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SE RGY T ENE ion SMAR Ve r s
English
Year II° - Number 2 of january 26, 2013 - Free subscription
BECOME AN “SE” BUSINESS PARTNER
The New Era: a microgrid
for every house THE PD CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER, Mr. BERSANI,
RISPONDS TO “SE”: WICH RENEWABLES FOR 2013?
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SE Fortnightly on Energy and Energy Saving Edited by Progema srl via De Amicis 2 21020 Varano Borghi VA DIRETTORE Lorenzo Lo Vecchio Phone: +39 0332 948.948 (operation office) - +39 02 9374175 (secretary) - fax +39 02 700537124 mail: se@progemaenergia.it - web: www.progemaenergia.it newstand: www.progemaenergia.it/se Electronic distribution – 18,524 – Year II – Number 3 Aut. Trib. Milano - Reg. n. 475 del 18/12/2012
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in this edition of SE 6 7 8 10 13 14 16 20 21 23 25 30 32 35 37 39 40 41 42 44 47 50
BEcOME AN SE PARTNER SE’S SERVIcES PV 2013 - ThE hOROScOPE IS chINEESE ONE MIcROgRID FOR EVERY hOuSE MINI WIND POWER - WhAT ThE ExPERTS SAY SOLAR ThERMAL POWER - 700 MILLION TO INDIVIDuALS PALERMO: A gREAT SuN FOR SMALL cONSuMERS SE’S PRIcELISTS cLASSIFIEDS WWF: PhOTOVOLTAIc FAcILITIES DO NOT DESTROY ThE NATuRE ThE FIFTh ENERgY AccOuNT - chANgES IN TAxATION huNgARY - OPEN DOORS TO ITALIAN PMIS BuLgARIA - AN OPPORTuNITY FOR ITALY FIFA 2022 - A FAIR TO JOIN ThE TEAM LED LIghTS - hERE IS Th BuSINESS PLAN EuROPE NAMES BARI ThE FIRST SMART cITY hOLLAND - ThIS IS ThE SMART hIghWAY ITALY cALLS cANADA BERSANI RISPONDS TO SE ABOuT ThE RENEWABLES SWITzERLAND - IT’S TOO SIMPLE TO TuRN OFF ThE LIghTS TO PAINT A hOuSE WITh chEESE MINI NEWS
Other editorial sources: Web - Mini Eolico News - La Repubblica - Silverback Greening e Communication - Casa&Clima - Nt24.it Istituto per il Commercio Estero - Bari Smart City.it - Il Ghirlandaio - ADN Kronos
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become an SE
business partner
Despite the current crisis and problems connected to the termination of the incentives, in Italy and in the world at large, the demand for professionalism in the sectors of renewable energy and energy efficiency is growing. There is demand for designers, installers, producers, as well as specific skills. We from SE are creating work for businesses and for independent contractors. To become SE’s business partner does not mean to “pay” to publish your advertisement on a page, but rather to allow our newspaper to participate in the development of the business, helping professionals and companies to realize the results of their work, both in Italy and abroad. For more formation write to : se@progemaenergia.it se business partner se business partner se business partner se business partner se business partner 6
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SE’s SERVICES Job relocation Access to funding Researching materials Access to international markets Link on the progemaenergia.it website (1,100 hits per day) Inclusion in the bilingual newsletter (18,000 mailings) Participation in international conferences B2B meetings in Italy and abroad Redevelopment of prices Researching installers Researching partners SE does not request fees from its partners se business partner se business partner se business partner se business partner se business partner 7
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photovoltaics 2013 the horoscope is chineese A
ccording to the predictions of the IHS for photovoltaics in the world, there is still a pleasant future starting this 2013. IHS is an American company of a worldwide level, which evaluates and distributes information in the foundational sectors of international business, including energy, economy, geopolitical risk and sustainability. IHS collaborates with more than 5,500 experts in more than 30 countries from all over the world. For HIS, the prices of modules will continue to diminish, but nonetheless some companies will continue to leave the market, hit by the crisis and consequent overproduction. In 2013, the situation for photovoltaics will begin to reconcile and things will gradually improve; installations will increase and the balance between supply and demand will stabilize itself again, also thanks to development of emerging markets, such as the Chinese market, which will become the largest in the world. Will some blue skies emerge after the
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storm of 2012? According to the Innovation Club, probably yes, even if the disturbance isn’t over yet. In our opinion, in the evaluations expressed above, there are some elements that strongly contradict the reality that operators in the trenches of the market are ďŹ ghting against. These are erroneous evaluations because it is not at all true that the prices of the modules are in free fall, nor that the Chinese market, clearly in strong evolution, could in any way favor Italian producers, much less installers. If at the end of 2012 out of the 750 companies existent in 2010, only 150 have remained on the market, companies that are high in the supply chain, and for many other vertically integrated companies--especially in China—their doors too will close in 2013. This prediction is consistent with that made by GTM Research in recent months, which explains how in the next 3 years 60% of producers will close or be bought. Moreover, the va-
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rious current commercial disputes between China and the USA and China and Europe, as noted by the IHS, will clearly not improve the situation. There is, moreover, a further element of evaluation that leaves one extremely perplexed, because according to the IHS the overproduction and the consequent decrease in prices will reduce the photovoltaic market further in 2013 in terms of sales figures, even if the decrease will be less pronounced than it was in 2012—from 94 billion dollars in 2011 to 77 in 2012—while the prediction for the current year is 75 billion. And therefore, we ask ourselves how Italian operators can benefit from the strong growth, the only predicted for photovoltaics, that of China, which sees and acts on the necessity to move to a cleaner energy, less dependent on foreign countries. In China 6 GW of new installations are expected, making it the most photovoltaic country in the world. It is also expected that in the United States the photovoltaic industry will grow significantly, installing more new photovoltaic power than wind energy. Also in Europe there are new markets on the horizon of 2013, first of all in Romania, which has a very attractive green certification system. The response is certainly not easy, since Italian companies still present production costs that are too high to compete abroad. In our opinion the evolution of the aforementioned markets can offer development opportunities mainly to design studios, that can enter into contracts with very large plants, participating in tenders that involve, together with our country, also companies from other places in the world. SE will regularly provide information on this topic. It is not impossible that designers, involved in international teams, can promote components that come from the Italian industry.
For the purely Italian market, on the other hand, the prediction is that, after the decline of these last two years, the situation will be stabilized. Those who talk about grid parity are completely off track, but a new impulse for photovoltaics could be spurred by the tax breaks on facilities, especially in light of excessively burdensome taxes. We share, on the other hand, the prediction of IHS, according to whom 2013 will be the year of accumulation of systems, thanks to a notable increase in number of residential plants that will be linked with batteries to maximize autoconsumption. It is necessary, however, that there be a decrease in price of the batteries and that their performance improve. We will discuss this in other parts of this publication. Ash Sharma, director of research on solar energy at IHS summarizes the vision for photovoltaics in 2013 saying, “The PV industry is in the middle of a troubled period—hit by cuts in incentives and price dives that are hurting producers all over the world. The photovoltaic industry has been hit by commercial disputes between principle actors and crippled by the negative circumstances of the worldwide economy. Nonetheless there are some bright prospects on the horizon: the increase in installations, the continuously more efficient technology and the fact that the weakness of the European market, shattered by the economic crisis, will be compensated by the emergence of markets like those of China and the United States.” Yes, but we are in Italy!
