The Ministry of the Environment has launched a program where religious units, government agencies in the social assistance system and non-governmental organizations accredited to provide social services can access funds from the AFM to install photovoltaic panels.

“We have sent to the Official Gazette a new financing guide, a program under which we finance photovoltaic panels for our own needs and the delivery of excess electricity to the national grid for local public authorities from the national social assistance system, for non-profit legal entities for the provision of social services and for cult units,” said the Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet, at a press conference.

Photoelectric installations with a capacity of 30 kW to 200 kW will be financed, and the total budget of the program is 250 million lei.

“Each beneficiary can receive a maximum of one million lei, providing 100% of these costs. A town hall or a cult unit does not have to pay any money to access this program,” noted Fechet.

Financing is carried out from the management budget of the Environmental Fund, at the expense of revenues from the sale of greenhouse gas emission certificates.

“The advantage of such a program is not only the clean air and the production of green energy, energy from renewable sources, but the main advantage is the reduction of the bills that these institutions pay for utilities, because a lower electricity bill can mean better services and social conditions.” added the minister.

The costs of designing, purchasing, installing and commissioning the panels, as well as consulting costs, are financed.

The term of implementation is 18 months from the date of the start of the program.

“I expect as many parishioners, community organizations and religious units as possible to gain access to this program.

We will have 100% over-execution of contracts, which means that we will receive projects within 500 million lei, even if the initial budget of the program is 250 million,” Fechet said.

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