The Thermal Account ((Conto Termico 1.0) is the first nationwide direct incentive scheme for the generation of renewable thermal energy, and the first scheme encouraging public authorities to implement energy efficiency actions in buildings and technical installations. The scheme is addressed to public authorities and to private parties i.e. individuals, condominiums, businesses and farms. GSE (Energy Service Operator) is in charge of implementing and managing the scheme. It also awards, disburses and revokes incentives and it is in charge of monitoring and checks. ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) assists GSE in preparing the technical rules for implementing the decree and takes part in the verifications. It also provides specialist assistance to GSE in monitoring activities and, again in cooperation with GSE, draws up an annual report. The Thermal Account supports the following energy efficiency actions implemented by public authorities:
<ul>
<li>thermal insulation of walls</li>
<li>replacement of windows</li>
<li>installation of screening and shading systems</li>
<li>replacement of heating systems with condensing boilers</li>
<li>It also support production of heat from renewable sources:</li>
<li>replacement of heat generators with electrical and gas heat pumps, including heat pumps for the production of sanitary hot water</li>
<li>replacement of heat generators with biomass-fed heat generators, heating fireplaces and</li>
<li>stoves</li>
<li>installation of solar thermal collectors and solar cooling systems</li>
</ul>
The maximum power limit in order to qualify for the incentive is 1,000 thermal kW or 1,000m2 of surface area for thermal solar systems. In the case of energy efficiency actions, an expenditure ceiling has been set for each type of action.
The Ministeriale Decree 28 Decembre 2012 established the first structured national fund for small-scale thermal efficiency and renewable heat production. While it successfully introduced the role of the Soggetto Responsabile (Responsible Party) and the GSE as the managing entity, it has been operationally retired, first being replaced by Conto Termico 2.0 (Ministerial Decree 16 February 2016) and all modern interventions are now governed by the Conto Termico 3.0 (Ministeriale Decree 7 August 2025).

Ministerial Decree 12/2012 (Conto Termico 1.0) 

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Ministerial Decree 16 February 2016 (Conto Termico 2.0)

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

A tax advantage is a fiscal incentive where the government reduces or exempts selected activities, goods or actors from taxes.

A subsidy is a direct or indirect payment to individuals or businesses, typically provided as a government cash payment or a specific tax reduction.

Compulsory, required payments to the government that are levied more-or-less in proportion to the services provided. Fees and charges range from entrance fees to national parks, charges on land-based sewage discharge.

Tradable permits are market-based tools that grant permission for specific activities, frequently used to regulate emissions. These permits can be issued within a trading system to manage environmental impacts.

Codes and standards are regulatory instruments that specify minimum standards to protect health and safety. This ranges from performance standards, which prescribe outcomes while allowing flexibility to achieve compliance, to the more prescriptive approach of technology-specific standards.

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater systems to climate change.

Actions to adapt human health, healthcare systems and well-being to climate change.

Actions to adapt and increase the resilience of rural and urban infrastructure and settlements to climate change.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater, coastal and marine systems to climate change.

Replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly with alternatives powered by electricity.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Investment in electricity transmission and distribution systems capable of integrating renewable energy, supporting electrification and strengthening energy system resilience.

Social protection systems consist of policies that help people manage social risks in order to prevent poverty and maintain decent incomes and living standards

Heat extracted from the ground, usually in the form of hot water or steam and typically referred to as hydrothermal fluid.

Production of electricity and heat from solar irradiation.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

Any compulsory, unrequited payment to the government levied on corporations or individuals. This can be for environmental reasons, such as introducing a Carbon tax to set a price that emitters must pay for the greenhouse gases they emit.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

This sector involves the wholesale and retail selling of goods.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Activities that relate to the production of goods and services from forests.

This sector involves the distribution, treatment, and conservation of water resources.

the fair distribution of risks and opportunities of climate change and the transition to a regenerative economy, cognisant in particular of disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and the working class

Procedural justice means ensuring that decision making is safe, transparent and inclusive, emphasizing the agency and influence of vulnerable groups and those most impacted.

Ministerial Decree 16 February 2016 (Conto Termico 2.0)

Policy instrument

Just transition

Climate justice

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance