ICAEN expands by 14.5 million euros the line of aid for the energy rehabilitation of buildings in municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants

This is the third increase in the budget of the program, the endowment of which will amount to a total of 45.5 million euros.

The Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN) has extended by 14.5 million euros the line of aid intended for the energy rehabilitation of buildings in municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants. This line, endowed with resources from the European Next Generation funds, aims to advance the energy transition by optimizing energy consumption in buildings and, at the same time, contribute to responding to the demographic challenge posed by the Rural Agenda .

This will be the third budget increase for this program, which will finally have an allocation of 45.5 million euros. The increase makes it possible to attend to a large part of the requests that have been submitted and that had remained on the waiting list (provided and when they meet the established requirements). So far, since the entry into force of this aid line, ICAEN has received 731 requests. The deadline for submitting them is July 31, 2024.

The line subsidizes actions related to both the energy improvement of the structure of buildings and the improvement of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in their thermal installations, such as heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation and sanitary hot water. It can accommodate single-family homes, buildings of the collective residential typology of housing or buildings for any other use that are located in municipalities of up to 5,000 inhabitants and non-urban municipalities of up to 20,000 inhabitants in which all their unique population entities are up to 5,000 inhabitants.

The requirements to access this program are that the building was built before 2007, that the action involves the improvement of one letter in the building's energy certification (in the CO2 emissions rating), and that it generates a minimum saving of 30% of non-renewable primary energy consumption. The call excludes new work, extensions (both in terms of surface and volume) and changes of use.

Applications can be made by all natural or legal persons who own existing buildings; communities of owners of buildings for residential use; operating companies, lessees or concessionaires of buildings; energy service companies; the town councils, councils or other equivalent corporations; and renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities.

Catalonia, towards a new energy model.

This line of aid for the energy rehabilitation of buildings aligns with the transition process towards a new, cleaner, sustainable, fair and democratic energy model that Catalonia has started. The goal is to achieve a decarbonized society and economy by 2050, with an energy model based on energy efficiency and renewable energies, and where citizens can generate and manage their own energy and participate in decision-making .

According to the 2050 Energy Outlook, to achieve this scenario Catalonia must reduce final energy consumption by 30.3%; the building sector must decrease its final energy consumption by 34.2%, and it must achieve a 47.3% drop in its energy intensity (that is, the energy it needs to generate a unit of GDP).

Source: ICAEN