Serbia sets EUR 70 million in subsidies for households for energy efficiency, solar panels

The Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia will launch a public call for subsidies for households to implement energy efficiency measures including thermal insulation and installation of new windows, doors and solar panels.

The public call is intended for local authorities, which should later launch public calls for citizens. The public call is the continuation of the National Energy Rehabilitation Program, under which the ministry and local authorities have allocated EUR 23 million in the last year and a half.

The ministry told Balkan Green Energy News it has secured around EUR 70 million for subsidies. The Administration for Financing and Encouraging Energy Efficiency will announce a public call for local authorities in the second quarter of 2023, the ministry added.

Subsidies are available for solar collectors and panels

So far, cities and municipalities were obliged to provide their own funds for subsidies equal to the sum received from the ministry. Together they covered half of the investments in energy efficiency measures while beneficiaries covered the remainder. It is not yet clear if the scheme would be completely replicated in the next round.

Energy rehabilitation measures refer to the replacement of windows and doors, thermal insulation of walls, roofs and ceilings, replacement of boilers with more efficient ones using natural gas or pellets, the installation of heat pumps, solar collectors and solar power panels for the production of electricity for self-consumption – for prosumers.

The public calls for homeowners for all the said purposes, the ministry said, will be published by municipal authorities.

CO2 emissions to be reduced by 70,000 tonnes

The ministry noted three public calls have been published under the National Energy Rehabilitation Program and added that 14,000 contracts were signed with households in 151 municipalities and cities.

With all the envisaged energy efficiency measures, CO2 emissions should be reduced by 70,000 tonnes, equivalent to what 38,000 vehicles release into the atmosphere in one year, according to the ministry.