Are you curious to know how your financial choices can make a real contribution to the fight against climate change? Would you like to find out about the innovative initiatives that have been put in place in Luxembourg to promote sustainable finance? In this interview, Laetitia Hamon, Head of Sustainable Finance at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, shares her ideas and experiences on these crucial topics. Read this interview to find out how you can make the difference and be an agent of change towards a more sustainable future.
Why install photovoltaic panels on my house?
You've heard so much about them that you can't ignore them any longer. Especially as you now see them just about everywhere… except on your roof! Now is the time to take a more serious interest, for the sake of our planet!
Solar panels: operation, benefits and financing
Rising energy costs and environmental objectives are the main arguments for investing in renewable energies. But they're not the only ones, as consumers are also changing their behaviour and becoming more environmentally aware.
There has been a resurgence in the tendency to want to produce more for oneself (for example, by growing one's own vegetables, baking one's own bread, etc.), as well as self-consumption, which provides more regular access to certain products by allowing a shorter route between production and consumption.
The same applies to energy production! Today, you can produce and consume your own energy by installing solar panels on the roof of your home.
How do photovoltaic panels work?
Photovoltaic panels are generally installed on the roofs of houses, although they can also be found elsewhere, for example on the roofs of carports or garden sheds or floating on lakes or fields. Solar panels can be installed on any large, unoccupied surface that is well exposed to the sun's rays.
These are modules made up of solar cells that convert sunlight into electrical energy, which is why photovoltaic panels can be installed anywhere there is sunlight.
The advantages of installing solar panels
First of all, this technology is designed for the long term, i.e. it has a fairly long lifespan.
The energy produced by the modules can be used for your own consumption but can also be fed into the public grid if there is a surplus. In this way, it is bought back by an energy supplier and then resold, accelerating the return on the initial investment in just a few years.
What's more, by installing panels on your home, you're reducing your CO₂ emissions and helping to protect the planet, thereby affirming your responsible attitude towards the environment.
Also, when you combine the panels with a heat pump, you can create heat from electricity at a lower cost.
Finally, there's no loss, because energy that isn't consumed directly can be stored in batteries, and if you have a large surplus, you can simply sell it on.
The usefulness of domestic batteries
Depending on the power of the installation and your electricity consumption, solar panels generate enough energy during the day to run various electrical appliances at the same time, such as the dishwasher, tumble dryer and washing machine, or even cover all your energy needs while producing a surplus.
This surplus can be stored in a battery. When the sun goes down, energy is drawn from this reserve. If you don't have a battery, or if you produce more energy than you can consume and store, the surplus is sold on. If the power of your battery is insufficient to cover your night-time consumption, the supply will be covered by the public grid.
Financing solutions
The Ecoprêt loan has been specially designed to finance environmentally responsible projects at a favourable rate. So, if you're renovating your property or simply want to install photovoltaic systems on your home, you can borrow up to EUR 100.000 at a low rate for up to 120 months.
State aid
The government has introduced a number of grants and subsidies to help with ecological projects. These can be consulted on the klima-agence website and are a real source of financial support that should not be overlooked, as they can cover up to 50% of the investment, not to mention any municipal grants and private aid granted by the NovaNaturStroum Fund, for example.