Applying for financial aid for technical installations to improve energy efficiency (PRIMe HOUSE)

Non residents

Residents

The Ministry of the Environment (Ministère de l’Environnement) grants subsidies for investments in systems designed to rationalise the use of energy and promote the use of renewable energy sources.

The Ministry grants financial aids (installation subsidies)—called "PRIMe HOUSE" subsidies—to cover the investment and installation costs of the following:

solar thermal systems;
solar photovoltaic systems;
heat pumps;
wood-fuelled boilers;
heating networks and connections.

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.

Note: PRIMe HOUSE subsidies can only be obtained for buildings located in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Who is concerned

Financial aid may be applied for by any person who wishes to improve the energy performance of their home (individual house or house with flats). Eligible candidates include:

natural persons;
non-profit associations (association sans but lucratif - asbl);
non-trading real estate companies (société civile immobilière);
private and public developers.

PRIMe HOUSE subsidies can only be obtained for buildings located in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Technical installations for which financial aid was granted under the 2009 financial aid scheme are not eligible.

If a technical installation other than a solar photovoltaic system was implemented concurrently with either the construction of a new "low consumption" or "passive" house, or with the energy efficiency enhancement of an eligible existing residential house pursuant to the provisions of the amended Grand-Ducal regulation of 20 April 2009, the installation in question falls under the 2009 financial aid scheme.

Where relevant, invoices for the technical installations may be established until 31 December 2016 inclusive, at the latest. Applications for subsidies may be filed until 31 December 2017, at the latest.

Prerequisites

For the installation of a heat pump, boiler or solar thermal system with complementary heating in a new construction, hydraulic balancing must be performed.

In addition, installations must satisfy certain criteria.

Solar thermal systems

the solar thermal collectors must be certified by the European mark, Solar Keymark;
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 evacuated-tube collectors;

Heat pumps

the financial aid may be applied for for the following types of heat pumps:
- 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 in the A2/W35 regime;
the heating system must be able to supply the heating circuit with a maximum starting temperature of 35°C;
the power supply of the heat pump must be equipped with an electrical meter.

Wood-fuelled boilers

the installation must possess a controlled-combustion system;
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:
- carbon monoxide (CO) emission less than or equal to 250 mg/m³;
- nitrogen oxide (NO) emission less than or equal to 200 mg/m³;
- for installations for which the invoice is dated prior to 1 January 2015: particle emission less than or equal to 50 mg/m³;
- for installations for which the invoice is dated after to 1 January 2015: particle emission less than or equal to 30 mg/m³;
- boiler production yield greater than or equal to 90 %;
- combustion yield of pellet stove greater than or equal to 90 %.

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).

Preliminary steps

Deadlines

Applications for subsidies must be filed with the Environment Agency (Administration de l'environnement) within four years of 31 December of the calendar year of the invoice.

 The application for financial aid must be filed by no later than 
 31 December 2022.

The financial aid may be applied for for investments and services for which the invoice is dated between 1 January 2013 at 31 December 2016 inclusive.

This time frame is extended until 31 December 2020 inclusive if the investments—except for solar photovoltaic systems—are concurrent with:

How to proceed

Submitting the application

Subsidies for technical installations using renewable energy sources apply to renovation projects as well as new constructions, and also may be applied for independently of such projects.

Application for financial aid for technical installations for energy efficiency enhancements should include the following:

the application form (DEPA) itself, to identify the applicant and inform the administration of the financial aids being sought;
the aid form, when it concerns a collective installation;
one or more specific technical data sheets, depending on the type of installation, must be attached, if any:

detailed invoices, receipted or accompanied by proof of payment, corresponding to the financial aid requested, .

 Given that each application may cover different domains depending on the owner's or architect' choices, the various sheets should be accompanied by any 
 additional documents specified on the specific application forms.

Table of subsidies for technical installations

Subsidies for solar thermal systems
Technical installation	Subsidy	Maximum amount
solar thermal system for production of domestic hot water	50 %	EUR 2,500 for an individual house EUR 2,500 per housing unit for one residence (EUR 15,000 maximum)
solar thermal system for production of domestic hot water combined with complementary heating	50 %	EUR 4,000 for an individual house EUR 4,000 per housing unit for one residence (EUR 17,000 maximum)

A supplementary lump sum aid of EUR 300 may be granted if the solar thermal system is installed at the same time as the replacement of an existing central heating boiler by a wood-fuelled boiler or a heat pump.

Subsidies for solar photovoltaic installations
Technical installation	Subsidy	Maximum amount
Solar photovoltaic system	20 %	EUR 500 per kW_peak

Subsidies for heat pumps
Technical installation	Subsidy	Maximum amount
Geothermal heat pump (geothermal probes, geothermal collector or latent heat accumulator systems with solar thermal collector)	50 %	EUR 8,000 for an individual house EUR 6,000 per housing unit per residence (maximum EUR 30,000)
Air-water heat pump or compact device (only for passive houses)	25 %	EUR 2,500 for an individual house

Subsidies for wood-fuelled boilers
Technical installation	Subsidy	Maximum amount
Wood pellet or wood chip boiler	40 %	EUR 5,000 for an individual house EUR 4,000 per housing unit per residence (EUR 20,000 maximum) EUR 4,000 per individual house or apartment of a residence connected to a heating network supplied by such an installation (maximum EUR 20,000)
Wood pellet stove	30 %	EUR 2,500 maximum for an individual house
Wood log boiler or combination log/pellet boiler	25 %	EUR 2,500 maximum for an individual house or per apartment of a residence

Urban heating network
Technical installation	Subsidy	Maximum amount
Connection to an urban heating network	/	EUR 50 per kW (15 kW maximum) for an individual house EUR 15 per kW (8 kW maximum) for a flat that is part of a residence
Installation of an urban heating network	30 %	EUR 7,500

Some communes grant supplementary aids on top of State aids for energy savings and renewable energies. Potential applicants should seek information from their commune to find out whether such aids are available.

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