<NZÚ> will now offer grants for self-managed renovations. </NZÚ>

The program will primarily contribute to the costs of materials, tool rentals, and professional technical supervision for self-help house renovations. "Recently, it has been a problem to find construction capacities. We would like to bring skilled craftsmen into play who can do it themselves. It is one of the most sought-after options for changes," noted Brabec.

Buildings will still need to meet specific criteria. "In addition to the mandatory professional technical supervision, it is necessary to have project documentation properly prepared and under the supervision of the State Environmental Fund," said the fund's director Petr Valdman. The grants for insulation, window, and door replacement can cover up to half of the expenses.

From the NZÚ program, it is now also possible to obtain a grant for the replacement of stoves not connected to the heating system. This concerns about 80,000 family houses. The Ministry of the Environment will contribute up to 80,000 crowns for a replacement with a more ecological, energy-efficient, and powerful heating source. The replacement does not need to be combined with the insulation of the house.

The NZÚ will also support outdoor shading technology; applicants for a subsidy of 500 or 1,000 crowns per square meter of shaded area can apply simultaneously with the insulation grant. A new feature is also the support for the construction of low-energy houses with recuperation, i.e., a controlled ventilation system with heat recovery. The grant amounts to 150,000 crowns.

The program also now offers the possibility of obtaining a grant of 150,000 crowns for a photovoltaic system combined with a heat pump. "We have high ambitions, especially regarding photovoltaic power plants. We are convinced that there is capacity in the Czech Republic for tens of thousands of installations per year; so far, we are carrying out thousands annually. It is the right path in terms of renewable sources; panels on roofs make sense," said Brabec. Applications for grants can now also be submitted electronically, including related documents.

"A small photovoltaic power plant can cover 30 to 50 percent of a household's annual energy consumption. However, if it is additionally connected to a heat pump for heating the house, the total energy savings will be even higher," stated Štěpán Chalupa, chairman of the Renewable Energy Sources Chamber (KOZE), in a joint press release by KOZE, the Association for the Use of Heat Pumps, and the Applied Photovoltaic Technology Guild (CAFT).

The combination of a photovoltaic power plant and a heat pump simultaneously places higher demands on quality system design, according to CAFT chairman Aleš Hradecký. "A home photovoltaic power plant must be adapted for the operation of the heat pump. When designing the entire system, it is necessary to pay attention to proper sizing of the power plant and the inverter that converts the direct current from the photovoltaic panels into alternating current," he added.

Since the start of the program in 2014, 22,000 applicants have received over four billion crowns for energy-saving renovations and the construction of family and apartment houses, with more than 14,000 other applications for the same amount already submitted to the program. "The average grant for the insulation of a family house is about a quarter of a million crowns, while for an apartment building, it is more than 800,000 crowns," added Brabec.