Greece to launch 1.3 bln euro scheme upgrading energy performance of buildings 

Construction and the companies that supply the industry will lead the economy’s growth sectors in coming months. The launch of two programs to upgrade the country's stock of buildings, totaling 1.35 billion euros, gets underway in coming months. 

In particular, 850 million euros will be spent on upgrading private homes and an additional 500 million euros will go towards upgrading public buildings. As pointed out by Energy and Environment Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, even more specialized infrastructure upgrade programs are already underway, both in tourism and in industry. 

As of November, the program of 850 million euros for homes commences. It will offer a subsidy of up to 85 percent on the cost of investments for energy savings in homes and for expenses up to 50,000 euros per house. The program will include both detached houses and apartment buildings (except for the individual apartments), with a simpler system than in the past. The beginning will be on November 2 with the submission of applications in the regions of Crete, North and South Aegean, while on November 4 the regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace will follow. Attica will open up on November 23, while the program specifically for apartment buildings will accept applications from December 3. 

In this context, a few days ago the "Electra" program was announced, which provides for the implementation of investments of 500 million euros by 2026, for energy savings in public buildings. The resources of the program come from the Deposits and Loans Fund and from the European Investment Bank, while the Energy and Environment Ministry is looking into the possibility of clinching funding from the Recovery Fund.  

What does the program cover?

The interventions that will be possible within the framework of the program, include the replacement of frames and glass, the upgrade of the heating-cooling system, the dismantling of burners / oil tanks, the installation of a hot water system using RES (Renewable Energy Source) e.g. photovoltaic. Also, the interested parties can proceed with the installation or replacement of the shell thermal cover, while any small-scale works to support the thermal insulation, such as cracks, waterproofing, are also eligible. On the other hand, the new program can no longer subsidize the change of oil burners, or the installation of energy fireplaces in Athens and Thessaloniki. 

For energy autonomy, subsidized interventions include, RES power generation systems, storage systems (as an additional intervention in the installation of a new photovoltaic station), charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. For Smart Home, owners can be subsidized for digital systems and technologies that contribute to energy savings, such as. smart lighting, low consumption LED lighting, smart thermostats, smart leak sensors, humidity etc.