Applying for financial aid for renewable energy-based technical installations (PRIMe House 2017)
Last update
The Environment Agency (Administration de l'Environnement) grants subsidies for investments in projects aimed at rationalising the use of energy and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.
The agency grants financial aid—technical installation subsidies known as 'PRIMe House' subsidies—to subsidise the investment and installation costs of the following:
- solar thermal systems;
- solar photovoltaic systems;
- heat pumps;
- wood-fuelled boilers;
- implementation of a heat network and/or connection to a heat network.
For each type of system, potential applicants should contact the communal administration for the area where the building is located to ascertain whether a building permit is required or not.
Applications must be filed with the Single point of contact for housing assistance (Guichet unique des aides au logement) after completion of the works.
Note: PRIMe House subsidies are granted once per installation and can only be obtained for residential buildings located in Luxembourg.
Technical installations for which financial aid was granted under the 2012 financial aid scheme are not eligible.
Who is concerned
Financial aid may be applied for by any person wishing to improve the energy performance of their home (detached house or house divided into flats). Eligible candidates include:
- natural persons;
- legal persons established under private law;
- public legal persons other than the State.
Applications for financial aid may be filed by the legal representative of a group of natural or legal persons provided that the applicant is part of that group.
Applications may also be filed by the owner(s) of the residence, except when there is a change of ownership and the new owner of the residence and/or technical installation forgoes the aid in question for the benefit of the former owner who made the investments.
If a technical installation other than a solar photovoltaic system was implemented concurrently with either the construction of a new 'high energy performance' house, or with the energy efficiency renovation of an eligible existing residential house pursuant to the provisions of the amended Grand Ducal regulation of 12 April 2012, the installation in question falls under the 2012 financial aid scheme.
Prerequisites
PRIMe House aid can only be obtained for a residential building located in Luxembourg and provided that the aid is not intended for:
- a used installation; or
- the exchange, replacement or repair of a part of a system that cannot function independently of the rest of the system.
In addition, installations must satisfy certain criteria.
Hydraulic balancing
For the installation of a heat pump, a wood-fuelled boiler or a solar thermal system with auxiliary heating in a new construction, hydraulic balancing must be performed.
Solar thermal systems
- solar thermal collectors must be certified by the European Solar Keymark quality mark;
- the installation must be equipped with a calorimeter;
- the gross surface area of the collectors with complementary heating must be:
- greater than or equal to 9 m2 for flat-plane collectors;
- greater than or equal to 7 m2 for vacuum tube collectors;
- non-glass thermal collectors with polyethylene pipes and hybrid solar collectors generating hot water and electricity are not eligible for the financial aid.
Solar photovoltaic system
- the peak power capacity of the installation must be lower than or equal to 30kW;
- the installation must be mounted on the roof or the façade of the building, or incorporated in the envelope of the building, whether the building is used for residential purposes or not;
- hybrid solar collectors generating hot water and electricity are eligible as photovoltaic collectors.
Heat pumps
- the following types of heat pumps are eligible for the financial aid:
- geothermal heat pumps with vertical sensors (geothermal probes) or horizontal sensors (geothermal collecting lines and baskets) compliant with the following coefficients of performance (COP): COP greater than or equal to 4.3 in the B0/W35 regime;
- heat pumps combined with a latent heat accumulator and a solar thermal collector, compliant with the following coefficient of performance (COP): COP greater than or equal to 4.3 in the B0/W35 regime;
- direct expansion geothermal heat pumps compliant with the following coefficient of performance (COP): COP greater than or equal to 4.3 in the E4/W35 regime;
- air-water heat pumps (including vented air-water heat pumps) compliant with the following COP: COP greater than or equal to 3.1 at A2/W35 (only for near-zero energy single-family houses);
- the heating system must be able to supply the heating circuit with a maximum starting temperature of 35°C (35W). If this is not the case, the performance coefficient of the heat pump must reach at least the required threshold at W35 with the chosen starting temperature;
- the power supply of the heat pump must be equipped with an electrical meter.
