Prague - Support from the New Green Savings Program (NZÚ), operated by the State Environmental Fund (SFŽP) and the Ministry of the Environment (MŽP), will be increased by ten billion crowns. The authorities will allocate the money from the Modernization Fund, which draws finance from emissions allowances revenues. At the same time, from February the grant program will enhance and streamline support for photovoltaics for family homes. The changes will not affect grants from the Repair Your Grandmother's House call, NZÚ Light, or programs supporting apartment buildings. The MŽP announced this in a press release.
The standard New Green Savings Program supports all categories of insulation, so it is possible to apply for a grant for basic or partial insulation as well. Since September last year, in addition to grants for family homes, support is also available for apartment buildings where seniors live, families receiving housing benefits, or people with third-degree disability. Grants can cover up to half of expenses and are paid out after the investment is realized. Applicants who comprehensively insulate their home can receive up to 950,000 crowns. For new buildings, the support applies to structures meeting the highest energy standard, and the grant can amount to a maximum of 535,000 crowns. For support for family homes, households can receive bonuses for disadvantaged regions, as well as bonuses for combinations of measures.
From February 15, support for the installation of photovoltaics on family homes will also increase. It will now be possible to apply for grants of up to 160,000 crowns for the installation of photovoltaic panels without partial support for insulation. Applicants who combine the installation of photovoltaics with insulation will receive an additional bonus of 40,000 crowns, bringing the total grant to up to 200,000 crowns. For the installation of a photovoltaic power plant (FVE), it will be possible to receive 35,000 crowns or 60,000 crowns when using a heat pump. The grant for a heat pump with water heating connected to photovoltaics will be up to 125,000 crowns. A bonus of 10,000 crowns will also be available for FVE that provides water heating.
"The New Green Savings Program is and will be a support for energy savings in households. We have therefore adjusted the program to motivate all homeowners, primarily towards comprehensive renovations. These will bring significant savings, increase living comfort, contribute to the renovation of the housing stock, and ultimately help reduce overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the national level," said Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL).
According to the MŽP, the reason for the increase is also the enormous interest in grants from the New Green Savings Program. The increase in allocation should ensure support for more than 50,000 additional households. In the closing call for grants, which opened on September 26 last year, more than 27,000 applications were submitted. The highest interest was in support for photovoltaics, with the ministry recording 18,000 applications, which accounts for two-thirds of all applicants.
According to an energy savings expert from Weber, Saint-Gobain, Miloš Hutník, the main reason for changing the program's rules is a greater emphasis on supporting comprehensive measures for family homes. Many people installed photovoltaics on homes with high energy demands, which he claims makes no economic or ecological sense. It is important to insulate the property first and then install a photovoltaic system.
"It is necessary to realize that the highest energy consumption occurs in winter when heating of buildings is required. Many households use gas boilers, or possibly heat pumps or other energy sources for this purpose. If a household uses electricity for heating, photovoltaic panels cannot produce enough energy in winter to cover their consumption. If a household uses other heating methods, photovoltaic panels do not address the main cause of energy waste and high costs," added Hutník.
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