The Conto Termico is a key mechanism for incentivizing energy efficiency and renewable sources in Italy. This is about to undergo a profound evolution with the long-awaited Thermal Account 3.0which represents an unmissable opportunity for construction professionals, businesses and private citizens who wish to invest in energy efficiency and renewable sources.
The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security recently presented a “draft” decree that has been submitted for public consultation until 10 May 2024. The innovations introduced aim to make the Thermal Account more inclusive, effective and in line with the European decarbonisation objectives (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions).
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The objectives
The strategic objectives of Conto Termico 3.0 aim to broaden the group of beneficiaries, diversify eligible interventions and simplify the procedures for accessing incentives. Specifically, the objectives include:
- the inclusion of new self-consumption configurations. The new Thermal Account will also include in the incentives new forms of self-consumption, such as virtual and collective, allowing more subjects to benefit from the incentives and promoting the local production and consumption of renewable energy;
- the opening to Renewable Energy Communities (CER). CERs (groups of citizens, businesses and local authorities that join together to produce and share energy from renewable sources) will also be admitted to the Conto Termico, stimulating the active participation of citizens in the energy transition;
- the extension to the Third Sector. The Conto Termico 3.0 provides for the extension of benefits also to Third Sector Entities, allowing them to improve the energy efficiency of their structures and contribute to the reduction of emissions;
- the inclusion of new technologies and innovative solutions. Conto Termico 3.0 will expand the range of eligible interventions, including emerging technologies such as photovoltaic with storage, charging stations for electric vehicles, micro-cogeneration and district heating;
- promoting the diversification of energy sources. The inclusion of new technologies aims to promote a more diversified and sustainable energy mix, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the resilience of the national energy system;
- support for sustainable mobility. Different types of incentives will contribute to the diffusion of electric mobility, reducing polluting emissions and improving air quality;
- reduction of bureaucratic burdens. In fact, the Conto Termico 3.0 will introduce more streamlined and simplified procedures for access to incentives, reducing times and costs for beneficiaries, especially for private individuals and small businesses. Furthermore, it is intended to simplify access to incentives for Public Administrations;
- the digitalization of procedures. Greater use of digital tools is expected for submitting applications and managing practices, making the process more efficient and transparent.
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What’s new
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the proposed decree introduces a series of significant innovations. The Conto Termico 3.0 will allow CERs and collective self-consumption groups (formed by entities located in different buildings but functionally connected to the same MT/BT transformation cabin) to access incentives for the construction of shared systems for the production and self-consumption of energy from renewable sources, thus promoting the spread of participatory and sustainable energy models at a local level.
The installation of photovoltaic systems with storage will be encouraged for promote self-consumption of energy produced from renewable sources, reducing both dependence on the electricity grid and contributing to the stability of the energy system, and reducing the use of fossil fuels and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
The Conto Termico 3.0 provides incentives for the installation of infrastructures electric vehicle charging, both private and public, to promote the spread of electric mobility and reduce air pollution. This measure is in line with the European objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality, encouraging and accelerating the transition to a more sustainable transport system.
The incentivized interventions include the installation of micro-cogeneration and district heating systems, which allow for the simultaneous production of electrical and thermal energy in an efficient and low environmental impact manner. These solutions are particularly suitable for industrial and residential applications, where it is possible to exploit the heat produced for space heating or for production processes.
Support is provided for investments by companies in technologies to improve the energy efficiency of their production processes, such as heat recovery systems, high-efficiency heat pumps and high-efficiency electric motors. These specific areas of intervention will allow companies to reduce energy consumption and production costs, improving their competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
In addition to the interventions already foreseen in the previous versions of the Conto Termico, such as thermal insulation and the replacement of windows, the Conto Termico 3.0 will incentivize the installation of hybrid systems (heat pump + condensing boiler) for domestic heating. This measure will encourage the replacement of old gas or diesel boilers with more efficient and low-emission solutions, contributing to the abandonment of fossil fuels.
Among the various innovations are simplified procedures for access to incentives by Public Administrations, reducing bureaucratic burdens and facilitating the implementation of energy efficiency interventions in public buildings. In fact, PAs will be able to reserve financial resources before carrying out the interventions, ensuring greater certainty in the planning and implementation of projects.
Finally, a strengthening of the monitoring activities and evaluation of the interventions carried out, to ensure the transparency of the system and verify the effectiveness of the incentives in achieving the objectives of energy efficiency and emission reduction. The data collected through monitoring will be used to improve future incentive policies and promote increasingly effective and sustainable interventions.
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Entry into force
At the moment, the Conto Termico 3.0 is a “draft” decree and, therefore, still in the definition phase. After the closure of the public consultation, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security will proceed with the analysis of the observations received and the adoption of the final decree. It is expected that the new Conto Termico could enter into force by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