Wood-fuelled boilers
- the installation must have controlled combustion (power and combustion regulation);
- wood-pellet boilers or wood-chip boilers must be equipped with an automatic feeder and ignition system;
- wood pellet stoves must be integrated in a central heating system and the degree of useful heat transfer must reach at least 50 %;
- for staged log combustion boilers and combination wood log-pellet boilers, a buffer tank with a minimum capacity of 55 l/kW must be put in place;
- the following emission and yield thresholds must be complied with:
- particle emission less than or equal to 20 mg/m3;
- nitrogen oxide (NO) emission less than or equal to 200 mg/m3;
- boiler production yield greater than or equal to 90 %;
- combustion yield of pellet stove greater than or equal to 90 %;
- a financial aid bonus of 30 % may be granted if:
- the fossil fuel, electric or electric storage heating system was manufactured at least 10 years prior to the year of filing for the financial aid;
- the replaced heating system was used as the main source of heating;
- a report evaluating the energy performance of the heating system was drawn up using the 'Heizungscheck' tool (not necessary if an electric heating system is being replaced);
- the recommendations for modernisation reported following the energy performance evaluation have been implemented.
Heating networks and connections
The rate of coverage by renewable energy sources must be greater than or equal to 75 % (substantiated by presenting a certificate issued by the heating network operator).
Invoices
Invoices for the technical installations must be issued between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2023 inclusive at the latest.
Deadlines
Applications for the financial aid must be filed with the Single point of contact for housing assistance within 4 years as of 31 December of the calendar year in which the invoice was issued.
Applications for financial aid may be submitted for investments and services for which the invoice is issued between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2023 inclusive.
Except in the case of photovoltaic systems, the deadline by which the invoices must be issued is extended to 31 December 2024 inclusive, if the investments are concurrent with:
- the construction of a new sustainable dwelling; or
- energy efficiency enhancement works of an existing building.
If the installations are not concurrent with energy efficiency enhancement works or a new sustainable construction, the deadline for submitting the application is 31 December 2024 at the latest.
If the installations are concurrent with energy efficiency enhancement works or a new sustainable construction that is eligible under the 2017 aid scheme, the deadline for submitting the application is 31 December 2026 at the latest.
How to proceed
Filing an application
Subsidies for renewable energy-based technical installations may be granted for both renovation projects and new constructions, and may also be applied for independently of such projects.
Applicants must send the following documents to the Single point of contact for housing assistance (preferably by registered letter), or submit them in person:
- for private individuals: the DEPA-2017 aid application form for natural persons; or
- for legal persons: the DEPA-2017 financial aid application form for legal persons.
Along with the financial aid application form, applicants must also provide:
- the detailed and receipted invoices in connection with the requested financial aid. Proof of payment of the invoices must be attached. The invoices may refer to an itemised estimate, in which case the latter must be attached to the invoice;
- one or more specific technical data sheets, depending on the type of installation:
- photovoltaic system;
- heat network or connection to a heat network;
- thermal solar installation;
- heat pump;
- wood-fuelled boiler;
- if applicable, the energy consultant's report on the technical installation(s) in question.
Given that each application may cover different domains depending on the owner's or architect's choices, the various sheets should be accompanied by any additional documents specified on the application forms.
If the application is for a co-ownership or multi-unit residence, the applicant must attach:
- appendix form COLL-2017;
- a power of attorney from each owner;
- the list of the flats, specifying the energy reference area per flat, excluding the common areas.
If the application concerns a technical installation in a new house, the applicant must also attach the hydraulic balancing protocol, if the installation concerns the following:
- a heat pump;
- a wood-fuelled boiler;
- solar thermal systems with auxiliary heating.
The Single point of contact for housing assistance may ask the applicant to provide any documents it deems necessary to process the file.
If the aid is granted, the beneficiary's file may be reviewed at any time.
The technical installations may also be eligible for financial aid for an energy performance assessment and report by an approved energy consultant. If the improvement only applies to a renewable energy-based technical installation, the subsidy will be reduced by 70 %.
Table of subsidies for technical installations
Subsidies for solar thermal systems
Technical installation |
Subsidies |
Maximum amount |
solar thermal system for production of domestic hot water |
50 % of actual costs |
|
Solar thermal systems with auxiliary heating |
50 % of actual costs |
|
An additional flat-rate subsidy of EUR 1,000 may be granted if the solar thermal system is installed concurrently with a wood-fuelled boiler or a heat pump.
