Families aiming to improve energy efficiency and use renewables will be eligible for subsidies
Families looking to make their homes more energy-efficient and utilize renewable energy sources will be able to access subsidies covering up to 50% of the costs. The authorities have announced that the "Casa Verde" (Green House) program, which was previously in the pilot phase, will be expanded nationwide this summer, managed by the National Center for Sustainable Energy (NCSE).
The "Green House" program will serve as a financing instrument for individual homes, with a particular focus on supporting families with children. This initiative allows anyone looking to energy-modernize their home or planning to build a new one to access non-reimbursable financing covering 50% of the expenses, with the remaining amount being the beneficiary's own contribution.
According to Ion Muntean, the director of NCSE, "All those who wish to enhance the energy efficiency of their homes or to construct such homes can secure non-refundable financing for 50 percent of their expenses through this program, while the rest will be covered by the beneficiaries themselves."
The program's launch is planned for June, or at the latest, the beginning of July. Its objective is to promote sustainable energy-saving technologies and practices to improve energy efficiency.
Muntean further explained, "The program will be executed through an electronic platform, where individuals can submit applications, obtain more information, identify companies that will perform the necessary work, and communicate with specialists from the National Center for Sustainable Energy. This ensures that the work done at each stage and the contracted services comply with regulations. Ultimately, beneficiaries will be able to receive disbursement, but within a specified limit. The cap on financing and the overall budget must be approved by the Council of the Institution; therefore, I will refrain from providing specific details about these figures at this time. However, it is expected to be around 200 million lei in the first phase."
Carolina Novac, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy, highlighted the importance of storage batteries for the stability of the energy system, especially given the rapid development of the renewable energy sector.
"Shortly, the National Center for Sustainable Energy will also introduce the Green House program, which will specifically offer subsidies of up to 50% for households to install these storage batteries. This program will be offered as a package; in addition to thermal insulation and photovoltaic panels, the installation of photovoltaic panels will be contingent upon the use of these storage batteries. This strategy ensures that we can deliver safe, sustainable, and competitively priced energy," Novac stated.
The “Green House” program was initially launched with the support of the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Program. It promotes modern energy efficiency solutions that reduce energy consumption, lower utility bills, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
So far, over 200 households have benefited from this program, including 74 family homes that have had solar collectors, biomass boilers, photovoltaic panels, and thermal insulation installed.
