McKinsey: Banks could lend EUR 20 bln to finance Romania’s green transition

The demand for green energy equipment and materials in Romania, which includes solar (PV) panels, heat pumps and efficient insulation, could reach over EUR 30 billion by 2040, as 1.1 to 1.7 million households could install each of the three solutions, according to consultancy firm McKinsey & Company Romania.

Currently, the Romanian state is offering subsidies worth EUR 300 mln through the Green House (Casa Verde) program and is exploring additional financing options worth EUR 250 million through the RePowerEU program. Both programs cover exclusively the purchase and installation of PV panels.

In this context, McKinsey estimates that banks could offer about EUR 20 billion worth of financing to companies and individuals in Romania looking to buy and install green energy equipment.

However, the banks need to come up with special financing offers for their clients as the current loans for green energy solutions are consumer loans for up to five years with high interest rates, which are not customized for the kind of needs they cover, according to McKinsey.

The consultancy firm also points out that there are currently few companies that can manage the whole process for clients, from finding the most suitable solutions to getting the financing and installing the equipment.

“An integrated player should offer specialized consultancy on the green energy systems, assess the household’s energy potential and calculate the rentability of the project, install the equipment and intermediate the customer’s relationship with a financing institution and manage for the client the certification process as prosumer,” said McKinsey’s specialists.

The costs for installing PV panels in Romania currently range from EUR 1,200-1,400 / kW for small projects and can go up to EUR 15,000 for large projects. However, the prosumers can recover their investment in about six years, without any state support, or as little as three years if they get subsidies through the Green House program.

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