Do you want to offer your company’s initiatives or products on the international market? SE can help you. Write to: se@progemaenergia.it 9
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A Microgrid For Every House
In the next 5 years, the world’s future is in the hands of scientists and governments to make sure that energy supply is independent and at a good price for both families and businesses.
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e are all looking for markets that in the near future seem continuously more ready for the intelligent use of energy. Also, during the recent tragic events in Algeria, the importation of gas to Italy was temporarily interrupted. Though for just a few
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hours, this pushes us to make our Country independence from foreign gas provisions that much sooner. To reach this result it is necessary that regions, city suburbs, apartment and condominium complexes and townhouses equip themselves with their
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own production and local distribution network , which we can generally define inside of the smart-grid, or better, the micro-grid. It is impossible to consider a microgrid without systems of energy accumulation, produced by systems running on renewable resources. The accumulation of energy, the generation distributed, and the microgrids will guide the evolution of energy markets for the next five years. These technologies will promote the adoption of the smart-grid, stimulating new markets, also in the world of softwares that integrate themselves with modern and future energy systems. This is the thesis shared by the highest European executives, who focus on the development of energy storage for the progress of smart networks, as has already been published in the last edition of SE. As a matter of fact, at the European level we are dealing with actually incentivizing the formation of micro-grids to reach the goal of constructing various local smart- grids, capable of satisfying the needs of 50% of the population. On this subject, the European Union is awaiting new designs and indications from the industries and research institutes engaged in implementing this type of technology. A technical report is in fact aimed at highlighting the key benefits that can be gained from the development of energy storage and generation of micro-grids. Methodology The European study was conducted through internet research by 460 experts in the world of smart grids, collected during the month of September 2012. According to the results of the opinions expressed, over the course of the next five years there will be a significant increase in the market demand for energy accumulation, especially in North America, Europe
and Asia. Promotion of this market, therefore, should be the responsibility of the governments, which will need to introduce utility programs for providers and investors, also with the aim of reducing production costs for this type of technology. Research laboratories, scientists, and the academic world will also need to do their part. Overall, the perspectives of the sector seem viable, but we must not overlook the fact that the battle will be long and hard, also because it seems to clash sharply with the current interests of monopolist producers and distributors, owners of large networks. It seems essential, in virtue of these considerations, that it is necessary to build new partnerships between the companies of the sector, studios of research and electro-technical engineering, together with those who maintain the power to invest in favor of financial sustainability of individual projects. In this sense, game is on. Time is running out and the circumstances are right to develop pilot projects for small and large scale energy accumulation. The downside is the fact that those who enter for the first time into this kind of solution, need to know that for at least five years, forecasts do not include European economic returns that would transform the current business plan in activity. Nonetheless this is the path to follow, because it is the only one that can guarantee independence and reduced costs.
To send proposals and indications about energy accumulators send an email to SE: se@progemaenergia.it
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mini wind power: what the experts say T
he panels are large, they often frighten environmentalists, but they produce a lot of energy in relation to the space they occupy. We are talking about high power energy, necessarily located on bare terrain. But there is another type of wind power, the mini type, that which can be installed in the courtyard of a factory or on the balcony of a house. These are turbines with a power potential comparable to a range between 6 and 60 kWp. The technical solutions created for micro-wind power are directed especially at containing costs. The production tends to be poor when low power turbines are installed in the vicinity of the turbulent layer, which for convenience can be considered around ten meters from the ground. To increase production one can use very light materials or large wing surfaces. Therefore the market trend is oriented towards the introduction of turbines with vertical axes that, because of their technical characteristics, adapt themselves better to working in the turbulent levels, and toward turbines of large dimension, despite their low power potential. Today cuts under 10 kWp can represent a good technical and economical solution for a small investor whose objective is balancing his own energy consumption. The standard in fact is represented today by three average heights; 18, 24 and 30 meters. To understand when to choose one or the other is not easy, and an anemological study, al-
though preliminary, allows us to better understand the cost-beneďŹ t relation of a taller tower. Given that there is a zero maintenance turbine, the technical solutions adopted by the manufacturers have been predominantly geared towards support electronics or mechanics. Here too the choice should depend on the characteristics of the site. A turbine with a lot of electricity allows a sharp and accurate control, but also some non-trivial skills. A mechanical turbine requires classic and simple action, but the site is not optimized with respect to the thrust. The best solution is to ask for a recommendation from a trustworthy reference with experience with various models and sizes. SE is available to producers and installers that would like to suggest solutions and installations to us that have already brought positive results. With regards to the incentivizing rates, today one can call them very interesting, bringing good returns even with fairly weak winds. We remind you that these incentives are provided for 20 years, and that net metering up to 20 kWp is also possible. (source mini-eolico news)
SE can help you to develop your projects in Italy and abroad. Let us know about your interests with regards to wind energy. Write to the email address: se@progemaenergia.it 13
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Launched the new Energy Account By March 2, 2013 the new GSE record cards 14
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SOLAR THERMAL POWER :
700 m illio n
t o individua ls I
n the “Official Gazette” n.1/2013 the decree was published with the rules for accessing the 900 million contributions available for private and public administrations, relative to the installation of plants to transform renewable energy into thermal energy. There are 700 million on the plate for private administrations and 200 public ones. This mountain of incentives is available until it runs out. Now we are waiting for GSE to publish, by the predicted date of this March 2, the “application form,” following the indications that will need to be provided to the ENEA (The Institution of National Energy and Environment) For private administrations the incentivized actions relate especially to domestic power plants, as in the introductions of heat pumps for heating and cooling, the solutions of geothermal and hydrothermal plants, the conversion of electric water heaters to ones that run on heat pumps and the installation of solar thermal panels for hot water and heating. A particular regulation was introduced for owners of greenhouses, where the replacement of old facilities with new ones running on biomass is expected. In the case of public administrations, the incentives go to those who invest in the insulation of ceilings, walls, and floors. In both cases the actions must be for existing buildings and are sub-
ject to results of a correct energy audit, which varies according to the latitude where the buildings are located. The decree predicts that a maximum reimbursement of 40% of costs can be requested in a time period that varies from two to five years, depending on the power obtained. To facilitate the understanding of the spirit of the decree, the Minister of Economic Development provides some practical examples: a family that installs a thermal solar panel for the production of hot water will spend 3,600 euros and will be able to receive a reimbursement of 1,360 euros in two years. Until June 30, 2013 the new thermal account contrasts with the tax deduction of 55% that provides more consistent amounts, but which is spaced out over ten years compared with the two-five years of the thermal account. (source La Repubblica)
Do you want to receive further news about the ermal Energy Account? Do you install or produce thermal plants? Write to the email address : se@progemaenergia.it 15
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PALERMO: the
“great sun” project launched for small consumers R
esearch and development of integrated systems of solar concentration of small size, to generate local renewable energy for public buildings at a low cost, and at the same time to create new opportunities to transfer know-how and occupation for the PMIs. This is the goal of the European project , “STS-MED Small scale solar thermal district units for Mediterranean communities,” funded by the European Commission with 5 million euros. The project starts in Palermo. The Arca consortium is the leader of the project, business incubator and node of technological transference of the University of Palermo, who has another 12 institutional partners in Italy (Enea, The Region of Sicily), Greece, France, Jordan, Egypt, and Cyprus. The European funds will be used to build, test, and operate, also with regards to social and economic impact,
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so-called “polygenerative” solar concentration power plants, useful to offer integrated energy services to small consumers (public buildings, apartment buildings, residences, small and medium businesses). The project, presented in the last days in Palermo at an international conference, plans for the use of solar energy obtained with concentration systems in possible integration with systems of conversion and distribution of the energy collected. Beyond electric energy, it will be possible to produce high temperature water that can be used for heating and cooling—essential in the Mediterranean region—and eventually to make the water potable. Other applications will possibly relate to specific fields such as providing energy to manage kitchens or cafeterias and the processes of sterilization for use, for example, in hospitals and laundry facilities.
