POWERED BY:
TOGETHER WITH
& nbsp & nbspInsider/ΓΤΠ & nbsp; & nbsp;
With an increased budget of 40%, which has the potential to increase even more and with increased grants by 50%, the Sponsorship Plan for thermal insulation of roofs and installation of photovoltaics in homes is announced in the near future, according to what announced on Tuesday the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry in an online conference.
The available budget for the years 2022-2023 is expected to exceed € 20 million and has been secured by the “Cyprus, Tomorrow” Recovery and Sustainability Plan.
The Minister of Energy Natasa Pileidou, in her intervention, stressed that the increase of the budget and the improvement of the provisions of the Plan, fall within the huge effort made by the Government to support the households to reduce their energy costs. According to the Minister, the plan will help even more citizens to proceed with the installation of photovoltaics and implement energy saving measures, in order to reduce the cost of the electricity bill.
“Increasing the penetration of RES and the energy upgrade of buildings, contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the National Strategy for the rapid transition to green energy, which provides, inter alia, for the gradual decoupling from fossil fuels and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. “, Noted the Minister, according to the announcement of the Ministry.
The Sponsorship Plan to encourage the use of RES and FDI in existing homes will have retroactive effect, in a way that ensures the smooth continuation of the respective previous Plan that had expired on 20/12/2021. Its implementation period will be until 20/12/2023 or until the available budget is exhausted.
As the official of the Energy Service George Tsiamettis stated during the meeting, the Plan, which is under the final approval of the competent bodies involved in the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, will provide sponsorship for the installation of a photovoltaic system in existing homes and/or roof thermal insulation.
According to the plan, the beneficiaries are natural persons. The installation of photovoltaics concerns buildings that have obtained a building permit or an urban planning permit before 1/1/2017. Each kilowatt is subsidized with € 375 and the total sponsorship that can be secured amounts to € 1,500. As part of the policy to support mountain communities, the amounts are increased by 50%. Vulnerable households are subsidized with € 1000 per KW, with a maximum sponsorship amount of € 5,000. The sponsorship can amount to 45% of the eligible costs, with a maximum sponsorship amount of € 2,250. As part of the policy to support mountain communities, the amounts are increased by 50%.
It is noted that the combination of the two, ie installation of photovoltaics and thermal insulation of the roof, concerns buildings with a building permit or urban planning permit before 12/12/2007. In this case, for the thermal insulation of the roof, 55% of the eligible costs are covered with a maximum sponsorship amount of € 2,750 and for the installation of a photovoltaic system, an amount of € 450 per installed KW is subsidized, with a maximum sponsorship amount of € 1,800. As part of the policy to support mountain communities, the amounts are increased by 50%.
As Mr. Tsiamettis noted, the Plan will be implemented by the RES and FDI Fund and in the new announcement the sponsorships are increased by 50 %, while the amounts allocated to both vulnerable households and mountain communities are increased.
Citing specific examples for the performance of the measures, he stated that in an indicative house with a roof area of 130 sq.m. in which thermal insulation of the roof will be done based on the required criteria of the Plan at a cost of € 5,600, it is estimated to have annual energy savings equivalent to 6,782 Kwh, which corresponds to an amount of € 1,300/year. Based on the amount of the sponsorship estimated at € 2,250 and for the highlanders at € 3,375, the amortization can be done in 2.5 and 1.7 years respectively.
Also, the installation of a 4 KW photovoltaic system with an indicative investment cost of € 5,000 and an annual network usage cost of € 360 per year, can lead to savings in the electricity bill of € 800 per year. With an estimated sponsorship of € 1,500 and in the mountains € 2,250, the amortization will take place in 4.5 and 3.5 years respectively.
The indicative cost for the combination of both investments, that is, thermal insulation of the roof and photovoltaics amounts to € 10,000. With a sponsorship of € 4,450 and in the mountains € 6,825, the depreciation will be done in 3.5 and 2 years respectively after there will be savings in energy consumption of € 1,500 per year, noted Mr. Tsiamettis.
€ 600 thousand for solar water heaters
The participants in the meeting were also informed about the sponsorship plan of € 600 thousand – increased by 35% – for installation or replacement of solar hot water production systems in homes, the which was proclaimed on May 10, 2022.
The beneficiaries of the project are exclusively natural persons and the aid concerns investments in existing houses in which the application for a building permit or urban planning permit was submitted before 21.12.2007.
The project grants integrated solar systems (cylinder and solar panels), which are installed by certified installers.
The amount of sponsorship is € 450 per house/system (from € 350 last year – an increase of 28.5%), while for houses falling in the mountainous areas the amount doubles and reaches € 900 (from € 700 last year – an increase of 28.5%).
It is noted that solar hot water production systems can provide 70 % of the annual need for hot water for a house, without any operating costs and with minimal maintenance, contributing significantly to the reduction of electricity costs.
Video of the day is posted on the channel of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry on YouTube, from where you can find out about all the provisions of the Plan, while you can download the presentations from the website www.meci.gov.cy, where the Plan Guide will be posted soon.