Subsidies for solar photovoltaic systems
Technical installation |
Subsidies |
Maximum amount |
Photovoltaic solar installation or hybrid collector |
20 % of actual costs |
|
Subsidies for heat pumps
Technical installation |
Subsidies |
Maximum amount |
Geothermal heat pump (geothermal probes, geothermal collectors |
50 % of actual costs |
|
Air-water heat pump or compact device (only for near-zero energy single-family houses) |
25 % of actual costs |
|
Compact device including controlled mechanical ventilation and recycled air/water heat pump (only for near-zero energy single-family houses)
|
25 % of actual costs |
|
Subsidies for wood-fuelled boilers
Technical installation |
Subsidies |
Maximum amount |
Wood pellet or wood chip boiler |
40 % of actual costs |
|
Wood pellet stove (connected to the heating network) |
30 % of actual costs |
|
Log boiler or combination log/pellet boiler |
25 % of actual costs |
|
Installation of a buffer tank with a capacity of 30 l/kW (wood pellet or wood chip boiler) |
Bonus in the amount of 15 % of the allocated financial aid |
|
Replacement of an existing fossil fuel boiler or electrical heating system by a wood-fuelled boiler |
Bonus in the amount of 30 % of the allocated financial aid |
Urban heating network
Technical installation |
Subsidies |
Maximum amount |
Connection to an urban heating network |
|
|
Installation of an urban heating network (at least two residential buildings must be connected) |
30 % of actual costs |
|
Additional aid
Some communes grant supplementary aids on top of state aids for energy savings and renewable energies. The amount of aid to be received from the commune is available on the 'myrenovation' application.
The promotional bonus nova naturstroum rewards projects that promote renewable energy sources. More information can be found on www.enovos.lu.
Natural gas and electricity suppliers active in Luxembourg also offer aid programmes for the implementation of energy efficiency measures. The list of suppliers is available on the website of the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR) website:
Payment of the aid
The aid is generally transferred directly to the applicant's account.
If the application for financial aid is submitted by the legal representative of a group of natural or legal persons, the aid is transferred directly to the bank account of the legal representative, who must immediately credit the bank accounts of the natural or legal persons concerned with their respective share of the aid.
A copy of these payments must be sent to the Single point of contact for housing assistance.
Repayment of aid
If the applicant has already received the aid, they may be required to return it, if:
- the applicant is found to have made inaccurate or incomplete statements in order to obtain the aid; or
- the applicant fails to provide the Single point of contact for housing assistance with the requested declaration, information or documents.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning Single point of contact for housing assistance
- Address:
- 11, rue de Hollerich L-1741 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
-
(+352) 80 02 10 10
Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 16.00
- Fax:
- (+352) 45 88 44
- Email address:
- info@ml.etat.lu
- Website:
- http://www.logement.lu
Closed ⋅ Opens tomorrow at 8.00
- Thursday:
- Closed
- Friday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.30 to 16.00
- Saturday:
- Closed
- Sunday:
- Closed
- Monday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.30 to 16.00
- Tuesday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.30 to 16.00
- Wednesday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.30 to 16.00
Thursdays by appointment only
-
Klima-Agence
- Address:
- 2, circuit de la Foire Internationale L-1347 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 8002 11 90
- Email address:
- info@klima-agence.lu
- Website:
- http://www.klima-agence.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
PRIMe House 2017
sur emwelt.lu - le portail de l'environnement
-
Aides financières pour particuliers
sur le site de Klima-Agence
-
Économies d'énergie et énergies renouvelables
sur emwelt.lu - le portail de l'environnement
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 25 février 1979
concernant l'aide au logement
-
Loi du 23 décembre 2016
relative à un régime d'aides à des prêts climatiques
-
Loi modifiée du 23 décembre 2016
1. instituant un régime d'aides pour la promotion de la durabilité, de l'utilisation rationnelle de l'énergie et des énergies renouvelables dans le domaine du logement; 2. modifiant la loi modifiée du 23 décembre 2004 établissant un système d'échange de quotas d'émission de gaz à effet de serre
-
Loi du 23 décembre 2016
concernant la collecte, la saisie et le contrôle des dossiers d'aides relatives au logement
-
Loi du 23 décembre 2016
portant introduction d'une certification de la durabilité des logements
-
Règlement grand-ducal du 23 décembre 2016
fixant les mesures d'exécution de la loi du 23 décembre 2016 concernant la collecte, la saisie et le contrôle des dossiers d'aides relatives au logement
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 23 décembre 2016
fixant les mesures d'exécution de la loi du 23 décembre 2016 instituant un régime d'aides pour la promotion de la durabilité
