PERFESCO – Groupe EDF (Électricité de France) – Joins Investor Confidence Project Europe

(PARIS – 22 March 2016) Laurent Kraif, CEO of PERFESCO – a subsidiary of Groupe EDF (Électricité de France) – today joined the Steering Group of the Investor Confidence Project Europe (ICP Europe). Headquartered in Paris, France, with operations on five continents, Électricité de France is the largest producer of electricity in the world. ICP Europe, an initiative launched by international NGO Environmental Defense Fund, began just one year ago with a single goal: standardising energy efficiency projects to enable a marketplace for mass-scale investment in the sector.

 Mr. Kraif brings years of experience in energy efficiency and investment to ICP Europe’s Steering Group. At Électricité de France, Mr. Kraif directs the ESCO Department’s efforts to work with large customers to provide top-line efficiency services that reduce demand and improve reliability. Previously he served as founder and CEO of Akol Energies, an investment firm specialising in renewable energy.

 “I am very excited to represent Électricité de France on the Investor Confidence Project Europe Steering group. We believe that our customers and the European community need a dramatic increase in high quality energy efficiency renovation projects. To do this we need to improve savings, increase investment and collect and use better project data. The Investor Confidence Project Europe is providing the tools and guidance that could facilitate many of these changes in the marketplace and I look forward to adding our insights into their operations and plans,” said Mr. Kraif.

 “We are incredibly excited about the supply-side perspective and financial expertise that Mr. Kraif’s participation brings to our project. Utilities will play a major role in transforming the renovation market and unlocking the huge savings potential in Europe’s buildings. This is a vote of confidence in the strength of the Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ system, which will build a marketplace for energy efficiency projects” said Panama Bartholomy, ICP Europe Project Director.

 ICP Europe is a sister project of the Investor Confidence Project launched five years ago in the United States by Environmental Defense Fund. Its Steering Group is made up of experts from the energy efficiency industry, advocacy, research and academia, and government sectors. The group advises ICP Europe’s staff on program development and deployment, and ensures products and services are market-ready and industry-relevant.

 In addition, ICP Europe has forged strategic alliances with the financial, real estate, and efficiency sectors to develop project origination and underwriting standardization through its protocols, which help reduce transaction costs and accelerate deal flow for building renovation projects.

Interested parties are invited to contribute to ICP Europe’s efforts through the Technical Forum and help bring energy efficiency to market as a global asset class by joining the ICP Europe Ally Network.