EU, State to Provide Over Lv 1 Bln for  Improving Residential Buildings' Energy  Efficiency in 2015-2016


Sofia, January 14 (BTA) - The new national programme for the
energy renovation of multi-family residential buildings with
over 36 apartments is a huge challenge for Sofia Municipality,
businesses and citizens, said here on Wednesday Sofia Mayor
Yordanka Fandakova, who opened a meeting of the open forum for
dialogue between Sofia Municipality and SMEs. One billion leva
are expected to be allocated by the EU for applying energy
efficiency measures for residential buildings across the country
 in 2015-2016, said Sofia Deputy Mayor Irina Savina.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev said in Parliament that a
 decision has been made to pull additional resources from the
National Budget, bringing the total available financial resource
 to 1,250,000,000.

The one billion leva, provided by the EU for this year under the
 programme, will cover the retrofitting of 20 per cent of the
pre-fabricated buildings, which amounts to some 3000-4000
apartment blocks, Parliamentary Energy Committee Chair Delyan
Dobrev explained. He recalled that Bulgaria ranks last in Europe
 in terms of energy efficiency and uses three times more energy
for heating per square metre than to Germany. 

Donchev told Parliament that over 1,000,000 Bulgarian households
 live in multi-family residential buildings, which number close
to 72,000.

All other monolithic buildings with less than 36 apartments will
 be eligible for European funding under OP Regions in Growth
starting 2016. Funding will be in the form of 100 per cent grant
 aid, said Savina.

The energy efficiency programme's main problem is to get a given
 building's co-owners together and have them apply for
retrofitting, rehabilitation and energy efficiency measures,
said Donchev. This has to be done on two levels - building
entrance and the whole building.

According to Donchev, the local authorities are the main partner
 and responsible institution. Owners have to first register
owners associations, after which they can directly turn to the
local authorities. Part of the processes have already begun and
coordination with municipalities is expected to conclude by the
end of January, while the true start is expected in the second
half of this year.

Answering a question, Donchev said that municipalities will be
parties in the contracts and responsible for all payments and
preliminary studies, however, these costs will not remain at the
 expense of municipal budgets.