deal will be implemented in Britain. It is one of the big “experiments” in trying to improve financing for building retrofits. The Green Deal has just started and it has, not surprisingly, gained much press attention. This article by Lisa Bachelor for The Observer … Continue reading Is the Green Deal a big deal? →

Two new reports from the IEA

The International Energy Agency publishes many reports annually. Two recent ones should be of special interest to EiD readers. The first is on the use and public funding of economic instruments, i.e. government financial tools, in IEA countries to support energy efficiency, particularly in the buildings sector. It is called "Mobilising investment in energy efficiency" … Continue reading Two new reports from the IEA →

New EBRD financing to help Turkey establish a low carbon market economy

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is taking an active role in Turkey. The EBRD is continuing to help Turkey become an energy-efficient and low carbon market economy with a new financing package of €50 million provided to Finansbank for on-lending to private companies investing in renewable energy, industrial energy efficiency and waste-to-energy projects. … Continue reading New EBRD financing to help Turkey establish a low carbon market economy →

Green Investment Bank shows it’s in business

Renewable Energy Focus provides details on the first deal by the UK’s new public-funded green investment bank in wind energy. UK Green Investment Bank agrees its first offshore wind farm finance package The UK’s state-backed Green Investment Bank (GIB) has struck its first deal in the offshore wind sector, contributing to a £224 million re-financing … Continue reading Green Investment Bank shows it’s in business →