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Right, the title of the article published in the last edition of SE Four pilot units will be installed and made efficient to represent a reference model for the realization of small plants, especially on public buildings. The expected results of the project should be reached within the 36month period of the planned international cooperation and will be measured according to marks shared by the 13 partners mentioned above. The pilot plants will be stationed in Italy, Cyprus, Egypt, and Jordan, and will involve 1,000 professionals and technicians, 20 local communities, for a total of 20,000 final users who will be able to experiment with the advantages of the systems of integrated solar concentration. Around the plants the development of innovative supply chains is planned for small and medium-sized businesses. From the technical standpoint, the most interesting innovation is that of
the use of solar energy concentration—a technology until now used prevalently in large power plants, for integrated applications of small dimensions. While from the social point of view, the real powerful point of the project is that it will be a living lab. The plants will be subject to feasibility verifications, not at the academic level, but in the field, with direct comparisons among plant engineers, technicians, professionals, and entrepreneurs. This is a sort of open source approach, in which the experimentation will be directed towards local requests and experience, rather than based on big multinational industries or presuppositions of academic research.
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in ita lian and in eng lish
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î “e fortnightly online bilingual magazine distributed in 45 countries
SE is committed to expanding borders inside and outside of Italy
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SE
Date di uscita per l’anno 2013 Release dates for the year 2013 10/01/13 11/03/13 11/05/13 11/09/13 11/11/13
25/01/13 26/03/13 26/05/13 26/09/13 26/11/13
11/02/13 11/04/13 11/06/13 11/10/13 11/12/13
26/02/13 26/04/13 26/06/13 26/10/13
LIStINO PER PAGINA Listino 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Euro
uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite uscite
450,00 900,00 1.350,00 1.800,00 2.250,00 2.700,00 3.150,00 3.600,00 4.050,00 4.500,00
Sconto 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 39% 42% 45% 48% 50%
Detrazione Imponibile 67,50 180,00 337,50 540,00 787,50 1.053,00 1.323,00 1.620,00 1.944,00 2.250,00
382,50 720,00 1.012,50 1.260,00 1.462,50 1.647,00 1.827,00 1.980,00 2.106,00 2.250,00
IVA 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21%
PRICE PER PAGES Prices 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
editions editions editions editions editions editions editions editions editions editions
Dollars 587,70 1.175,40 1.763,10 2.350,80 2.938,50 3.526,20 4.113,90 4.701,60 5.289,30 5.877,00
Discount Abatement 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 39% 42% 45% 48% 50%
88,16 235,08 440,78 705,24 1.028,48 1.375,22 1.727,84 2.115,72 2.538,86 2.938,50
PROGEMA S.R.L. Via De Amicis 2-21020 Varano Borghi VA (Italy) Cell. +39 331 8118840-Secretary - Tel. +39 02 9374175 Office- Tel. +39 0332 948.948 Fax +39 02 700537124 - Skype Name: lorenzolovecchio www.progemaenergia.it - se@progemaenergia.it
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Invoice 499,55 940,32 1.322,33 1.645,56 1.910,03 2.150,98 2.386,06 2.585,88 2.750,44 2.938,50
FATTURA 462,83 871,20 1.225,13 1.524,60 1.769,63 1.992,87 2.210,67 2.395,80 2.548,26 2.722,50
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I’M SELLINg A DANFOSS TLx 10 KILOWATT TRIPhASE INVERTER AT ThE PRIcE OF 2,100 EuROS. ThE INVERTER, WhOSE PhOTO IS INcLuDED BELOW, IS STILL INSIDE ITS ORIgINAL, SEALED PAcKAgINg, AS I REcEIVED IT FROM DANFOSS. I AM AN INSTALLER AND MY cLIENT cANcELLED ThE cONTRAcT AFTER I hAD ALREADY BOughT ThE NEcESSARY SuPPLIES.: SE@PROgEMAEnERgiA.iT HELLO, MY NAME IS MASSIMO AND I’M 29. I LIVE IN THE PROVINCE OF ENNA AND I AM A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. A FEW FRIENDS AND I ARE DETERMINED TO CREATE A BUSINESS AND INVEST IN PHOTOVOLTAICS THROUGH RENTING. WE HAVE ECONOMIC AVAI-
LABILITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE PLANT FROM 20 KWP WITH RENT PAYMENTS IN A SINGLE SOLUTION. DO YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING PROPOSAL? IN SICILY OF COURSE. Write to se@progemaenergia.it OUR COMPANY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CEDING A SURFACE WHOSE AREA IS ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE METERS OF COVER (FLAT ROOT). IT IS TO BE CONSIDERED THAT THE SURFACE THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO INSTALLATION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT IS CURRENTLY IN ASBESTOS, THEREFORE WITH HIGH INCENTIVES. WHAT’S MORE, WE ALSO HAVE A SHED WITH ABOUT 1,400 SQUARE METERS OF SURFACE AREA IN THE MONSANO AREA (ANCONA). Write to se@progemaenergia.it I’M SELLING AN ON THE GROUND POWER PLANT DESIGN, ALREADY AUTHORIZED + TICA, 420 KWP IN PUGLIA. PRIVATE NEGOTIATIONS. Write to se@progemaenergia.it
SE does not publish private addresses or contact information. All announcements are managed directly through SE’s email at this address:se@progemaenergia.it 21
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Environmentalists:
Photovoltaic facilities do not destroy the nature
O
ften one is led to believe that the considerable spread of photovoltaics would correspond to a consequent destruction of the natural landscape, but a report by the WWF presented on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit, held the 16 of January in Abu Dhabi, explains that this is not the case. The study, entitled “Solar PV Atlas: solar power in harmony with nature,” prepared by the environmentalist association in collaboration with three companies from the photovoltaic sector (First Solar, 3 TIER and Fresh Generation), has shown, through seven case studies, how it would be possible to satisfy 100% of the demand for electric energy by 2050, only through photovoltaic installations, occupying only 1% of land. The countries involved in the studies (Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Mo-
rocco, South Africa, Turkey, and the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh), although they are characterized by very diverse geographic areas, demographics, economic and political systems, have revealed an enormous potential for the diffusion of the solar technology. And not only for good levels of irradiation, but also for suitability in terms of structure, such that would accept the most innovative technologies available on the market. The research demonstrates that photovoltaic , if well-planned, does not contrast with conservation objectives, emphasizing like no country should be constricted to choose between energy savings and landscape. The photovoltaic plant can create notable benefits, among them economic returns guaranteed in the short term. Moreover, the replacement of the existing electric network with photovoltaic panels would bring about a significant reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases and heavy metals, as well as water consumption. Supporting the RE 2050 vision, Samantha Smith, head of the Global Climate & Energy Initiative of the WWF, refers to the fact that in order to reach pre-planned goals it is necessary to work for a quick adoption of well-connected and responsibly managed plants on the large scale. Protection of the environment and development of renewable resources can and must develop in parallel. At this point we include a note from the editor: It is a shame that in Italy, to build even a small power plant of a few kilowatts, it’s necessary to slip into the fabric of the Services Conference with a request for a lot of land.
