AQUA-THERM SOFIA 2013

Bulgaria is an industrialized upper-middle-income country and it has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years. Since 2001, Bulgaria has managed to attract considerable amounts of Foreign Direct Investment and since 2007, when it accessed to the European Union, Bulgaria has benefited from Structural Funds.

As from 2014, Bulgaria plans to absorb hundreds of millions of euros under the Operational Programme "OP Environment" to improve energy efficiency in public, municipal and private residential buildings.

The "Energy renovation of Bulgarian homes" project was adopted in March 2012, under the OP Regional Development 2007-2013. The total project cost amounts to BGN 94 859 508.40 (almost 50 million euros). The eligible energy efficiency activities in residential housings include energy efficiency audits, insulation, replacement of windows and doors, home heating installations, and/or connection to central heating systems, gas-supply, etc.

As from April 2012, a new "Energy efficiency and green economy" program was launched to help Bulgarian enterprises improve their competitiveness in terms of energy efficiency. The program was implemented with the support of a grant of 150 million euros provided by the European Union Structural Funds. These resources will be invested to support small and medium-sized enterprises undertaking investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.