ECO Fund Offers Grants and Low-interest Loans

The Slovenian government’s support of renewable energies stands on two pillars since 2008: low-interest (soft) loans and non-repayable subsidies (grants). The organisation to administer both of them is Eco Fund, Slovenian Environmental Public Fund. EUR 15 million have been allocated for single-family and semi-detached houses and EUR 6 million for renewables in multi-family buildings (see also the news Slovenia: Grant and Loan Scheme in Its Sixth Year)

Country / region

Slovenia

Name of program

Eco Fund, Slovenian Environmental Public Fund

Type of incentive

Non-repayable subsidies (grants) and soft (low-interest rate – 3M EURIBOR + 1.5 %) loans (applicant can choose one or both incentives)

Eligible technologies

  • Solar water heating systems – grant and/or soft loan possible
  • Systems to generate electricity from renewable energy sources – soft loan only
  • Other measures like passive houses or wood boilers – grant and/or soft loan possible

Applicable sectors

Grants only for residential single-family and multi-family houses (households only)

Soft loans for residential and non-residential projects (households and legal entities)

Low-interest
(soft) loans

Low-interest loans can cover between 90 % (legal entities) and 100 % (households) of the eligible investment costs.

The maximum for an individual loan is EUR 40,000 for households and EUR 2 million for legal entities.

The minimum is EUR 1,500 for households and EUR 25,000 for legal entities.

Grants amount / maximum amount of subsidy

Solar Water Heaters:  

  • Flat plate systems up to 25 % of the eligible investment costs, but no more than 150 EUR/m² of the aperture surface for maximum of 20 m2 of the aperture surface
  • Vacuum systems up to 25 % of the eligible investment costs, but no more than 200 EUR/m² of the aperture surface for maximum of 20 m2 of the aperture surface
  • Solar systems from special state-sponsored built-it-yourself groups 75 EUR/m² of the aperture surface

Requirements for system 

Solar systems must be listed on the eligible product list available at http://www.ekosklad.si/dl/R/14/24/SSE_2014.xls         

Requirements for installation

  • The installer has to have the appropriate activity registered at AJPES (Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services)
  • The system itself must be installed within 6 months after the signature of a contract with Eco Fund

Finance provider

Eco Fund, Slovenian Environmental Public Fund

Total funds

Grants: EUR 21.5 million for 2014; for investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in residential buildings based on two public calls:one in the amount of EUR 15 million for investments in single-family and semi-detached buildings and the other in the amount of EUR 6 million for investments in multi-family buildings; special public call amounting EUR 500,000 for investments in electric cars

Soft loans: EUR 30 million for 2014 for different environmental investments, of which about EUR 8 million will be available to households

Funding source

Grants:  Since 2010, the budget is collected from supplements (defined in €c per unit and type of energy sold), paid by end consumers of energy on the basis of the Regulation on Energy Savings.

Soft loans: Repayments from soft loans approved in the past years, loans from foreign financial institution as EIB, loan from domestic bank SID banka, funds from national budget, in the past important source of funds were funds from the privatisation process

Effective date

The grant program runs since 2008; loans since 1995

Expiration date

To the end of the year, since the requirements (public calls) are set on an annual basis, but public calls can be closed before the end of the year if the funds available for that year have already been used

Website

www.ekosklad.si

Last review of this tabloid

March 2014

Contact

Eco Fund, Slovenian Environmental Public Fund
Bleiweisova cesta 30, 1000 Ljubljana
Tel: +386 1 241 48 20
Fax: +386 1 241 48 60
Internet: http://www.ekosklad.si
E-mail: ekosklad@ekosklad.si

 

Baerbel Epp

Bärbel Epp is Founder and Director of the German communication and market research agency solrico and editor-in-chief of solarthermalworld.org