Highlights 

• West Pomerania is the first region in Poland to launch a pilot programme for the energy modernisation of multi-family buildings in rural areas. Greater Poland has already followed suit. 
• The first result of these efforts in West Pomerania is the thermally modernised building on the site of the former state-owned farm (State Agricultural Farm, PGR) on Osiedlowa Street in Rymań. 
• Thanks to the use of renewable energy sources, residents of the modernised buildings can expect their electricity and heating bills to fall by up to 90%. 
• Based on the experience gained in West Pomerania, the Ministry of Climate and Environment will announce a nationwide call for applications for the programme ‘Energy efficiency improvement of multi-family residential buildings in rural areas’ (by Modernisation Fund also called as the 'Improvement of energy efficiency in multi-family residential buildings in rural areas' programme). 
• PLN 500 million from the Modernisation Fund will be allocated for grants covering up to 100% of the costs of thermal modernisation, replacement of heat sources and installation of renewable energy sources. 

We want to show that modernity can also be found in places such as Rymań – outside the major cities, in municipalities with a population of just a thousand. Modern technologies that improve energy efficiency can work here too. Environmental protection goes hand in hand with economic benefits, becoming a viable way to tackle energy poverty. An energy audit of this building shows that bills for heating can be reduced by up to 90%. Residents of other municipalities will be able to improve their standard of living thanks to European funds provided under the programme for the modernisation of multi-family buildings in rural areas

– said Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska during the opening in Rymań of the first building that has undergone comprehensive modernisation under the 'Energy efficiency improvement of multi-family residential buildings in rural areas' programme. 

One of the key challenges in our voivodship is the thermal modernisation and improvement of energy efficiency in multi-family buildings in rural areas. For historical reasons, Western Pomerania has a large number of properties often known as ‘post-state-farm’ buildings. Due to their low energy efficiency and outdated heating systems, they are costly to maintain. We have therefore worked with the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (VFEP&WM) to develop a programme designed to kick-start their regeneration. We hope that, thanks to such measures, these flats will be more readily chosen by young people on the housing market in the future. The programme has, above all, an environmental dimension, but it is also an expression of concern for social justice and levelling the playing field for residents of former state-owned farm areas

– emphasises Olgierd Geblewicz, Marshal of the Western Pomeranian Voivodeship. 

The Western Pomeranian Voivodship was the first region in Poland to launch a pilot programme, the first tangible result of which is the completion of the thermal modernisation of the building on Osiedlowa Street in Rymań. This programme is currently being implemented by five municipalities: Rymań, Gościno, Warnice, Karlino and Stepnica, which have entered into agreements with contractors and are conducting work on buildings located in Pobłocie Małe, Wójcin, Krukowo and Czarnocin. In Rymań, the work has already been completed. 

The scope of works is based on the energy audits performed and includes, amongst other things, the replacement of heating systems with heat pump systems featuring energy storage, the installation of photovoltaic systems, the insulation of walls and roofs, and the fitting of new, energy-efficient doors and windows. 

By rolling out the energy modernisation programme for former state-owned farm buildings, we aim to reach out to residents who were left to fend for themselves during the economic reforms of the early 1990s. Energy audits are underway for almost 500 more buildings across the entire voivodship. We have secured funding for this from the European Investment Bank under the ELENA facility. This programme demonstrates, for both the Fund and the EIB, that through comprehensive thermal modernisation and the replacement of heating systems, it is possible to achieve the decarbonisation of buildings and, consequently, a better quality of the environment and improved living standards for residents

– says Waldemar Miśko, President of the Management Board of VFEP&WM in Szczecin. 

Tangible benefits  

The programme for the thermal modernisation of multi-family buildings in rural areas is a new tool in the fight against energy poverty. For residents, comprehensive thermal modernisation involving the replacement of the heating system means significantly lower – by as much as 90% – bills for electricity and heating, as well as living in a more modern and environmentally friendly building. 

The environment also benefits. Reducing the emissions of gases and particulates that would otherwise be produced by old coal-fired boilers translates into cleaner air and healthier living conditions in local communities. The programme also presents an opportunity for companies in West Pomerania to play a part in bringing about a real improvement in residents’ quality of life – particularly for those who suffered most as a result of the economic changes of the 1990s. 

West Pomerania sets the course for energy modernisation  

West Pomerania was the first region in Poland to launch a pilot programme for the energy modernisation of multi-family buildings in rural areas. The aim is to significantly improve energy efficiency and ensure cleaner air in local communities. Recently, Greater Poland has also joined this programme. 

The energy modernisation programme for buildings in rural areas, being implemented in West Pomerania, is a joint initiative of the Marshal’s Office and the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Szczecin, aimed at the thermal modernisation of 12,000 flats in 1,000 buildings. 

To date, letters of intent regarding cooperation have been signed with over 80 municipalities. 

Funding for the thermal modernisation will come from European Funds at the disposal of the Voivodship Marshal, the Social Climate Fund, and the Modernisation Fund, as well as from the VFEP&WM in Szczecin's own resources. The support takes the form of a 100% subsidy for the housing community, which means that residents do not have to contribute their own funds to the investment. 

A nationwide grant scheme to improve the energy efficiency of multi-family residential buildings in rural areas 

The Ministry of Climate and Environment is encouraging others to follow the example set in the Western Pomeranian Voivodship by announcing that a call for applications for the ‘Energy efficiency improvement of multi-family residential buildings in rural areas’ programme will be launched shortly. This initiative will have a budget of PLN 500 million from the Modernisation Fund and offers non-repayable grants covering up to 100% of eligible costs. 

The scope of support under the programme includes the thermal modernisation of residential buildings, the installation of renewable energy sources (RES) and the replacement of heating systems. 

Funds will be channelled through voivodship environmental protection and water management funds to local authorities, which act as the final beneficiaries. It is these local authorities that will be responsible for selecting, managing and settling accounts for specific projects implemented by housing associations in rural areas.