(source CasaClima)
Do you want to receive information on the proceedings for a photovoltaic plant? Write to se@progemaenergia.it 23
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THE FIFTH ENERGY ACCOUNT: CHANGES IN TAXATION
I
n response to the ruling presented by the GSE, the Revenue Agency has provided, with the attached document, indications about the tax treatment of amounts paid under the so-called “Fifth Energy Account” of the Decree of July 5, 2012. The conclusions of the Agency are, in principle, aligned with those which were already present in declaration 46/E of 2007 as far as taxation, direct or indirect, is concerned. In particular, however, on the issue of payment of the difference between All-Inclusive Tariff and Zonal Price, intended only for plants with a capacity exceeding 1 MW, the Agency has deemed the case of tax "price integration" relevant for VAT purposes, so operators will have to proceed with the issuance of the VAT invoice in dealings with the GSE. In this regard it will be the responsibi-
lity of the GSE, with later news, to indicate to interested operators the operating procedures with which the taxable values will be charged and communicated, and how to submit invoices to the GSE. In the response sent by the Revenue Agency to the GS, it is explicitly stated that “the proposed solution can be shared by the taxpayer, in general, with reference to the tax treatment of the ‘premium rate for autoconsumption’ and the all-inclusive tariff.” With the response provided, however, clarification on the tax relating to the applicant company, does not consider the merits of the tax treatment of individual incentives to the involved parties. The Decree of July 5, 2012, concerning the “Activation of art. 25 of the legislative decree of March 3, 2011, n. 28, introducing the incentivizing of the
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production of electric energy from solar photovoltaic plants (c.d. Fifth Energy Account),” emanating from the Minister of Economic Development of in agreement with the Minister of Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, have modified the incentivizing system of photovoltaic energy production. In particular the V Energy Account includes that the GSE supplies, for plants whose power is: - less than 1MW, two incentives, cumulative and interrelated, one, at the quota of net production of electric energy consumed on site by the owner of the plan and, one, at the quota of energy produced and emitted to the network. More precisely, each of these two quotas will be paid, respectively, with a “premium rate for autoconsumption” and a “comprehensive tariff;” - higher than 1 MW, one contribution, depending on the net production of energy emitted to the network, equal to the difference between the allcomprehensive tariff and the zonal hourly price; this difference cannot be higher than the all-inclusive tariff stabilized in the decree. With this as a premise, before defining the correct tax treatment of the incentives mentioned above, some conditions are necessary. The previous mechanism of incentivizing, intended for the production of energy from photovoltaic sources was represented by the incentivizing rate of art. 7, comma 2, of the legislative decree of December 29, 2033, n. 387. This incentive provided for the goal of reimbursing the cost sustained by the subject that makes the investment and to sustain the production of electric energy, in declaration n. 46/E of July 19, 2007 was fiscally qualified as
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the following: irrelevant contribution for the a) purposes of VAT for lack of a presupposed objective; b) contribution to operating expenses relative to the purposes of direct taxation and of the IRAP, when it is perceived as in the scope of a business activity; c) contribution to operating expenses considered subject to the withholding of art. 28, comma 2, of the DPR September 29, 1973, n. 600, if received by businesses or non-Commercial bodies when, for these latter, the plants comply with the commercial activity performed. In the same declaration it was specified, moreover, that the production of electric energy from photovoltaic sources does not configure the performance of a commercial activity, when this derives from a plant of up to 20 Kw of power, for service to a home or a headquarters of a noncommercial entity. This interpretation comes from the consideration that in this case the plant is destined to satisfy mainly personal needs. With resolution n. 88/E of August 25, 2010, the writing Revenue Agency provided directions in the order of the “fixed, all-inclusive tariff” corresponding to electric energy producers through various sources of photovoltaics, which send energy into the network which is not autoconsumed. In this case it has been specified that this tariff, formed by two components (incentive and price), in contrast with the incentivizing rate, constitutes a compensation, being only in respect to the emission to the energy network. Consequently, the incentive is: a) income for VAT purposes b) relevant to the purposes of the taxes on earnings of the IRAP c) not subject to the withholding of art. 28, comma 2, of DPR n. 600 of 1973.
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This said, it is maintained that the premium rate for autoconsumption, as much as it is provided in absence of a mutually binding rapport between the GSE and the energy producer, to reimburse the owner of the plant the cost sustained and favor the production and the autoconsumption of energy, has, essentially, the same characteristics as the incentivizing rate. Consequently, the same tax treatment delineated in the withholding of n. 46/E of July 19, is applicable to the premium rate for autoconsumption 2007 with reference to the incentivizing rate. Therefore, in relation to this incentive the GSE will need to realize the withholding cited in art. 28, comma 2, of the DPR n. 600 of 173, in the case that the same is provided to the producer of energy in the ambit of the activity of the enterprise. In the same way, it is maintained that the all-comprehensive tariff provided by the cited ministerial decree of July 5, 2012, representing the price of energy emitted to the network, presents the same characteristics of the fixed all-inclusive tariff. In principle, the tax treatment delineated in resolution n. 88/E of 2010 will result in assimilation. From this incentive derives the fact that the GSE will make any deduction at the time of payment and will have to receive a VAT receipt from the payee in the event that they perform business as an enterprise. In line with the further incentive expected for plants of power exceeding 1 MW, represented by the difference, if positive, between the all-comprehensive tariff and the zonal price per hour, it is maintained that this, different from what the applicant confirms, constitutes a price integration. This conclusion is supported by the wording of article 5, comma 1, of the cited decree of July 5, 2012, according to which the incentive is provided in
order to compensate the difference in existent value between the allcomprehensive tariff and that which the producer would collect when they sell energy to the GSE and the zonal hourly price that the same producer receives when he sells energy to third parties. Therefore, the incentive in question: a) is relevant, for VAT purposes, in accordance with art. 13, paragraph 1, last part, of the DPR of October 26, 1972, n. 633; b) is relevant for the purposes of income tax and of IRAP c) is not subject to the withholding of art. 28, comma 2, of the DPR n. 600 of 1973. The clarifications made above, about the assimilation of the tax treatment of the premium rate for autoconsumption applies in principle, also in relation to the agricultural entrepreneur. Therefore, the indications contained in declaration n. 32/E of July 6, 2009, regarding the withholding applicable to the incentivizing rate corresponding to the agricultural entrepreneur or agricultural company are relevant also with reference to the premium rate for autoconsumption. Therefore the GSE is required to apply the tax withholding on the premium rate for autoconsumption when it is provided in the field of the activity of the enterprise. In relation to the all-inclusive tariff rate and the difference between the comprehensive and hourly zonal price received, since the fees paid for energy fed into the grid, the GSE shall not make any deduction at the time of payment and will receive the invoice from the payee, or other party, according to the regime to which it belongs.” (fonte nt24.it) (source nt24.it)
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doing business in the world doing business in the world doing business in the world
Hungary:
open doors to PMIs made in Italy Waste recycling: oil from plastic and rubber from used automobiles. Alcufer S.rl. is a Hungarian business that has patented an innovative and sensational technology, or rather the extraction and recovery of oil from damaged automobiles. The business, whose headquarters is located in Fehérvárcsurgó, (Transdanubia Center of Hungary) invested 880 million forints into the project, (with funding of 250 million HUD) and facilitates the extraction of reusable materials from 95% of damaged cars as well as electronic waste. The first meaningful step for Alcufer Kft. Was taken in 2009, with the first investment, which, at the time, made the recovery and reuse of 75% of damaged parts possible. Now, on the other hand, 95% of the non-usable parts can be recycled. The most noteworthy innovation introduced by this technology is the ability to extract oil from plastic and from tires, approximately 6 deciliters per kilogram. The technology patented by the Fehérvárcsurgó company was created also thanks to the help of the scientists of the University of Miskolc. The
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industrial unit of Alcufer, planned in 3 years, has the capacity to treat 9,500 tons of waste per year. The next step of the project is to start the production of clean electric energy, utilizing recycled oil. 337 million euros still available for the use of renewable resources. Soon the proclamation for energy development will be printed. The negotiations between the two sides have been concluded, as was communicated by the Agency of National Development. In the period of 2007-2013, 218.6 billion forints (about 775 million euros) were allocated, for maintenance, efficient energy use, and the development of the use of renewable energy, of which 95 billion forints are left (about 337 million euros), based on the following distribution: 45 billion for the use of renewable energy, and 50 billion for maintenance and efficient energy use. Municipalities, companies, religious bodies, and nonprofit organizations can participate in the these invitations. The proclamations will be published in conjunction with the New Széchenyi Plan.
