Incentives for Green Retrofit
Are there any government-funded or sponsored schemes for improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings and, broadly, how do they work?

The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade runs the EFEKT III, a national program established for the period from 2022 to 2027, which is intended to fund energy saving and use of renewable energy resources. Based on the information published by the ministry, the program prioritizes the preparation phase, providing partial funding for project development, advisory and designing energy management systems. The relevant application conditions and available funds are specified each year.

Another governmental subsidy program currently in place is the Green Savings Program (Zelená úsporám). The program is managed by the State Environmental Fund. It focuses on improving the energy efficiency of residential housing. Owners of multiunit houses may apply for a subsidy to implement a wide variety of energy-saving measures, including green roofs, photovoltaic panels and chargers for electric vehicles.

The ENERG program run by the National Development Bank offers interest-free loans for businesses to finance energy-saving projects. The ENERG program complements the EFEKT program and is only focused on projects implemented within Prague. The loans can be used for a wide variety of energy-saving reconstructions, including (i) insulating business buildings and replacing windows, (ii) reconstructing electricity and gas distribution systems, (iii) replacing HVAC units, (iv) installing energy-efficient lighting solutions, etc. Businesses operating in a wide range of sectors are eligible to apply.

Energy-efficient technologies using renewable energy in buildings are also funded from the EU structural funds. The environmental operational program run by the Czech Ministry of Environment also includes energy savings as one of its priorities. Currently, the areas of support in the field of energy savings focus on decreasing energy consumption and streamlining the shift from fossil fuels in selected regions.