The work and achieved results can be structured in 6 core topics.
1. Development and implementation of a securitisation vehicle as an innovative market based third-party financing scheme
The principle achievement of TrustEE is a third-party financing approach where banks or financial investors are backing suppliers of energy efficiency or renewable heat generation projects with long-term financing offers for their customers. They acquire accruing long-term receivables from suppliers after project commissioning and bundle and securitize these assets to issue Green Bonds by a securitisation vehicle. The performed work included from the beginning on direct contact and discussions with banks, financial investors, insurance companies, project developers and other stakeholders in order to get access to energy efficiency and renewable energy investment projects, to learn from the experience of project sponsors, end-users, and to discuss the financing of projects in all aspects with financing partners.
2. Definition and implementation of technical support tools
For reducing assessment and transaction cost, TrustEE pursued an automatization strategy by standardizing EE and RE technology types, and using the defined parameters in an algorithm to analyse the expected technical and financial outputs of EE and RE projects. Technical support tools were worked out including a standardised investment proposal procedure, investment analysis tools providing objective support to the decision process, defining decision criteria (technical and economic) and defining standardized remote monitoring and energy metering procedures and hardware.
The platform was launched on 30th of November 2018, a commercial version was deployed but developed outside the funded TrustEE project
3. Lowering IRR requirements
The TrustEE third – party financing solution lowers investment return requirements of financial investors by a radical reduction of transaction cost (automated assessment by the standardised routines of the TrustEE Platform) and relieving financial investors from technical risks, leaving with them only the credit risk of the customer.
4. Gathering a portfolio of investments
The creation of an investment portfolio already started in the first period of the project through outreach and dissemination of the project objectives. The project partners providing technical support in the project (AEE, F-ISE, UEVORA and AINIA) were focused especially on the engagement of technology suppliers and end-users, while REENAG and Borg&Co focused on the engagement of investors. Over 200 technology suppliers were engaged through direct contacts and through conferences, workshops, etc. in which the consortium participated. Technology suppliers and project developers in acquisition countries (Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal) and across Europe were contacted.
Regarding progress with banks and investors, Reenag led efforts to engage with about ten different banks, insurance companies (credit insurance) and industrial companies. The total project volume identified for future financing is >10 Mio€, which includes projects in Austria, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia.
5. Providing evidence of the impact of different public incentive schemes
The necessary subsidies for reaching financial viability of renewable process heat technologies have been calculated and compared to existing subsidies using PHESIMA, the investment calculation tool developed for TrustEE. Impacts and costs of alternative policy levers for decarbonisation of industrial production through solar thermal, biogas and biomass heat production have been analysed and compared, namely: investment subsidies to reduce CAPEX, different carbon pricing/CO2 tax levels, and public guarantees.
6. Market penetration of EE and RE technologies in industry
Communications and dissemination of the TrustEE message and approach amongst the relevant target group was crucial to aid market penetration of EE and RE technologies. The TrustEE consortium organised, sponsored or headlined eight major seminars or events and participated in a total of 69 conferences, workshops, etc. targeting different stakeholders including technology suppliers, banks and investors, research and academia, policy-makers and others.
Besides coordination of selected events, hundreds of specific discussions with individual suppliers in Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia took place regarding the financial challenges faced by suppliers and industrial customers, which informed the proposed TrustEE financing and services.
