The Zelená úsporám program will be more accessible from August 17th

Prague - The Green Savings Program aimed at reducing the energy demand of housing will be more accessible to applicants starting from August 17. Subsidies will now also be provided for just one insulation measure. Additionally, project documentation will also be covered by the program. This was announced at today's press conference by Minister of the Environment Ladislav Miko.
    The program is newly expanded to include complete insulation of panel buildings. For the financing of project documentation, the State Environmental Fund (SFŽP) has allocated a total of 50 million crowns, and this subsidy will be available until the end of March 2010. The contribution will be fixed and will be paid at the moment the subsidy application is approved. "Our main goal is to motivate designers and the public to start taking an interest in how they can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and housing costs,” said SFŽP director Petr Štepánek.
    In the area of complete insulation, the fund will increase subsidies to more than 30 percent of investment costs, thereby shortening the payback period for investors.
    "The absorption capacity of the projects is high and it is not expected that the program will expand beyond the housing sector,” said Aleš Kuták, director of the climate and air protection section. The expansion of the program to industry has been ruled out by Minister Miko.
    According to Miko, the Ministry of the Environment is responding to the current economic recession and to the fact that another sale of emission credits worth five billion crowns will soon take place. Currently, there are 25 billion crowns in the fund. If the Czechs do not utilize all the billions the state is offering in the program within three years, the unspent funds will be returned to Japan, from which the Czech Republic obtained the resources for emission credits.
    Since its launch, the program has faced criticism due to the low number of applications submitted. The SFŽP now records 205 applications since the program started, whereas the Ministry of the Environment estimated about 10,000 applications by the end of the year.
    Applications for subsidies can be submitted from the end of April at the regional offices of the SFŽP. People can also access the funds through the branches of five domestic banks. Banks also offer co-financing.
    The Green Savings Program provides subsidies focused on insulating households, constructing so-called passive houses, and installing renewable energy sources for heating.