Subsidizing up to 85% of the cost of investments for energy savings in homes and up to 50,000 euros per house provides for the new program “Save-Autonomous” announced today by the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostis Hatzidakis. This is a program with a total budget of 850 million. euros in which detached houses and apartment buildings can be integrated, with a simplified system. The applications per region will be submitted gradually while they will follow – as the minister mentioned – for businesses and public buildings.
For the first time, in addition to interventions for insulation, upgrading of the heating-cooling system, etc., the program will also support investments for energy autonomy of the building (RES systems, energy storage), charging infrastructure of electric vehicles, intelligent lighting systems and remote control of the system. heating / cooling, elevator upgrade. The program management system is also changing as the application platform will be continuously open from 2021 or there will be regular quarterly cycles, known in advance, to avoid market surprises as well as “crowding” phenomena.
The name of the new program “Save-Autonomy for a Smart Home”, indicates its goal, in addition to energy saving and energy autonomy of households, with new incentives and interventions that encourage – among other things – the production and storage of energy. from RES (eg with the installation of photovoltaics), and the installation of “smart” energy management systems “, stressed during his intervention the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostis Hatzidakis and added:
“This program is just the beginning. But we want it to be a good start and to signal – among other things – the increased emphasis on energy saving actions that are now being given at national and European level. Saving-Autonoming and the other programs that will follow (for public buildings, tourism, industry, businesses, etc.) are market activation levers for the implementation of significant investments. In this way we believe that the construction industry and other sectors of domestic production will be supported, creating new jobs and added value to the Greek economy “.
Mr. Hatzidakis also noted that the European Recovery Fund will focus on building renovations, which means on the one hand that mammoth programs will be announced next year and on the other hand that there is no question of covering those who are left out of one phase of the program, because they can join the next phases. . The certification of energy inspectors will also be upgraded so that, as the minister said, the result is achieved in terms of achieving energy saving results.
Deputy Minister of Development and Investment Giannis Tsakiris stressed that the budget of the program will be 850 million. euros for 2020 while in the coming years it will increase further to 1 billion. per year.
The general secretary of RIS Alexandra Sdoukou stressed that the specifications of the materials that will be used for the upgrade of the houses will be stricter.
TEE President George Stasinos said the new program helps save energy, reduce household costs and boost the economy, and called for a quick disbursement.
The main features of the program
Beneficiaries are natural persons with real right (full ownership / usufruct / small ownership) in an eligible residence and if they meet the income support criteria. For low-income households (individual income up to 10,000 euros or family income up to 20,000 euros) the basic grant rate is 65%, to which is added 10% as a “coronavirus clause” for the two years 2020-2021 and an additional 10% for low-energy buildings ( Z / H). For the lignite areas of Western Macedonia and Megalopolis, an additional 10% is added, so in these areas the subsidy reaches up to 95%.
The new program provides for higher subsidy rates of expenses while at the same time the limits for incomes have been extended, including even individual incomes up to 90 thousand. euros and family up to 120 thousand euros. More detail:
• For individual income up to 10 thousand and family income up to 20 thousand the basic percentage is 65%
• For individual income up to 20 thousand and family income up to 30 thousand the basic percentage is 55%
• For individual income up to 30 thousand and family income up to 40 thousand the basic percentage is 50%
• For individual income up to 50 thousand and family income up to 70 thousand the basic percentage is 45%
• For individual income up to 90 thousand and family income up to 120 thousand the basic percentage is 35%
A house, in order to be considered eligible, must:
• Used as the main residence, as shown by E1
• Exists legally.
• It has been classified based on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which has been issued after 26/11/2017 in a category lower than or equal to C (instead of D in the previous program).
• Has not been deemed demolishable.
• The interventions according to the RDPs that will be issued before and after their implementation should lead to the improvement of the ranking by at least 3 steps.
There are two cases for apartment buildings, for interventions in the apartments or only in the common areas:
Type A Application:
It is submitted by the representative of the apartment building, and is linked to individual applications for individual apartments that include non-communal energy interventions to upgrade them.
• The apartment building must have issued a tax registration number (TIN) and have a bank account number.
• Decision of the General Assembly, submission of an application by a representative as well as individual applications by the owners of the apartments
• Energy Efficiency Certificate that concerns the whole part of the building that is used as a residence.
Type B Application:
It is submitted by the representative and includes only independent interventions for the upgrade of the common areas of an apartment building, without, that is, interventions being included in the apartments.
• The apartment building must have issued a tax registration number (TIN) and have a bank account number.
• A decision of the General Assembly and submission of an application by a representative is required
• Energy Efficiency Certificate that concerns the whole part of the building that is used as a residence.
• Concerns only communal interventions of energy upgrade and autonomy
For interventions in public areas and elevators, a single aid rate of 60% will be provided regardless of income (plus 10% as a “coronavirus clause” and 10% for lignite areas) in order to facilitate the submission of applications.
The maximum eligible budget for total interventions (energy savings, smart systems and energy autonomy) is 50,000 euros per eligible home or 100,000 euros per beneficiary tax number (for more homes) and 80,000 euros for interventions in common areas. Only for energy saving interventions the budget limit is 1.2 euros per kilowatt hour saved.
Eligible energy saving interventions are:
- Replacement of Frames with mandatory recycling of old and the possibility of replacing glass in buildings of protected or historical value or special architecture
- Installation / replacement of shell thermal cover: Any small-scale works to support the thermal insulation (cracks, waterproofing) are also considered eligible interventions.
- Heating-cooling system upgrade
• The dismantling of oil burners and related tanks is also considered an eligible intervention.
• Eligibility for oil burners is removed
• Eligibility for energy fireplaces in Athens and Thessaloniki is abolished - Hot Water System using RES: Mandatory installation in cases where it does not exist.
For energy autonomy the subsidized interventions include: - RES power generation systems: They are only eligible if the house is upgraded, with the main energy saving interventions, to an energy category of at least B +.
Eligible intervention is the installation of photovoltaics only to meet demand (net metering) - Storage systems: Eligible only as an additional intervention in the installation of a new photovoltaic station
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure: only devices that are suitable, according to ELOT standards, and are intended for charging electric vehicles in a home environment are eligible
The eligible Smart Home interventions are:
Digital systems and technologies that contribute to energy savings - Smart lighting (eg smart sockets, low power LED lighting)
- Intelligent management of the heating / cooling system (eg smart thermostats)
- Remote Control (eg smart leak sensors, humidity etc)
Only the interventions that:
• adjust and maintain energy consumption (appliances, lighting, heating, hot water, etc.) at the levels chosen by users in order to save energy and / or
• record and process energy consumption data and / or
• adjust and maintain shading levels
Other eligible communal interventions for apartment buildings include:
1.Elevator upgrade
Only the interventions required for the certification of elevators and the mandatory installation of inverters in the elevators are eligible in order to achieve a reduction of their energy footprint without affecting their safety and functionality. - Lighting system upgrade:
• Replacement of light bulbs with low consumption (eg LED)
• Replacement of the timing system with a smart management system, depending on the time (day / night), brightness, entry / exit point, etc.
• Replacement of the activation circuit with automation with motion sensors.