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doing business in the world doing business in the world doing business in the world
Renexpo. International fair for the energy sector, organized again in spring (May) in Budapest of Reeco Hungary Kft. The event is the most important exhibition in the sector of renewable energy and energy efficiency, whose objective is to inform participants about the technical innovations, to change experiences, as well as providing the opportunity to find investors and partners. The topic relates to renewable energy, energy efficiency, production of supplies, innovation, and international expertise. Sustaining energy development in the sector of district heating through the use of renewable sources. The goal is to incentivize investments for the use of heat produced through renewable energy, facilitating the shift from traditional energy sourses in favor of alternatives in order to reduce C02 emissions. The proclamation is effective from January 25, 2013 until December 31, 2013, or until funds run out.
Sustaining a more efficient use of energy in buildings and modernizing public lighting. The goal is to increase efficiency and energy savings in the sectors of production, breakdown, distribution, and final use of energy. The proclamation is effective from January 21, 2013 until December 31, 2013, or until funds run out. Sustaining a more efficient use of energy in buildings combined with the use of renewable resources. The goal is to increase energy efficiency and savings in buildings. The proclamation is effective from January 21, 2013 until December 2013, or until funds run out. (source iCE - Budapest)
Do you want to participate in conferences in Italy or in the world, as well as B2B meetings between Italians and internationals? Write to se@progemaenergia.it 31
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doing business in the world doing business in the world doing business in the world
Bulgaria: an
opportunity for Italy The economic situation of the Country. Italy is its third commercial partner.
The International Monetary Fund published its most recent report on the Bulgarian economy, confirming, on one side, the solidity of its economic foundation and its macroeconomic policies, and from the other side, the context—above all external—which is causing some slowing of its economic growth. In the first semester of 2012 the GDP grew 0.9% and is expected to grow a full 1% annually. The current factions of exports were affected by the decline, and will return to a deficit at the end of the year, after the small surplus (+0.3%) registered at the end of 2011. The average annual inflation is predicted to be 2.5%, with an effect of increased prices of foodstuffs and fuel. The unemployment rate of 11.5%, as reported in September, will remain the same . The Report emphasizes the trend of deficit reduction— actually to under 1.5% of the GDP, which was posited as the Government’s goal—as well as an excellent fiscal
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stimulus, equal 2% of the GDP, mainly carried out on the expenditure side. Finally, the banking sector shows loans for 16.9% of the total, compared, however, with a capital adequacy ratio of 16.7% (measured in June), well above the minimum of 12% imposed by regulations. With similar motivations for the valuations of the Monetary Fund, Standard & Poor’s has confirmed Bulgaria’s rating as BBB, with a stable outlook. According to the economic predictions of the S&P, the GDP will grow by 1.7% in 2013, while the public deficit will be equal to 1.3% of the GDP in 2012 and will stay at these levels also in 2013; the public debt in the next three years should not deviate from its current 17% of the GDP. Italy maintains the position of the third commercial partner in terms of total trade, increased by 3.5% (from 2.49 to 2.58 billion) in the period under consideration. With regards to purchases (going from Bulgaria to Italy), Italy has registered 1.32 billion (+1.7%) after Germany (still the first market in Bulgaria, despite its decrease of 12.5%), and Turkey (+8.5%).
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doing business in the world doing business in the world doing business in the world With regards to sales from Italy to Bulgaria, with 1.26 billion (+5.5%) we are the third supplier, after Russia (3.9 billion, +28.4%) and Germany (2.1 billion, +15.6%). Italy has almost cut in half, again in the January-September period, the bilateral commercial deficit, from 101.3 million in 2011 to 58.2 million in 2012. The local Agency of investments, Invest Bulgaria Agency, has noted its own predictions on the trends of foreign investments for the year that has just come to a close and for 2013. The final balance of 2012 will be about 2 billion euros, confirmed by a tendency of slight recovery, after the billion recorded in 2010 and 1.7 billion in 2011. First production components of Bulgarian Great Wall cars. Chinese Great Wall automobiles, assembled in Bulgaria in the Litex Motors facility of Lovech—inaugurated in February 2012 but already operating since 2011, the first automobile factory in the Country, will be equipped with locally produced batteries and lubricants. This is the first step towards the realization of the Bulgarian company’s plan, in partnership with its Chinese investors, to shift from the singular activity of assembly to the gradual replacement of some parts with locally produced components. Still in the design phase, the natural and possible development will be the construction of the zone of an industrial park that regroups the producers of the necessary components for the productive process. In effect from January 1st separated waste disposal for all businesses. Effective on January 1, 2013, the obligation that already applies to all indu-
strial companies was expanded to all Bulgarian companies, to begin recycling paper, plastic, glass, and metals, and to send them to specialized authorized companies for disposal. The obligation regards, more precisely, all the operators that use commercial, industrial or administrative buildings. The individual municipalities are responsible for supervision of the recycling. The Municipalities whose population is more than 5 thousand and are not equipped with a recycling and separated garbage collection system will have two years to adjust in order to comply with the obligation. Bulgaria’s goal is to reuse 25% of waste by 2016, 40% by 2018, and 50% by 2020. Kozloduy Fund (KIDSF) finances energy efficiency. Last December 11 the invitation was published to participate in the “Public efficiency of public buildings, fifth phase, in four batches,” contest, funded by KIDSF, Commissioned by the Minister of Economy, Energy and tourism. The contest relates to the introduction of energy efficiency measures in 167 public buildings in the six administrative Regions (Raions) of the Country (Northwest, Southwest, Central North, Central South, Northwest, and Southwest). The contract to participate in the contest is available for a price of 150 euros. Presentation of proposals ends at 11 am on February 11, 2013. (source iCE - Sofia)
Do you want to participate in conferences in Italy or in the world, as well as B2B meetings between Italians and internationals? Write to se@progemaenergia.it 33
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football world cup: a fair in May to join the team T
he coming May 6-9, at Doha, the Exhibition of Energy and Business Opportunities in the energy sector will be held. These are the main merchandise sectors which will gather at the Fair.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Power plants and equipment High tension transmission Distribution networks Electric controls Transformers Diagnostic equipment Monitoring and control Generators & Motors Electric engineering Electrical supplies Cables and wiring Power protection Insulation materials Batteries Gas turbines Renewable Energy LED Lighting Design, planning, consulting Heating and air conditioning
The fair is particularly important because the production of electricity in Qatar is expected to increase by 140.2% during the next eight years; the highest rate of increase in the Middle East and Africa (MEA). In parallel with the demand for electric energy, plans for private, public, and commercial lighting are also gro-
wing, also in anticipation of the football 2022 Fifa World Cup, for which the playing fields and all necessary infrastructure have yet to be built. In addition to this landscape, Qatar has adopted rigorous regulations for energy savings and the energy efficiency, which relate to lighting technology solutions and energy storage. Without a doubt the 2022 Football World Cup will represent a strong attraction for companies that want to get involved in energy projects, presenting the various possible solutions for an intelligent energy savings. For this reason, in May the Exhibition of Doha 2013 is mainly dedicated to industries of the sector, where it will be possible to participate in conferences and B2B meetings in order to conduct business directly between entrepreneurs and local authorities. Italian companies are invited.
