The Slovak Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (SlovSEFF)

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Despite significant improvements in energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity over the last decade, there remain large potentials to improve energy efficiency and further reduce carbon emissions in the Slovak Republic. Partly addressing these challenges, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched the Slovak Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (SlovSEFF) in 2007.

SlovSEFF was one of the first credit lines by the EBRD to encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with private industrial companies and housing associations. This is done by providing loans (EUR 20,000–2,500,000) and incentive payments in the case of successful completion and verification of a project. With the support of local banks and obligatory technical assistance it channels financing to sustainable energy projects reducing GHG emissions. SlovSEFF has supported more than 700 energy efficiency projects and sustainable energy investments that make energy lower emissions-intensive worth over EUR 200 million in total, resulting in combined annual energy savings equivalent to the total household electricity consumption of a city the size of Bratislava.

The present study forms part of a series of publications within the project “Bridging European and Local Climate Action (BEACON)”. As part of this project, scientific analyses were conducted of national policy instruments that successfully led to greenhouse gas emission reductions in European countries in the building, transport, agriculture and small-industry sectors. The analyses particularly focused on the instruments’ effectiveness and their potential transferability to the German context.