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Energy

Building renovations

Financial support mechanisms in EU countries can help pay for energy efficient renovations.

Energy efficient building renovations can be expensive and owners may not have the means to finance them. Financial instruments provided by EU countries, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU itself, can help solve this issue and address financial and investment gaps.

EU funding on building renovations

At EU level, several funding streams can be used for financing buildings renovations. Among the most important are the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), Horizon 2020, and the ELENA facility.

More specific financial instruments to support building renovations will also be developed between 2021 and 2027 under InvestEU. In addition, there is a new LIFE programme which has 4 sub-programmes, including one on clean energy transition.

The Commission's policy for financing energy efficiency has a strong focus on buildings, as illustrated by the Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative that was adopted as part of the Clean energy for all Europeans package. Building renovations, in particular for residential and public buildings, has regularly been addressed in the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums. These events aim to foster dialogue and exchange of best practice in developing investment projects and programmes in sustainable energy.

The Renovation wave strategy under the European Green Deal will have a strong financing component that aims to ensure that the investments needed are enabled at the necessary scale.

National support measures

EU countries provide a list of national measures for funding energy efficiency under the amending Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2018/844/EU). They update these lists every 3 years. The lists can be found in their long-term renovation strategies.

Original lists:

Updates:

Commission report on financial support

A 2013 report from the European Commission studied financial support for energy efficiency in the building sector and found that:

  • the EU must improve financial support in the sector if it is to meet its 2020 energy efficiency target
  • financial support mechanisms vary significantly across EU countries
  • barriers, such as high initial costs, long payback periods and perceived credit risk hamper energy efficiency improvements in buildings
  • so far, there is limited information on the effectiveness of currently available financial support mechanisms

National contacts

The table below lists national contacts providing advice and information about current rules and support measures for building renovation in EU and their respective country.

Belgium

Federal level:

 

https://www.energywatchers.be  

Brussels:

https://homegrade.brussels

Flanders:

https://www.vlaanderen.be/bouwen-wonen-en-energie

Wallonia:

https://energie.wallonie.be

Bulgaria

https://www.seea.government.bg/bg/za-domakinstvata

Czechia

Denmark

https://sparenergi.dk

Germany

https://www.energiewechsel.de/KAENEF/

https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/DE/Dossier/energiewende-im-gebaeudebereich

Estonia

https://www.mkm.ee/ehitus-ja-elamumajandus/elamud-ja-hooned/renoveerimislaine

Ireland

https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants

Greece

 

Spain

https://www.mitma.gob.es/ministerio/proyectos-singulares/prtr/vivienda-y-agenda-urbana/programa-de-ayudas-para-la-rehabilitacion-integral-de-edificios-residenciales-y-viviendas

France

https://france-renov.gouv.fr

Croatia

 

Italy

https://pnpe2.enea.it

Cyprus

https://www.resecfund.org.cy

Latvia

https://www.altum.lv/pakalpojumi/iedzivotajiem/privatmaju-energoefektivitate/

Lithuania

www.apva.lt 
http://modernizuok.apva.lt/

Luxembourg

www.klima-agence.lu

Hungary

https://www.mmk.hu/tanacsadas

Malta

https://bca.org.mt

Netherlands

https://www.verbeterjehuis.nl

Austria

Upper Austria:

 

www.energiesparverband.at

Carinthia:  

www.neteb-kaernten.at

Lower Austria:  

www.enu.at

Burgenland:

https://www.burgenland.at/themen/wohnen

Vorarlberg:

https://www.energieinstitut.at/buerger/energieberatung

Tyrol:

https://www.energie-tirol.at

Vienna:

https://www.hauskunft-wien.at

Styria:  

https://www.wohnbau.steiermark.at

Salzburg:

https://www.salzburg.gv.at

Poland

https://czystepowietrze.gov.pl/cieple-mieszkanie/
https://czystepowietrze.gov.pl/

Portugal

https://www.fundoambiental.pt/

Romania

 

Slovenia

 

Slovakia

https://www.siea.sk/bezplatne-poradenstvo

Finland

https://www.ara.fi/en-US/Housing_finance

Sweden

https://www.energimyndigheten.se/energieffektivisering/jag-vill-energieffektivisera-hemma

Documents

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