What are eligible expenses?
The program of the Ministry of Environment and Energy was pre-published: “I’m changing device for businesses» which provides subsidies for the installation of energy-efficient equipment. The budget reaches 105.6 million euros, as part of the action: “Saving – Doing business”, with the support of the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The start date for submitting applications will be determined in its announcement, which will be signed in the next period by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis and the Deputy Minister of National Economy & FinanceNikos Papathanasis.
Beneficiary companies will receive support in order to install energy of efficient equipment, concerning the following:
- Heating systems using heat pumps (including solar thermal systems to increase the efficiency of heat pumps and through heat storage).
- Solar heating systems.
- Smart devices for measuring energy consumption (behind the grid meter).
- Other energy-saving interventions, through the installation of energy-efficient equipment and systems to save energy in the production, storage, distribution of products, as well as the operation of companies.
It is noted that the program is aimed at existing businesses – small (including very small), medium and large – that operate in the Greek territory with a Greek VAT number, are active on the date of submission of the application for participation and have been established until 31.12.2023.
The businesses in question will be able to submit a single financing application per VAT number. In addition, they should have issued the 1st Energy Performance Certificate (PEA – or the Energy Audit, if required based on the expenditure categories) of the installation implementing the investment or submit it within 20 days from the moment of submission of the provisional application for participation. The exact amount of the aid will be determined, taking into account: the size of each enterprise, the aid rate and the maximum budget of eligible costs (subject to not exceeding the ceiling of accumulation of EC 2831/2023 de minimis).
The amount of the subsidy
In particular, to improve their energy efficiency, small businesses will be able to submit applications, with a maximum eligible expenditure budget of 20,000 euros. The aid rate is set at 50%, so they will be able to receive up to 10,000 euros. Medium and large enterprises respectively will be able to submit applications with a maximum eligible expenditure budget of 25,000 euros. In the case of these, the aid rate is 40%. Therefore, interested businesses will be able to receive, also up to 10,000 euro aid.
Eligible expenses
Each funding application concerns the aid:
equipment expense:
- purchase of a new heating system using heat pumps
- purchase of a new solar heating system
- purchase of smart energy consumption measuring devices (behind the grid meter)
- other energy saving interventions
service costs:
- performing the necessary additional work for the installation of the new equipment (e.g. cost of transportation, installation, configuration of the new equipment, heat pump, solar thermal system, solar heating system, smart meter, etc.)
- issuing two PEAs, for the facility implementing the investment declared in the application
- implementation of an Energy Audit (before the start of the investment and following it, respectively the procedure for the PEAs), which is eligible, only in the case where there are costs of the category of costs of other energy saving interventions
It is noted that the supplied equipment must be modern, new, unused and owned by the company. VAT is not eligible, as well as the costs of maintenance and repair of equipment already used by the company are not eligible.
The start date of expenditure eligibility is defined as the date of the publication of the detailed announcement of the program and the end date of expenditure eligibility is the final date of implementation of the investment, based on the inclusion decision. The duration of the implementation of the interventions in each application cannot exceed 6 months from its approval in the program.
The aim of the program is to improve the energy efficiency of businesses and to reduce primary energy consumption and consequently carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – at least by 30% for each business.
The Guide is published at: https://ypen.gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/allazo-syskeyvi-epixeiriseis-prodimosieysi.pdf
Businesses wishing to participate in “Change device for businesses” will submit a funding application when the program is activated, through its online platform (https://exoikonomo-epixeiro2023.gov.gr/). The program will apply the direct evaluation method (First in-First out).
