Roger Thompson, Sales Director of ClimateMaster for Europe and Asia: The US authorities reimburse 30% of the money invested in energy efficiency

Roger Thompson was born in Masketin, Iowa, USA. He graduated in thermal and air conditioning engineering and has been working in this field for 40 years. Now, he is Sales Director of the US company ClimateMaster for Europe and Asia.

- Mr. Thompson, the energy efficiency of buildings and the use of green energy are a major issue for the EU member-states at present. Citizens and companies are being granted money for the purpose from both the EU budget and the respective governments. Is the US government subsidising the energy efficiency of businesses and citizens and how?
- Yes, and this is done on both state and federal level. All state governments are following their own policies on energy efficiency of buildings. In Iowa, for example, there is a programme for designing of energy efficient buildings. The central government in Washington also implements its own policy. However, the state policies are much more serious than those of the central government and the requirements to the energy efficiency of buildings in the different US states are much more stringent. Almost all state governments subsidise programmes for the usage of renewable energy sources and insulation of residential and industrial buildings. They provide incentives for the implementation of green projects, such as the use of geothermal water.

- What are the incentives?
- The so-called Rebate programme is very popular, i.e. the US authorities reimburse to the owner of a building, in which an energy efficiency project has been implemented, 30% of the investment costs. Upon the completion of the project, the owner has to submit the necessary documents in order to get this money back. This 30% is not deducted from taxes or other liabilities, but it is reimbursed. This is the practice for residential buildings - condominiums and family houses. Owners of business and industrial buildings receive back the same percentage of the invested amount, but in the form of a tax credit and are also allowed accelerated depreciation. Preferences are stipulated for the use of all renewable energy sources - wind, water, sun and geothermal water.

- Could you please describe the heating system using thermal pumps? It is not popular in Bulgaria.
- The system is quite different from the traditional central heating system of a large building. It is a decentralised system with individual thermal pumps, no matter whether intended for a single-family house, a block of flats or an industrial building. Each of these pumps can heat or cool, depending on the people using it. The energy efficiency of this system is 20% higher than that of a central heating when it comes to heating and its efficiency can reach 50% when using geothermal water.

The base system that our company offers is called thermal pumps in a closed water circuit. It is most effective when used for both heating and cooling of premises. When you use an air conditioner to cool your office in these hot summer days in Bulgaria, you take away the heat from the room and throw it outside. What we say is: don’t throw it away, use it to heat water for bathing. This increases considerably the efficiency and the production of hot water is for free.

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