Tax credit for small wind investment

When neighbours objected to his plans to install a small wind turbine in his Paris back garden, Laurent Dolizy decided to find a solution so that he -- and others like him -- could build elsewhere yet still benefit from the tax credit available to private individuals investing in renewable energy production systems at their principal residence. Dolizy argues that the credit, which covers 50% of the cost of the turbine up to a ceiling of EUR 8000 for an individual and EUR 16,000 for a couple, should be extended to include land rented specifically for the purpose. He also proposes that the price paid for electricity from these small, "unobtrusive" turbines should be aligned to the purchase price for photovoltaic generation. This tariff recently increased to EUR 0.30/kWh for all new installations and EUR 0.55/kWh for those integrated into the architecture of the building. Dolizy has received interest from individuals and businesses. "Some are interested for purely environmental reasons, others for financial, but all are people wishing to invest in renewable energy and in small, sympathetically designed projects that respect the environment," he says. Even the initial, unofficial reaction from the authorities has been positive. Dolizy hoped to submit the first formal proposal before the end of June.