Clean air program - everything what you should to know

2024-07-24

RES Renewable energy

Program Clean Air is one of the most popular government initiatives aimed at improving air quality in Poland by reducing emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. The main goal of the program is to reduce the emission of particulate matter and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thereby improving the state of the natural environment and the health of residents. What does the program look like and who can benefit from it? Read our article!

Program Clean Air – goal, principles, operation, benefits

Under the Clean Air Program, you can obtain funding for comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings and the replacement of old heat sources, such as old heating boilers or so-called "smokers" with modern ones that meet the appropriate standards. Grants can also be used for the installation of renewable energy sources or the purchase of equipment that reduces pollutant emissions.

The program operates in cooperation with local governments and financial institutions, which support individuals in financing such projects, as well as with contractors who carry out projects aimed at improving the quality of the air we breathe. The Clean Air Program also has an indirect goal – educating the public about environmental protection and promoting pro-ecological behaviors. Consequently, this program has a positive impact on the development of the renewable energy sector and the low-emission economy.

Grant under the Clean Air Program – who can benefit and how to apply for support?

The Clean Air Program is aimed at owners or co-owners of a single-family residential building, or a residential unit in a single-family building with a separate land and mortgage register. Such persons can apply for funding, which is provided in three forms:

Grants, i.e., disbursement of allocated funds.
Grants with pre-financing, i.e., disbursement of part of the funds as an advance before the start of the investment or at its beginning and the remaining part after the completion of the entire project.
Grants for partial repayment of a bank loan, disbursed by banks that are partners of the Clean Air Program.

Therefore, financial support can be received for completed investments (except for pre-financed grants), those in progress, and even those planned. As mentioned, the Clean Air grant covers a range of investments aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the building and reducing emissions.

Such investments include, among others, the replacement of old heat sources powered by solid fuel with those meeting the highest standards, such as heat pumps, condensing gas boilers/gas boiler rooms, oil boilers, electric heating, pellet/wood boilers, heat exchangers along with the modernization of internal heating and hot water installations, and the installation of solar collectors.

The applicant can also obtain funds for necessary thermal modernization works on the building, such as insulation of building partitions, replacement of external joinery (windows, doors, garage doors), mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (recuperation), preparation of project documentation and expert opinions, installation of central heating and hot water systems, micro photovoltaic installation, PV installation (solar panels), and even an energy audit. The grant can be obtained for many buildings, residential units with a separate land and mortgage register, maintaining the grant limit for each.

source: https://czystepowietrze.gov.pl/

How to apply for support?

To apply for support under the Clean Air Program, you must submit an application to the appropriate Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (WFOŚiGW) for the location of the building where the project is being implemented. This is very important because applications submitted to the incorrect WFOŚiGW or the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) will not be considered.

The application for a grant can also be submitted in your municipality, and the application for a grant for partial repayment of a bank loan can also be submitted to a partner bank of the Clean Air Program. The currently valid application forms with attachments and instructions on how to complete them are available on the WFOŚiGW websites or on gov.pl. Applications are submitted electronically; however, the applicant sending the application electronically is also required to print and sign the application and deliver it in paper form along with the required attachments to the appropriate WFOŚiGW. If it is not possible to submit the application electronically, it is permissible to submit the application in paper form.

Clean Air Program in 2024 – forecasts and prospects

In 2024, additional funds were allocated to the Clean Air Program – 6.4 billion PLN from the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment (FEnIKS), and funds from the National Recovery Plan (KPO). This new funding will ensure the continuity of the program in the near future. However, on April 22, 2024, a number of new provisions for those wishing to use the program were introduced, which come into effect on June 14 this year. The new rules aim to protect applicants and limit unfair practices related, among other things, to the sale of inefficient devices. The most important changes are:

The introduction of a mandatory green devices and materials list (ZUM), which requires applicants to choose heat pumps and wood-gasifying boilers and pellet boilers only from those listed on the ZUM list. This provision is a response to reported information about dishonest companies offering devices imported from China, whose installation resulted in very high energy bills. Thanks to this change, applicants will be guaranteed to purchase a device of confirmed quality, i.e., one that meets the parameters declared in the product card and energy label and indeed translates into more efficient (cheaper) heating of homes.

There are, however, certain exceptions and transitional periods:

If the application was submitted by April 21, 2024 – the grant covers devices outside the ZUM list.
If the application was submitted after April 22, 2024, but the proof of purchase of the device is dated before June 13, 2024 – the grant also covers devices outside the ZUM list.
If the application was submitted after April 22, 2024, and at the same time the proof of purchase of the device is dated June 14, 2024, or later – the grant covers only devices from the ZUM list.

Another significant novelty is the change in the rules for applying for the highest level of funding provided by the Clean Air grant. Here, too, the beneficiary can count on a transitional period. How are the new rules for the highest funding level shaped?

If the application was submitted by April 21, 2024 – the changes do not apply.
If the application was submitted between April 22, 2024, and June 13, 2024 – a transitional period applies, but a condition must be met: the applicant will be able to apply for funding for other buildings only within the basic level of funding.
If the application was submitted on June 14, 2024, or later – there is only one chance to obtain the grant at the highest funding level [part 3 of the program], provided that the highest funding was not previously received for another building/residential unit.

The last important change this year concerns pre-financing. In the case of this type of grant, it was clarified that the condition for disbursing the advance to the contractor's account is the submission to the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management of a hand-signed instruction for disbursement of the advance by the beneficiary along with a copy of the advance invoice issued to the beneficiary, possibly jointly to the beneficiary and spouse. It also specifies the time for submitting the payment application – up to 120 days from the date of disbursement of the advance related to the implementation of this contract with the contractor.