Cabinet on Tuesday approved a €600,000 incentives scheme for the installation or replacement of solar water heaters in homes proposed by Energy Minister Natasa Pilides.
The plan offers a subsidy of €450 for each house towards integrated solar systems (cylinder and solar panels) installed by certified technicians, while houses in mountainous areas may qualify for up to €900.
The plan, which will be implemented by the RES and FDI fund of the “Cyprus Tomorrow” Recovery and Sustainability plan, is part of the national strategy for a rapid transition to green energy. The beneficiaries may only be natural persons and the subsidy concerns improvements made to existing houses with building or town planning permit applications submitted before 21 December 2007.
Based on Pilides’ proposal, the plan announced this year differs significantly from those implemented in previous years, with the aim of enhancing its effectiveness. Among the changes that have been made is that only integrated solar systems (cylinder and solar panels) are now subsidised and that they are installed by certified installers.
In addition, the total budget of the plan has been increased by 35%. The amounts of €450 per house/system are up from €350 last year, while for houses in mountain areas the amount of €900 is up from €700 last year – an increase of 28.5%.
The plan covers integrated water heating systems (cylinder and panels) which adhere to the following specifications:
– Solar panels have Solar Keymark certification
– The hot water cylinder is energy class B or higher if it has a capacity of up to 200 litres or energy class C or higher for a capacity greater than 200 litres.
Only solar system installations are eligible which are performed by certified installers registered in the Register of Small-Scale Installers of RES Systems – Category D: Installers of Solar Thermal Systems.
It is noted that solar hot water production systems can provide 70% of the annual need for hot water for a home, without any operating costs and with minimal maintenance, significantly contributing to the reduction of electricity costs.
The plan has no retroactive effect, and the grant is given only for equipment that has been purchased and installed after the date of announcement of the plan. It will remain open until 1 October 2022, or until the final submission of 1300 applications.
All information about the plan, including the Plan Guide and application process, can be found on the RES and FDI Fund website: https://www.resecfund.org.cy/
Source: Cyprus Mail
