Project description
The case study deals with the elaboration of 6 financial models to support households, expeciall those with low-income, to reduce their energy consumption from 20 to 40%. In the frame of the USAID financed project on EE in multi-apartment buildings (2011-2015), an unique loan product has been developed and offered directly to homeowners associations to improve energy efficiency in MAB.
Partner organizations developed and delivered loan products for individual houses, covering also vulnerable groups and rural areas.
Key targets
The main objective of the project is to develop sustainable financial models and set of activities to help Macedonian households living in multi-family apartment buildings to reduce their vulnerability to the energy price increase and decrease the environmental impact of buildings while increasing their comfort. The project and the loans are especially focused on low-income households giving them the access to improving their houses.
Period
2009 – ongoing
Implementation steps
Step 1. Promotion of the programme and dissemination of its financial opportunities for energy efficiency upgrades among homeowners;
Step 2. Facilitation of the consent process among homeowners to start retrofitting the MAB;
Step 3. Offering of loans to homeowners and HOA; examination of the credit worthiness (if loans goes directly from Habitat Macedonia) of the applicants or introduction of the applicants with microfinance partners;
Step 4. Provision of loans for energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners using different financial models (according to the needs and financial ability of homeowners);
Step 5. Monitoring of loans repayment and energy efficiency retrofitting and provision of technical advises for homeowners when needed.
National and international partners
Habitat for Humanity Macedonia (HFHM), the Microcredit Foundation “Horizonti”, Saving House “Moznosti” and private companies;
• HFHM: To facilitate homeowners to reach consent and start with energy efficiency retrofitting; to offer different financial models for energy efficiency upgrades; to provide retail loans to homeowners, including homeowner associations; to provide technical support to homeowners; to involve local governance in the process of energy efficiency retrofitting of MAB and thus
provide sustainable mechanisms for the upgrades of the housing stock.
• Horizonti and Moznosti: to provide loans for homeowners in individual houses, covering Case Study 36. The Republic of North Macedonia – Energy Efficiency Homes for Low Income Households vulnerable groups and homeowners in rural areas.
• Private companies: replacement of windows and doors, façade renovations, roofing, technical assistance, energy audits.
Summary achieved results
Since 2009, Habitat Macedonia is actively involved in energy efficiency retrofitting of multi apartment buildings. Energy efficient reconstructions have been carried out on more than 60 apartment buildings in Macedonia with over 1900 apartments, resulting in overall annual energy savings of 7910 MWh and annual reductions of CO2 emissions of 3670 t. As a result of Habitat involvement in energy efficiency retrofitting of MAB, several local governments in the Republic of North Macedonia introduced subsidy schemes to support homeowners. Also, microfinance organizations, which are long term partners of Habitat Macedonia, were motivated to develop and promote loans for energy efficiency in housing, reaching more homeowners among vulnerable groups and in rural areas.
Key benefits
The key benefits include subventions from the municipal budget for energy efficiency upgrades of multi-family apartment buildings and the involvement of motivating the Microcredit Foundations to develop and offer loans to vulnerable groups and to homeowners in rural areas.
List of technical measures implemented
• Replacement of windows and balcony doors in apartments
• Installment of thermo façade
• Repair and/or replacement of roofs
• Retrofitting of common spaces in MAB (windows, entrance door, plastering)
Author
Liljana Alceva, Habitat for Humanity Macedonia
Project links
www.habitat.org.mk
www.domuvanje.org.mk