White certificates
8 ways to start saving up

Last May the GSE (Gestore Servizi Energetici, a company identified by the Italian State to pursue and achieve environmental sustainability) published an Operation Guide for White Certificates that was approved by the Environmental Transition Ministry with the Directorial Decree on May 2nd 2022.
White Certificates are negotiable documents which certify the achievement of energy savings and – at the moment – they are the main tool to promote energy efficiency in Italy.

What are white certificates?

White certificates aim to incentivise energy efficiency in the industrial, infrastructural and in the public transport sector. They also aim to incentivise interventions regarding the civil sector and citizens’ behavioural measures.
Basically, white certificates are titles which certify energy savings through specific interventions.

How to obtain white certificates?

There are two options:
1. The realisation of one of the energy efficiency projects allowed by the mechanism;
2. The purchase of the titles from eligible parties.

The System establishes the yearly achievement of primary energy savings for electric energy and natural gas distributors that have more than 50.000 final customers. Every year new goals are added to the list.

What sets white certificates apart from other energy bonuses?

While all other bonuses base their value on a budget, white certificates are calculated depending on a final balance, so the real earned savings are paid.

What does this mean?
The certificate’s value is directly proportional to the achieved savings; long story short, the greater the savings the greater the earnings.

Let’s get into details.

White certificates are incentives proportionally corresponded by the GSE depending on the measured energy saving.
For every TOE (ton of oil equivalent) saved, a white certificate will be distributed. One TOE corresponds to 5.347 kWh of electricity or to 11.628 kWh of thermal energy.

So every time I save one TOE I will be eligible to have an energy efficiency title that is worth € 250 per year for 5/7/10 years (depending on the carried out intervention and the reference market).

However, a TOE energy saving equals 5.347 kWh, so if we multiply this data by the average energy cost (around 0.17 €/kWh) it comes to approximately €1000 per year.

One question comes up.
What is more important? The yearly incentive of €250 or €1000 of energy saving in a year as a result of energy efficiency interventions?

The answer is obvious. Choosing more efficient solutions is not only better for our planet, it is also better for our wallet.

Where can I sell/buy white certificates?

GSE provides a marketplace where certificates can be traded and valued. Those who are admitted into the mechanism are enrolled in the GME’s Electronic Register of white certificates.

Inside the Guide there is a sheet regarding every type of intervention. Due to the great number of presented interventions, some types of projects have sector-based guides.

What are the possible interventions?

1. Replacement of heat pumps with more efficient ones.
2. Chillers installation.
3. Replacement of boilers powered by fossil fuels for the production of thermal energy with heat pumps.
4. New installation of systems for the production of compressed air.
5. Replacement of public lighting systems.
6. Replacement of LED lighting systems.
7. Connection of new heat networks utilities.
8. Replacement of boilers with more efficient ones.

Can I accumulate white certificates with other incentives?

White certificates cannot be accumulated with other incentives regarding electric energy and gas rates and with other state incentives destined for the same type of projects. However, they can be accumulated with local, regional and community level financing (e.g. ERDF) and they allow the access to:
● Deposit insurance and revolving funds;
● Interest subsidy;
● Tax reduction on the company’s income for the purchase of machineries and equipment. In this case the due number of titles is reduced by 50%.

Our main goal is to make our clients understand the potentialities of the countless supports made available by the GSE.

Now more than ever, making energy systems more efficient is easier and faster.

If you want more information or ask us a few questions get in touch with us here https://coesaenergy.it/contatti/