First northern Moldova block rehabilitated via FEERM with 5.7M lei investment
Approximately 180 residents of the Balti municipality will pay nearly one-third less for thermal energy after their homes are made energy efficient. The National Center for Sustainable Energy (CNED) signed a project financing contract worth 5.7 million lei with the residents' association on Monday, September 22.
This is the first apartment building in the north of the Republic of Moldova to be energy-rehabilitated through the Fund for Energy Efficiency in the Residential Sector of Moldova (FEERM) Program.
According to CNED Director Ion Muntean, of the total value, 4.05 million lei, or 70 percent, will be covered by the grant offered by the Government through the FEERM program, and the remaining 1.7 million lei, equivalent to 30.6%, represents the contribution of the owners' association.
“Approximately 25,000 lei is money that the association must collect from the tenants and pay in stages. The first stage is 30% of the 1.7 million lei. In fact, the association has already demonstrated that it has collected the first part of the contribution. The next 30% instalment will be paid upon completion of the works, and the remaining 40% of the contribution will be paid one year after the works are completed, when we will monitor their quality and find that everything meets the technical requirements”, explained Ion Munteanu.
The signing of the contract was possible following a complex process, which began with the completion of a free energy audit of the building, followed by the approval of the project following the general meeting of the tenants and the development of technical documentation, mentioned the president of the Condominium Owners Association, Nina Zaharco.
"We consulted with the tenants, we held meetings, so that we could participate, to conduct an audit. It was coordinated with the tenants and they allowed the audit to be conducted. Thanks to the tenants who supported me, there were difficulties, there were also inconveniences, but in return we moved forward and reached the stage of closing the contract. We have 53 apartments", mentioned Nina Zaharco.
The execution contract will be awarded following a tender that is expected to last approximately one and a half months, and the works will commence later, with a duration estimated at around six months, depending on weather conditions.
The CNED director mentioned that, by rehabilitating the building, the tenants will benefit from savings of at least 28% in energy bills, with the possibility that these savings may be even higher, depending on their actual consumption. The contribution calculated by the program was designed to be recovered within three to four years.
“We estimate savings of approximately 28% on energy bills after implementing the measures, but these may be higher, depending on the mode of use. The energy audit also identified other energy rehabilitation measures, such as the modernization of the heating system, thermal insulation of the basement and others”, Ion Muntean noted.
The “Fund for Energy Efficiency in the Residential Sector of Moldova (FEERM)” program is implemented by the National Center for Sustainable Energy (CNED) and aims to finance energy efficiency measures in apartment buildings in the area. With a total budget of 1.4 billion lei, the program seeks to rehabilitate 500,000 square meters of housing space by the end of 2027, thereby contributing to reduced energy consumption, increased thermal comfort in apartments, and fulfilment of national commitments on energy efficiency.
