Romania Launches €650 Million Funding Program for Solar-Plus-Storage at Public Institutions

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 8, the Romanian government approved and signed two renewable energy funding programs for public institutions financed by the Modernisation Fund, with a total budget of €650 million, aimed at installing new self-consumption photovoltaic and energy storage systems in public buildings, as well as adding energy storage to existing renewable energy facilities. Both programs will accept applications starting September 11. A single beneficiary institution can receive up to €10 million in funding, and eligible expenditures can be covered up to 100%.

The first program has a budget of €500 million and is aimed at public institutions installing new self-consumption photovoltaic systems. Projects must be equipped with battery energy storage, and the storage system must be configured for 2 to 4 hours of operation. Projects may also include heat pumps. The program covers city halls, county councils, public hospitals, national universities, social service centers, and other eligible public institutions.

The second program has a budget of €150 million and is specifically aimed at public institutions that already have renewable energy generation facilities, for the construction of behind-the-meter energy storage systems. The storage equipment will be paired with existing self-consumption renewable energy facilities to store electricity generated by the institutions themselves. This program is also financed by the Modernisation Fund and administered by the Romanian Ministry of Energy.

The application window for both programs is from September 11 to November 6. Funding applications are processed through the Romanian Rural Investment Financing Agency (AFIR), and applications may be stopped early once the budget is exhausted. Project evaluation is scheduled to begin on November 9 and continue until February 12, 2027; projects receiving support must be completed and put into operation by December 31, 2029.

In addition to local governments and public healthcare and educational institutions, eligible applicants also include public research institutions, inter-community development associations, social service and palliative care centers fully funded by public funds, and certain public sports institutions. Existing public application information shows that both programs are implemented nationwide.