Support to enterprises regardless the size is twofold. “In the first phase, we will help enterprises to prepare their projects. In the second phase, we will offer them interest-free loans from our existing programs ENERGY SAVINGS and ENERG,” explains Jiří Jirásek, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČMZRB. In the preparatory phase, ČMZRB will assess the project goals in terms of the potential for energy savings, which must be related to real estate. “Typical example of such a project is a renovation of a production facility, which contains insulation, new windows, lighting, new electricity and water distribution, use of waste heat and similar measures,” adds Jiří Jirásek. ČMZRB will also cover 90% of the energy assessment costs, while enterprises themselves will bear the remaining 10%. As a result, companies will save direct costs both on the energy assessment and on interests, but they will save also indirect costs due to substantially lower administrative burden connected with project preparation and realization.
Support to regions, cities, municipalities and other public sector institutions is also complex. ČMZRB will help them to assess whether their project can be financed through energy performing contracting (EPC). If so, ČMZRB will help them to prepare tender documentation to select an ESCO company, which will realize the project and assist the public entity to apply for the grant from the Operational Programme Environment. “Preparatory costs of such projects can reach up to CZK 1 million. With the support of ELENA project, municipalities will have to cover only 10% of these costs. Technical assistance will also lower the administrative burden connected with the preparation of energy efficiency projects,” says Jiří Jirásek.
In case of smaller projects, ČMZRB will use its internal expert capacity. For larger projects, technical assistance will be provided by contracted experts and EPC consultants. ČMZRB has already started the process of selecting these experts and consultants, which is expected to be finished in the following months. However, even before the ELENA project is officially launched, you can contact our ELENA ČMZRB Team and consult your project proposals.
Project ELENA aims to provide both private enterprises and public sector institutions with a complex support for preparing their projects related to energy efficiency/energy savings. Rationale of such technical assistance program is to increase the level of investment into such measures, which is still insufficient in the Czech Republic. Technical assistance will be financed from the ELENA program managed by the EIB on behalf of the European Commission. This means that support from ELENA is not qualified as a state aid and de minimis limits do not apply.
