23.09.2021.
The Fund held an information and education workshop on the energy renovation of houses in Virovitica. After the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund launched the Public Call on 15 September, citizens showed keen interest in the programme.The workshop was attended by interested citizens, energy auditors, and contractors who wanted to learn about the conditions for co-financing and details about the concrete implementation of projects.
In the words of Mladen Ilijević, the head of the Department for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, the Fund allocated HRK 300 million for this programme, envisaging the co-financing for the measures such as thermal insulation of the building envelope, replacement of windows, as wll as renewable energy systems, including PV power plants. Thermal insulation of the building envelope or a comprehensive energy renovation will be co-financed with up to 60% for the houses in the energy category D or lower in continental, or C or lower in coastal Croatia. The funding is also available solely for the use of renewable energy sources, either for the heating systems or electricity generation. However, these funds are available only for the houses in the energy category C or higher, or B or higher in the continental and coastal part of Croatia respectively, the grant amounting to 40, 60 or 80%, depending on the location.
Interested citizens have to create their user accounts so that they could log in, fill in the application form, and upload the necessary documentation on time. The Fund advised the participants who already had the documentation ready and waiting to obtain new quotes from the contractors. They explained that these quotes were only informative, and it was possible to change the contractor later on. On the other hand, documents such as energy audit report and energy performance certificate are valid for several years and it is not necessary to have them drawn up again if there were no additional construction works on the house.
To simplify the application process as much as possible, especially for those who are not very tech-savvy, the Fund will co-finance expert assistance with up to 500 kn, and the amount will be paid together with other energy renovation costs, based on an invoice or service contract.
All participants at the workshop hope their applications for co-financing will be successful. In case their applications are successful, they will have a 24-month period to implement the projects they planned.
