Category: Finance

In recent years, solar energy has become increasingly popular, and more and more people are choosing to install solar panels at home or at work. As a source of renewable electricity, solar energy offers a number of economic and environmental advantages. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of solar energy and how it can help you save money.

Solar energy is one of the greenest sources of energy

Reducing electricity costs

Installing solar panels can help reduce your electricity costs. Depending on the size of the system, geographical area and level of sun exposure, installing solar panels can reduce your electricity bill by up to 100%. This means that in the long run, the initial investment in solar panels can be recouped through savings on your electricity bill.

Long life span

Low maintenance costs

Solar panels have low maintenance costs because they have no moving parts and do not require frequent repairs. In general, the most important aspect of solar panel maintenance is periodic cleaning. However, even this activity can be performed by the system owner without the need to call in a specialist.

Optimizing property value through solar energy

Installing solar panels can significantly improve the value of your property in the eyes of buyers. Properties with installed solar panels are more attractive and can sell for higher prices than similar ones without solar panels. In addition, installing solar panels can help reduce electricity costs, which can make the property more attractive to buyers.

Solar energy is an efficient and environmentally friendly option for anyone who wants to reduce electricity costs and protect the environment. The initial investment in solar panels can be recouped in the long term through savings on electricity bills and optimization of property value. Solar panels have a long lifespan and low maintenance costs, making them a sustainable option for anyone looking to reap the benefits of solar energy.

The price of energy and natural gas has increased this year and is up to 7 times higher compared to last year in some European countries.

The crisis of these prices is based on multiple international factors that have affected the entire global market:

1. The increase in global energy demand following the post-Covid-19 economic recovery;
2. The intensified rise in commodity prices, particularly natural gas, at a global level (over 170% in 2021);
3. The cold and harsh winter of the previous year, which prolonged the heating period, followed by a long and scorching summer, leading to higher usage of cooling appliances and consequently, higher energy consumption;
4. The war in Ukraine and the unstable geopolitical context worldwide.

In this context, since the fall of last year, the majority of European countries have taken measures to counterbalance the increase in energy and gas prices in order to avoid energy poverty.

In this article, we will analyze the measures adopted in Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Measures taken in Italy

Italians benefit from a 110% tax deduction for energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings and even subsidies for seismic consolidation of these buildings.

Additionally, the Italian government expects to save 4 billion cubic meters of gas this year by reducing the use of air conditioning in public buildings. The project is called the “Operation Thermostat,” where air conditioner owners are not allowed to set the temperature below 25℃.

Other measures that have been adopted in Italy to support consumers include:

• Social bonus for families with annual incomes below 12,000 Euros;
• Reduced excise tax on fuels by 30 cents per liter of gasoline or diesel;
• Temporary reduction of VAT on fuels from 22% to 5% for all consumers;
• Progressive reduction of VAT on electricity and gas bills based on consumption;
• Reduced electricity tax from 22.50 Euros per megawatt/hour to 1 Euro for household consumers and 50 cents for industrial consumers;
• Possibility for household consumers to pay energy bills in multiple installments.

Measures taken in Germany

In January of this year, the German government allocated a total sum of 130 million euros to support vulnerable households with low incomes. Additionally, the same government decided in March to reduce fuel prices for a period of 3 months by 30 cents for gasoline and 14 cents for diesel.

Other measures that have been adopted in Germany to support consumers include:

• Grants of 300 Euros offered to citizens;
• Additional aid of 100 Euros for citizens receiving social assistance;
• One-time grant of 100 Euros for each child in the household;
• Subsidized monthly public transportation passes worth 9 Euros, valid during June – August 2022.

Measures taken in Great Britain

The measures adopted by the British Government aimed both to support consumers and to meet the goal of significantly reducing carbon emissions by 2035.

In addition to the financial aid offered to citizens, especially those with low incomes, since April 1, home owners have been able to access grants for heat pumps that are more efficient than classic boilers, produce three times more energy than they consume and reduce carbon emissions. The program has a fund of 450 million pounds for the next 3 years (90,000 heat pumps), with approximately 4.8 million homes being eligible. The sums will be allocated according to the heating system to be installed in each home (air-water heat pump, biomass boiler, soil-water heat pump) instead of the system powered by fossil fuels.

Conclusion

Most countries in Europe have preferred to offset the price increases in energy and natural gas by providing direct support to citizens.