(source iCE - Dubai)
Do you want to participate in conferences in Italy or in the world, as well as B2B meetings between Italians and internationals? Write to se@progemaenergia.it 35
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Coperture tetti
Ancoraggi Linea vita
Smaltire l’eternit
Le coperture ed i tetti sono una delle parti più importanti dell’edificio dovendo garantire protezione isolamento e stabilità strutturale ad eventi atmosferici esterni.
Ci occupiamo della progettazione ed installazione di ancoraggi linea vita i migliori sistemi anticaduta per la sicurezza tetti civili, tetti industriali e coperture.
Rimuovere rifiuti contenenti amianto è di grande attualità nella normativa che prevedepiani di intervento e misure tecniche per la individuazione ed eliminazione del rischio.
Un tetto è per sempre. L’azienda COSTRUZIONE TETTI di Fracassetti Sergio da molti anni eroga servizi per la progettazione, costruzione, manutenzione, riparazione, impermeabilizzazione di tetti e coperture. Operiamo da anni su tetti e coperture civili e industriali. Per ogni richiesta, per ogni esigenza, contattami, sono Sergio Fracassetti e sono pronto a risolvere ogni esigenza per il Tuo tetto di casa o della Tua Azienda. Mi trovi tutti il giorni al numero 347-14.89.729 oppure inviami una mail all’indirizzo iltetto77@alice.it 36
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LED lights:
here is the business plan L
ED is an electric component that, with the passage of minimal current, emits light without any infrared or ultraviolet rays, turning itself on immediately. The LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) technology represents the evolution of illumination to the solid state, in which light generation is obtained through semiconductors rather than by utilizing wire or gas. LED lighting is more efficient from the energy point of view, it lasts longer, and it is more sustainable. Moreover, it allows for innovative and creative solutions for use which can be integrated with the light of our homes, cars, shops, and cities. LED lights are destined, in time, to replace traditional, fluorescent and incandescent lights. Thanks to heightened illumination characteristic of LED lights and light
bulbs, it is possible to replace even fluorescent lights (compact or neon) with LED equivalents which consume much less energy, that is to say decidedly less power (in watts), resulting in a relevant economic savings. Let’s consider a business plan of one site, for example a hotel, which needs to replace its traditional lighting, a total of 10,000 watts. The introduction of LED would bring the requirement down to 2,900 watts, with an energy savings of 71% for a situation of 18 hours per day of use. The longer lasting LED lights will facilitate further savings on the maintenance of the light bulbs. With the possibility of funding over three years, as appears in the table shown below, this is extraordinarily sustainable.
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New partnership SE - LEDrevolution There are very few true LED light professionals, many companies are attached to particular design products. Many designers are pursuing large projects, so that if an individual, a company, or a public entity wants to replace their current traditional lighting, they cannot find reliable references or concrete proposals. Starting with the next editions, SE will open a column, in collaboration with LEDrevolution, solving problems proposed by readers, by writing to se@progemaenergia.it 38
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Europe names Bari the first smart city “
Smart Cities” is an initiative promoted by the European Union in the scope of the SET-Plan, the instrument with which the Union defines its policy in the sector of energy technology. The SET-Plan sets the logical scene in which to develop the actions for reaching the objective of the 2020 Agenda, but its temporal horizon extends until 2050, a date by which the plan proposes to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases up to a maximum of 90%, developing new methodologies and technologies for the production and use of energy whose C02 emissions are low, reducing CO2 emissions by about 40%. Thanks to “Smart Cities,” the European Union intends to involve about 25 cities/metropolitan areas in pilot projects, pledging resources of about 12 billion Euros to fund operations and actions in the sectors of Construction of highly energy efficient buildings, in energy Networks (heating/air conditioning, electricity) and sustainable Transportation. The “vision” of the Smart Cities initiative is to transform urban areas into a welcoming atmosphere for citizens and for enterprises, strengthening both infrastructural elements and cultural, environmental, and social wealth. The city of Bari was chosen as the first because it has already begun its path in the direction of creating a “smart city,” starting with the addition of the
city to the July 2010 Pact of Mayors and the preparation and implementation of a Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy, in which objectives are defined for the reduction of emissions and methods for reaching them. Moreover, in Puglia’s capital city the “Bari Smart City” Association was promoted, a non-profit organization which unites public and private entities in order to plan solutions and ideas for a sustainable model of urban development. Puglia’s capital presents a series of characteristics that make it one of the most dynamic cities of southern Italy, above all with a population of 320 thousand residents (source Istat) it is most certainly the most populous of any other municipality in the region of Puglia. 23,657 active enterprises were counted in Bari in November of 2012. There is a University in Bari and relevant transportation infrastructure, European funds of 1.6 billion euros to transform Bari into a smart city will be provided according to the contract signed by the president of Puglia, Nichi Vendola, and by the mayor of Bari, Michele Emiliano.
(source barismartcity.it)
Do you want to receive more information about the Bari Smart City Association? Write to se@progemaenergia.it 39
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Holland: This is the smart highway T
he year that has just begun will be the year of the first smart highway. The first prototype, which covers just over a few hundred meters, will be built in the coming months in Holland and will be a road that lights up unassisted with special fluorescent and LED streetlights, which run on renewable energy and the turn themselves on only if a car is passing. The project, described on the livescience website, was studied at length by a Danish team (which won a design award in Denmark for the idea). The technicians achieved a particular pigment which absorbs light during the day and reflects that light at night, lighting up. In addition a material was made that is capable of detecting the temperature of the asphalt and displaying warning images when necessary. In this way, drivers will be able to see signals that warn of possible risks of snow in case of particularly low temperatures. Obviously electric vehicles will be a
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priority, and they will have special recharging areas available. According to the Wired magazine, some large companies of the United States would be interested in importing this prototype for their private campuses. For example Google has a road system at its headquarters that could soon incorporate these energy saving systems to beat it rivals with regards to environmental sustainability. Something like this already exists in the city of the future, Masdar, in the United Arab Emirates. Italian companies are called to participate in the evolution of this project.
