First leasing loan under EBRD Russian energy efficiency programme

Recognising the role played by the leasing sector in funding the acquisition of energy efficient equipment, the EBRD has provided a 400 million rouble loan (€9.94 million) to promote energy savings by the small and medium sized business clients of a Russian leasing company. The four-year loan to Russia’s BOT Lease (Eurasia) LLC, an affiliate … Continue reading First leasing loan under EBRD Russian energy efficiency programme →

New report from Siemens Financial Services

Jonny Williamson from Manufacturing Digital writes about a new report on the potential for energy savings in industry. Are you squandering money on inefficient energy use? The latest report from Siemens Financial Services demonstrates the enormous potential energy cost savings of implementing variable speed drives on motors in industrial production environments The incorporation of … Continue reading New report from Siemens Financial Services →

Two excellent energy efficiency papers

The journal Energy Policy provides two excellent energy efficiency papers on the impact of energy labels and the possible role of how feed-in tariffs can be an option to promote energy saving. The first paper, entitled The impact of energy labels and accessibility on office rents is by Nils Kok from Maastricht University and Maarten … Continue reading Two excellent energy efficiency papers →

French town signs energy performance contract

While energy issues and environmental concerns are at the heart of local government, the town of Domène - with 6700 inhabitants located near Grenoble – embarked on a programme of renovation and improvement of energy efficiency of some of its buildings. The energy performance contract (EPC) was signed with Schneider Electric and it is the … Continue reading French town signs energy performance contract →

Public consultation on EIB’s energy lending policy underway

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is launching a public consultation as part of the review of its energy sector lending policy. The review process is expected to be finalised in summer 2013. The EIB’s energy sector lending policy is based on relevant EU sector policies. These policies are translated into lending objectives and project screening … Continue reading Public consultation on EIB’s energy lending policy underway →

Energy company obligations in Britain – two important papers

Energy savings obligations in the UK – a history of change: Jan Rosenow of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford has produced a paper for a special issue of the journal Energy Policy that looks at Energy Savings Obligations in the UK. More specifically, it discusses how the policy instrument changed over time and … Continue reading Energy company obligations in Britain – two important papers →

Adding value to a home

It was reported in the Toronto Star recently that the non-profit personal finance web site GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca offers five types of renovation that add value to a home: •Investments in more efficient use of energy (60 per cent recovery rate) •New or improved kitchens and bathrooms (75-100 per cent recovery rate) •Low-cost improvements — painting, wallpaper, … Continue reading Adding value to a home →

Renewables in Bulgaria

A blog by Andrew MacDowall in the Financial Times explains the dilemma facing Bulgaria as the government cut support for renewable energy retroactively. Bulgaria: renewables price cut dispute could spook investors Drastic retroactive cuts in the fees paid to renewable energy producers in Bulgaria has prompted a furious reaction from what was a fast-growing … Continue reading Renewables in Bulgaria →

Retrofitting older homes in Canada

After the second war, there was a big effort in Canada to ensure that returning soldiers and other needy families were provided with basic housing. These wartime houses were built throughout Canada. Unfortunately, while they were built quickly, they were not always the most energy efficient. This is a good article by the Daily Commercial … Continue reading Retrofitting older homes in Canada →

New study on the use of financial instruments to retrofit buildings in Europe

The Buildings Performance Institute Europe has come out with a new report reviewing the use of financial instruments in the European Union. The paper presents an overview of the various financial schemes in place dedicated to the energy efficient renovation of buildings in 2011. It makes a quantitative analysis of the different financing mechanisms and … Continue reading New study on the use of financial instruments to retrofit buildings in Europe →