Price capping, as it was also adopted in Romania, was also applied in France and Bulgaria

The Rabla Program for Home Appliances this year has a larger budget by 25 million lei compared to last year. The first stage of the program started on June 17, 2022 and has a budget of 50 million lei, out of a total of 100 million.

This budget is divided equally for the two stages of the program: June-July, respectively November-December.

Last year, out of the total of 75 million lei allocated to this program, only 40 million were used.

What are the changes to the Rabla program for Appliances 2022?

According to the president of the Environment Fund Administration (AFM), Laurențiu Neculaescu, the Rabla program for Home Appliances 2022 brings the following news:

• Vouchers can be redeemed within 7 days, compared to 15 days last year;
• People who receive vouchers in the first stage of the program, but do not use them, will no longer be able to request vouchers for the same equipment in the second stage of the program;
• Televisions are no longer part of the category of eligible equipment;
• Vouchers are nominal and non-transferable, so they can only be used by the people to whom they were issued.

Valoarea Voucherelor pentru Programul Rabla pentru Electrocasnice 2022

Acestea sunt echipamentele eligibile pentru programul Rabla pentru Electrocasnice 2022 și sumele aferente acestora:

• 400 lei for washing machines (with or without dryer), having at least the new energy class C;
• 400 lei for dishwashers with at least the new energy class D;
• 400 lei for air conditioning systems (including portable air conditioners), with an energy efficiency of at least A++;
• 400 lei for refrigerators/freezers (including refrigerators and refrigerators), with an energy efficiency equal to or higher than E;
• 400 lei for clothes dryers with at least A++ as energy efficiency;
• 200 lei for vacuum cleaners with an energy consumption of less than 43 kWh/year;
• 500 lei for laptops;
• 300 lei for tablets.

Calendar of the First Stage of the Rabla program for Home Appliances 2022:

In order to be able to request Rabla vouchers for Electricity 2022 in the first part of the program, registrations could be made until June 24, 2022, by creating an account on the AFM website. People who created an account on the same site in one of the previous programs will still be able to use the same account.

The first part of the program, with a budget of 50 million lei, is divided into 3 stages:

• Stage I: June 24, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to June 30, 2022 (or until budget is exhausted): Requests for vouchers for washing machines, dishwashers and refrigerators. Budget: 25 million lei;
• Stage II: July 1, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to July 7, 2022 (or until the budget runs out): Voucher requests for laptops and tablets. Budget: 10 million lei;
• Stage III: July 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to July 14, 2022 (or until the budget is exhausted): requests for vouchers for air conditioners, tumble dryers and vacuum cleaners. Budget: 15 million lei.

According to Transelectrica, the 10 largest wind and solar projects approved in 2021 and early 2022 have a cumulative capacity of 1720 MW, requiring a total investment of 1.3 billion euros.

“In the case of Romania, the transition from the target of 24% in 2020, regarding the share of electricity produced from renewable sources in total gross final energy consumption, to a target of 30.7% (proposed) in 2030 is equivalent to the increase by more than 140% of the share of electricity production capacities from renewable sources, compared to the production capacity installed in the period 2010-2016 (of about 4785 MW)” – National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE). Romania currently has a capacity of 1300 MW from solar projects and 3000 MW from wind projects.

From the second wave of green energy, the largest project that received the technical approval for connection to the grid, is a 441 MW wind farm, which will be built in Buzău. The project received approval at the end of last year and represents an investment of 353 million euros. By comparison, the largest wind farm operating at the moment has a power of 260 MW.

Among the solar energy projects approved in the same period, the largest has a capacity of 134 MW and will be carried out in Olt county. The largest park of solar panels operating at the moment has a capacity of 60 MW, located in Giurgiu.

The table below shows the top 10 largest wind and solar projects that obtained technical approval for grid connection in 2021-2022:

Top 10 largest wind and solar projects
Pozition	Company	Project Type	County	Capacity(MW)	Value Investment (mil. euro)
1	First Look Solutions	Eolian	Buzău	441	353
2	Pechea Eolian	Eolian	Galați	366	292
3	Grup Blauer București	Solar	Olt	134	80
4	Nord Wind Power	Solar	Iași	130	104
5	Omega Eolian Project	Solar	Buzău	129	78
6	Omega Eolian Project	Eolian	Buzău	120	96
7	PNE Wind România	Eolian	Constanța	116	93
8	The Way Of Energy	Eolian	Tulcea	115	92
9	PNE SOLAR POWER ROMÂNIA	Solar	Bihor	87	52
10	OMW PETROM	Solar	Dolj	82	49