(source il ghirlandaio)
Do you want to participate in conferences in Italy or in the world, as well as B2B meetings between Italians and internationals? Write to se@progemaenergia.it
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I TA L Y CALLS CANADA
but the invitation is extended to all Countries of the World
I
taly, known worldwide for its cities of art and its natural beauty, has an important experience in conserving the environment in which we live, and which will be transmitted to future generations. Using an intuitive approach in problem-solving and innovative design to confront the environmental problems of the planet, Italy has become one of the world leaders in clean technologies, making its contribution to the definition of solutions for a sustainable future. Thanks to the advantages offered by its geographic location and the numerous incentives for photovoltaics provided in the last years, in the form of incentivizing rates (known as the “energy account”), Italy has become the third solar market in Europe and one of the most important in the world. It is also a leader in the production of other types of renewable energy, in particular geothermal energy (thanks to the extent of suitable geological formations in Tuscany), hydroelectric energy, hydrogen and bioenergy. In the most recent years, the Italian government has funded a few large initiatives for energy efficiency at both the national and local levels. Today a
major part of research is concentrated on the field of micro-generation, distributed generation, and energy efficiency systems. Italy is first in line in sustainable construction and in co-generation, through the application of energy solutions such as solar panels integrated into the structures of homes and with avant-garde building planning from the point of view of design and technology. The national Counsel of research and scientific and technological fields of all of Italy are very active in protecting the environment. Italy is also among the top in the world in the fight against the pollution of soil, water, and air, with particular attention to the reduction of emissions generated from traffic and greenhouse gases. In addition, a new industrial district has been created which is entirely dedicated to environmental technologies and management, in an action towards the reclamation of environmentally friendly industries. (source iCE - Canada)
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Bersani responds to “SE” on Radio Anch’io
getting back on the road to renewable energy D
uring one of the RAI’s programs, on air every morning from 9 until 10, Radio Anch’io, conducted by Ruggero Po, SE was invited to pose a question to the honorable Bersani in relation to the development of renewable energy, candidate for prime minster for the PD, and according to many, the most likely winner of the next political elections. The question of the January 11 installment, posed by our Director, Lorenzo Lo Vecchio, was the following: Honorable Bersani, when in 2007 you were the Minister of Economic Development, during the last Prodi government, the first Energy Account was launched, promoting the development of renewable energies in Italy.
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This was a time in which our Country passed from the last places in Europe in the field of green energy, to the first place, surpassing even Germany. In dark economic periods (we remember the crisis of the Lehman Brothers n.d.r.), a sector thrived in our Country that gave businesses the opportunity to develop and consequently created numerous jobs. The governments that came to power since that time have gradually disheartened this sector, also because at particular times they have even put resources into nuclear energy, which was then rejected with the 2011 referendum. Businesses fell one after the other, squashed by an absolutely foolish policy, moaning in pain. If you should be the next
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prime minister, what future would you provide for renewable energies? This is Pierluigi Bersani’s response to SE, directly from the microphones of RAI Radio Anch’io: You have touched on a subject to which we are very sensitive, so much so that in our party there are various new entries into this sector. i understand your questions very well and i will respond that we, at the time, invented a green economy system and things went forward very positively. i remember that as soon as the Berlusconi government arrived, i said publicly that it was necessary to be careful to maintain the incentives, which should not have been abandoned to their own. Without adjusting them to the growing market, we would have arrived at a point where we came to the realization that there was no more money, and consequently the sector would have crumbled, as had already occurred in Spain. That’s why these policies today have received a massive blow. it’s necessary to get back on this road again with some good sense, selecting the sectors that allow for the incentivizing of italian production. In the PD’s plan one can read that to maintain the dimensional growth of these enterprises, significant tax breaks must be introduced. Italy is described as the Country of sun also with relation to energy, becoming within the next five years the European leader in solar energy for uses of heating. The goal is to make the incentive stipulated by the Financial law of 2008 permanent, for the installation of solar thermal panels, in all homes, also in order to promote the founding of enterprises for production, installation, and maintenance of
solar panels. The measures favoring renewable energies and energy efficiency need to last for multiple years and be founded more and more on the fiscal incentives, in order to mobilize as much as possible the available private resources. For Italy, to produce 20% of energy with the sun and wind means saving billions of euros on petrol imports. The PD’s proposal is that of a plan to realize over ten years the transformation of the principle heating sources for buildings, both private and public, in a way that will create at the same time an enormous energy savings and a big push forward in economic growth. Italy needs to concentrate on leading technologies: whether dealing with extracting carbon dioxide for “clean coal,” or methane, biomass, hydrogen, or fourth generation nuclear energy, or rather intrinsically safe nuclear power, also without waste problem of traditional nuclear plants. To develop a national energy industry it is essential to be present in international partnerships in these fields. To give value to renewable resources and microgeneration, the general distribution system needs to be restructured—in cooperation with the Regions and local Entities. This last element is no longer unidirectional from those who produce energy in homes, businesses, and services. By now families and businesses themselves can produce the energy they require, resulting in a change in the very conception of the distribution network.
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energy savings in Switzerland
it’s too simple to turn off the lights S
avings of approximately six million in kilowatts by 2050. This is the ambition conceived by the Swiss Confederation, which will follow, as its first measure, the reduction of the lighting hours of shop windows and neon signs, remembering the recent action of its French neighbors, and is starting conversations with merchants and tourists. The news was announced by Marianne Zünd, the spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Office (UFE), confirming an article published by the newspaper, “NZZ am Sonntag.” Zünd listed a series of “efficient” measures aimed at cantons whose objective is to cut energy consumption. In addition to the provision for retailers, the UFE has declared the lighting of building facades to be superfluous, inviting owners to turn off the lights. Further on the subject of buildings,
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the need was emphasized for inspections every ten years of sanitary installations, aeration, heating, and electricity of buildings and proposing improvements, when necessary. For now, however, these measures are simply suggestions. In order for them to become effective, approval by the cantons is necessary, which are responsible for buildings. Certainly, in order to save energy, the best method is not to consume it. The idea seems completely ingenious. Is there anyone in Italy who could propose some smart forms of lighting to Switzerland? Maybe the use of LED lights. (source CasaClima)
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??? why
SE
SE is geared towards operators and institutions SE is the follow-up on global opportunities SE is published in both Italian and English SE looks for partnership occasions for you SE proposes you on international markets
An article in SE, 2012, which signals the request for a significant collaboration between a smart company and a large Italian metropolitan center
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S IA A from
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Selected Products Recommended By î “e East Producers
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against the exploitation of minors in the third world
painting the house with cheese T
here is one aspect of sustainable construction that no one tells about, regarding the histories of some materials, those that when they arrive in Europe as primary materials are transformed into the “green” ingredients of “eco” architecture, but that in the countries in which they are produced, are not strongly related to sustainability. This is the case of kenaf, a plant “that is creating not few problems in Africa because it is cultivated through the exploitation of the underpaid labor of women without creating wealth in the Country, on the contrary, taking away space from agriculture. The plant is
exported to Europe where it is transformed into a primary material for so-called eco building. The story of lime coming from Morocco remains the same.” Daniela Ducato, coordinator of The Green House CO2.0 explains this to Adnkronos the face of the novel eco building, and she also explains what she and other entrepreneurs have decided to do to ensure a truly sustainable supply chain, for the environment and for workers. The Green House Co2.0, coordinated by Ducato, is the largest Italian production center for eco building. It is made up of 72 companies, 40 of which are Sardinian, that have chosen to create good, clean, and just products, inspired by the Slow Food philosophy. The surplus (no longer waste) of the companies that are part of the center, instead being thrown away, are transformed into primary materials for other companies. The waste from dairy processing are used for creation of art, those of honey manufacturing are used for making glues, and surplus straw from the agricultural supply chain all end up as parts of architectural products, while bakeries use cob ovens built with natural materials by a local company. All this is happening in Italy not because we believe in the zero kilometer philosophy in itself, but because a little-told aspect of eco building is the exploitation of work in developing Countries. Among green products of this center there is “solar bread” and “solar ricotta,” cooked in ovens built in earth and raw wool, which run directly on sun rays, and products of companies of the district. (source Adnkronos)
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Germany: 2,000 euros per family for plants with accumulation equipment.
