Current and completed funding programmes for energy communities & self-production
Nationwide
- The Recovery and Resilience Fund financed with €30 million the “Photovoltaics in the field” programme, aiming at the installation of photovoltaic self-production systems up to 50 KW to cover the electricity needs of farmers and agricultural businesses. The deadline for applications was 08/03/2025.
- The Recovery and Resilience Fund financed with €208 million the “Photovoltaics in the Roof” project to install self-production photovoltaic systems with storage for households and farmers. The deadline for applications was 15/05/2024.
- The Recovery and Resilience Fund financed with €153.7 million the “Storage Systems in Businesses” program, which subsidizes businesses, regardless of size and sector of economic activity, for the purpose of installing batteries in planned or existing photovoltaic systems, subsidizing exclusively the storage system. The submission of applications ended on 30/09/2025.
Transition Regions
- The Energy Community of the Municipality of Kozani received the first and only public funding of the EKOIN project to date of €5.4 million for the installation and operation of 7 MW self-generation projects from resources of the Just Development Transition Program (PDAM) 2021-2027.
- The same program included funding of €6.4 million for 8.9 MW self-generation projects of the energy community of the municipality of Voio.
- The relevant call of the Special Service for Just Development Transition (EYDAM) “Support for energy communities for the development of self-generation actions” of a total amount of €41.8 million will remain open until December 31, 2025 exclusively for municipalities and related bodies and only in the transition areas.
Potential Funding
Nationwide
- The determination of the funding of the “Apollon” self-production programme, is pending. The programme was established in May 2024 by Law5106/2024 and aims to reduce the electricity costs of vulnerable households, local authorities of the first and second degree, local and general improvement organizations, municipal water supply and sewerage enterprises, through energy communities established per region for this purpose. The necessity of identifying resources becomes even more urgent after the exclusion of €100 million from the TAA that was intended to finance the energy community of the vulnerable within the framework of the “Apollo” program.
- Energy communities can be included in the respective development law as a distinct form of a cooperative organisation, under the law on Social Cooperative Enterprises as well as in other programmes financed by national or EU funds, in accordance with state aid rules.
- Bank lending is another source of financing for Energy Communities’ projects. However, it remains extremely difficult for projects of citizen energy communities or small and medium-sized enterprises to obtain bank loans. This obstacle could be overcome by setting up a guarantee mechanism.
- To date, there is no distinct financing instrument for Energy Communities, such as a development fund.
Transition Regions
- Just Development Transition Program (PDAM) 2021 – 2027:European resources channeled via the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF). The beneficiaries of the program include Energy Communities with regard to projects involving energy efficiency; self-production from RES; the installation of heat pumps for heating/cooling; the construction of residual biomass plants; and the construction of small biogas plants utilizing livestock and agricultural residues.
- EU ETS auctioning revenues: public revenue obtained from the auctioning of the emission allowances distributed to Greece from the EU Emissions Trading System is directed to lignite regions in order to shift the regional economies towards sustainable economic activities. For the 2018-2024 period these funds were managed by the Green Fund, while since 2025 they are managed by the Special Agency for the Just Development Transition. By 2024, resources amounting to €162.2 million had been accumulated in this Fund, which still remain largely unutilized.
EU funding
- “European Energy Communities Facility”: The European Energy Communities Facility is a new initiative under the LIFE programme (2024 – 2028) that aims to strengthen and support the development of energy communities across Europe. It will support at least 140 energy communities from 31 countries (27 EU Member States plus Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia and Ukraine) with one-off grants (€45,000 each) for the development of a viable business plan and professional support, as well as a tailor-made capacity-building programme. By the closing date (30/9/2025), the programme had received 690 applications from all 31 eligible countries. The official results have not yet been announced.
- “Prize Governance Innovations in Energy Communities”: The European Commission has announced a prize of a total amount of €1 million to reward innovative models of governance of energy communities. Beneficiaries are Renewable Energy Communities and Citizens Energy Communities from the EU, with up to 10,000 members, that apply democratic, participatory and fair practices in decision-making and in the distribution of benefits. The main objective is to strengthen the active participation of citizens in the energy transition and highlight good practices. Applications can be submitted until 25/6/2026. You can read more here.
