Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President of the EIB, emphasized the critical need to support SMEs in the transition to energy efficiency: “Small and medium-sized businesses find it much harder to invest in energy efficiency than large companies. With SMEs generating about 60% of Europe’s emissions, we must help them become more efficient to meet EU climate targets.”

The Solar Impulse Foundation, which has developed the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” label, will bring its extensive network and market knowledge to the initiative. Bertrand Piccard, Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, explained the importance of making energy-efficient solutions accessible to SMEs: “Even though operational costs are much lower, high initial investments often limit their use. By partnering with the EIB, we aim to break down financial barriers and fast-track the adoption of clean technologies.”

The European Commission’s support is part of its broader InvestEU programme. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director General for Energy at the European Commission, welcomed the collaboration: “This initiative is essential to ensure the competitiveness of European industry and achieve our climate and energy goals. It also supports the global objective to double energy efficiency improvements by 2030, as agreed at COP28.”

This pilot initiative marks a significant step toward empowering SMEs in Europe to take part in the clean energy transition while enhancing their competitiveness and contributing to climate goals.

According to solarquarter.com