The global race for renewable resources for grid parity is in progress.
In the month of February 2013, the German federal Minister of the Environment (BMU) plans to introduce new incentives for accumulation systems for photovoltaic plants. The outline of the incentives was included in the law for German renewable energy (EEG) last summer and it will be effective presumably starting in February. At least according to what was declared at Photon by the responsible party for solar energy of the minister of environment, Karin Freier. The news was obviously received positively by the German solar association, BSW, which, citing a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE maintains that accumulation systems could increase network capacities by 66%. In the same context, a few days ago the creation of the BVES German association for energy accumulation, whose objective is to ensure a stable market for the sector, was announced. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, with the funds made available by the German Government one can expect a contribution of 2000 euros for every photovoltaic plant equipped with an accumulation system. The funds will be provided by the KfW, the German State bank, which in the last few years has already funded 54% of the wind turbines constructed in Germany and 43% of all plants installed, while in 2012 it supplied 8.8 billion euros to promote the energy requalification of just under 430,000 German homes.
Not only is the cost of photovoltaic energy less than that of diesel energy, but energy from other renewable sources have also reached significantly competitive prices, largely because of greater distribution of power plants. This is the tendency traced by the report “Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012,” drafted by IRENA (International Renewable Agency), presented over the course of the World Future Energy Summit, held in Abu Dhabi. Through the monitoring of 8,000 renewable energy production plants of medium and large dimensions, the Agency has prepared a complete analysis of costs and performance of the projects, predicting also the probable dynamics of a near future. Among the main data stated in the document was the growth in 2011 of the following: 41 GW of new wind power, 30 GW of solar photovoltaic plants (PV), 25 GW of hydroelectric energy, 6 GW of biomass, 0.5 HW of solar concentration energy (CSP) and 0.1 GW of geothermal energy. This has all translated into a consequent fall in prices. Onshore wind power, some biomass, and small hydroelectric and geothermal energies, in fact, today have a cost of production in the range of 515 dollar cents per KWh typical of large thermoelectric plants. While large scale hydroelectric energy, the document reports, is actually even cheaper, situated under the threshold of 5 cents. At about 16-18 cents per KWh we find the renewable resource closest to grid parity—offshore wind power. Which, according to the re-
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mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news mini news port, will reach optimal results, especially is Latin America and North America. 2013: natural gas costs less after a series of disproportionate increases. “In the past two years the price of methane on international markets has decreased by 20%, but the Authority of Gas and Energy, instead of approving the reductions on the bills of 26 million families and four million small and medium-sized businesses, has continuously hurt them, with increases equal to 23.7%, more than 4 times inflation, generating a loss of buying power and exclusive advantages to the operators.” This is announced by Adusbef and Federconsumers, according to whom “The independent Authorities instituted by law with the purpose of protecting all particularly relevant interests, such as widespread services, public utility, such as gas and energy, instead of safeguarding also the rights and interests of consumers and families, they are influenced by monopolies and oligopolies, favoring their their wishes exlusively.” The two consumer associations, analyzing all the expenditure items of a bill, concluding that “the part of the bill that is truly connected to the quantity of the material consumed amounts to only 37.4% (39.6% if one considers in the calculation also the fixed quota of sales services, connected to the price of the primary material, but not to the quantity effectively consumed by the user). This implies that a good 62.6% approximately of the total cost of the bill in question is not constituted by expenditure items connected to the price of the primary
material consumed, but rather to charges of another kind (distribution, transport, insurances, profits and tax cuts set against the consumers).” Adusbef and Federconsumers observe, that the bill analyzed displays an increase of 23.7% in a two year period, equal to 44 euros in 2011 and 32 euros in 2012, for a burden of 76 euros for every family total charges of 2.4 billion euros. On the contrary, “with an Authority that depends less on the interests of operators, the cost should have decreased by 23 euros in 2011 and 18 in 2012, for a savings of 41 euros per family.” The two associations maintain therefore that “the job of the operators is to freeze for a two year period all increases of prices and fees, to contribute to getting out of the recession giving spurring economic revival with a higher spending capacity of consumers.” According to what was announced by the Authority for Electric Energy and Gas, therefore, starting April 2013 gas bills will start to fall in response to the introduction of new updating mechanisms. “The whole decrease will be of 6-7% with a savings of about 90% per year,” the Authority announces. The new mechanisms should facilitate an action which is “very effective to the benefit of families and small consumers, during its course, which was already launched in 2011, containing bills and transferring the benefits that come from more competition on the wholesale markets and the fact that Italian an EU prices are getting closer together, made possible also thanks to the institution of the Market and Budget Authority, capable of providing a ‘spot’ price, no longer connected to long term contracts.”
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Project management: pv plants led lights energy saving ________________________________________ PROgEMA Srl – Via De Amicis 2 – 21020 Varano Borghi VA (Italy) Tel.: +39 02 9374175 – +39 0332 948.948 – Fax: +39 02 700537124 – cell.: +39 331 8118840 internet site: www.progemaenergia.it email: info@progemaenergia.it ________________________________________
Progema Ltd., although recently established, has been on the market for over ten years in the project management. Back in the 90s dealt with the current team core of renewable energy and energy conservation in the project called Blue Line. On 2005, in collaboration with professional firms specializing in engineering, has developed the brand Ecoplanet for the construction of photovoltaic projects advanced public and private business. the technical expertise and financial capacity taken at that time have since given birth to Progema Ltd. the increasing business and complexity of the projects were invited to go on a road of new investment and capacity certified by ENEA (National Agency for Energy and the Environment). Progema, which maintains partnerships with academics and leading European companies in the production of solar panels, inverters and industrial systems, also with reference to the integrated energy-saving solutions, like led lights. Progema recently collaborated with the Italian Institute for Foreign trade in China, Japan and Arab Emirates missions.