Subsidy (National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management - Prosumer)

Updated: 10.01.2019

Author: Krzysztof Ignaciuk

The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) grants low interests loans together with subsidies to support the purchase and installation of small and micro-RES installations for the needs of residential single-family or multi-family houses (7.5 Prosumer). There are two different schemes – one designed for local government units or their compounds and governed by the NFOŚiGW, and the other one addressing private persons, homeowner associations and housing cooperative, managed by banks. 

The duration of the scheme was planned for 2015-2019 (4. Prosumer). The programme accepted applications until 30 June 2018. Awarded subsidies will be administered till 2019.

Eligible technologies

Eligible are heating installations up to 300 kWt using biomass, solar thermal energy, as well as heat pumps (7.5.1)  Prosumer).

Aerothermal energy

Eligible for heating installations up to 300 kWt

Biomass

Eligible for heating installations up to 300 kWt

Solar thermal energy

Eligible for heating installations up to 300 kWt

Amount

The budget of the programme for the timeframe 2015-2019 is: 

  • for subsidies: PLN 144.088 million (€ 33.53 m)
  • for loans: PLN 194.312,2 million (€ 45,21 m)
(3. Prosumer) Taken together, the amount of a loan and the subsidy granted may cover up to 100% of the eligible costs and must be more than PLN 200,000 (€ 45,564) for municipalities and between 5,000 and 40,000 PLN (€ 1,164 – 9,312) for individuals, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives ((7.2.1 and 7.3.1 Prosumer). The interest rate of the loan is 1%. The maximum duration of loan support is 15 years. The investment must be finalised within 24 months from the first loan payment (NFOŚiGW-governed) or 18 months from the date of the loan agreement (bank-governed) (7.3 Prosumer ). The subsidy shall cover up to 15% of investments costs. However, in the years 2015-2016 up to 20% (7.2.1a)  Prosumer). Maximum eligible investment costs for residential buildings in case of installations using biomass as only one energy source:
  • PLN 100,000 (€ 23,281) for private persons
  • PLN 300,000 (€ 69,843) for homeowner associations or housing cooperatives
Maximum eligible investment costs for residential buildings in case of installations using heat pumps as the only energy source:
  • PLN 3,000-5,500 (€ 698-1281)/kW 
Maximum eligible investment costs for residential buildings in case of installations using solar thermal as the only energy source:
  • PLN 2,000 (€ 466)/kW
(6.4 and 6.6  Prosumer).

Addressees

For the support governed by the NFOŚiGW: local government units or their compounds (7.4  Prosumer).

For the support governed by the banks cooperating with the NFOŚIGW: natural persons having possession rights to a single-family residential building, existing or under construction; and homeowner association or housing cooperative managing multi-family residential buildings (7.4 Prosumer).

Procedure

Process flow

The investor submits an application for a loan and for a subsidy to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management or to the bank, cooperating with the Fond.

Applications for funding in the form of loans and grants will be considered on a continuous basis. 

A compulsory part of the installation is a meter to enable the collection and presentation of data on the amount of electricity generated in the installation and the connection of the communication module for data transmission (Annex I  Prosumer).

Competent authority

National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management

Distribution of costs

Consumers

The costs of the subsidy scheme are borne by the final consumers of electricity.

Distribution mechanism

The means provided by the National Fund to promote renewable energy are made up of compensation and penalty fees paid by electricity producers and suppliers that have failed to meet their quota obligations. The costs of these fees are passed on to the end users (Art. 401 par. 7 No. 4 in conjunction with Art. 401c par. 5 Environmental Protection Act).

Poland

Further information

Basic information on legal sources