European recovery and resilience funding – Together towards the goal: Energy efficient buildings

• Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience
• Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy

In Slovenia, buildings consume approximately 40 per cent of all energy and produce 30 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. A total of 70 per cent of all buildings in Slovenia built befor 1990 are not considered energy efficient. It is estimated that 90 per cent of all these buildings will still be in use in 2050, meaning that their sustainable renovation.

Slovenia set the goal of reducing its total final energy consumption in buildings by 20 per cent by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by at least 70 per cent compared to 2005. With the aim of reaching these climate protection goals, Slovenia is making investments, also with the help of European funds.

As part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), Slovenia has implemented a reform measure limiting the use of fossil fuels in new buildings and is also implementing an investment in the sustainable renovation of buildings. The measures aim to encourage comprehensive building renovation, with a particular focus on the national building stock, in order to achieve at least a 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to the baseline situation.

The following ministries are responsible for the implementation of the reforms and investments: Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy; Ministry of Public Administration; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Education; and Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

Reform of the planning and financing of energy renovation in public sector buildings

On 23 July 2021, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Act on the Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energy Sources (ZSROVE), which also introduced a preliminary provision concerning restrictions on the use of certain energy sources for heating. The provision has been in force since 1 January 2023 and has not changed with the adoption of the new Act on the Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energy Sources (ZSROVE-1).

The aim of the reform under the RRP was to ban the design and installation of boilers fueled by heating oil, fuel oil, and coal for heating new buildings, as provided for in the Long-Term Strategy for the Energy Renovation of Buildings by 2050. This target was included by Slovenia in the third payment request, which the European Commission (EC) paid in full in November 2024.

Sustainable renovation of buildings - investment

The aim of the investment is to improve the energy efficiency of buildings through sustainable renovation and the upgrading of technical building systems.

A total of EUR 86.65 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility has been earmarked for the implementation of the investment, of which EUR 64.15 million in grants and EUR 22.5 million in loans.

All 30 projects involving the upgrading of technical building systems have been completed.* These included the installation or refurbishment of ventilation system installation in 21 primary schools and their branch schools. The total size of the upgraded area amounts to approximately 55,000 m², exceeding initial target by 17,000 m².

In total, 24 projects for the energy and sustainability renovation of major administrative and societal significance are underway. Five project have been fully completed**, while the remaining projects must be completed by the end of June 2026. The objective is to carry out the energy renovation of approximately 80,000 of m²building space.

Slovenia included three investment milestones related to public calls for project proposals in its third payment request, which the EC paid in full in October 2024. As part of the sixth payment request, which has been under review in Brussels since the end of March 2026, Slovenia is claiming a target related to projects involving the upgrading of technical building systems. The remaining three objectives are expected to be included in the final payment request that Slovenia will submit to the European Commission.

*All completed projects involving the upgrading of technical building systems (installation or refurbishment of ventilation systems):

• Ciciban Kindergarten - Labod unit, Novo mesto
• Deteljica Kindergarten, Tržič
• Mozirje Kindergarten
• Železniki Kindergarten
• Braslovče Primary School
• Cvetka Golar Primary School, Škofja Loka
• Dornava Primary School
• Dragotin Ketter Primary School, Novo mesto
• Janko Glazer Primary School, Ruše
• Jurišinci Primary School
• Jurišinci Primary School - kindergarten unit
• Markovci Primary School
• Mengeš Primary School
• Mozirje Primary School
• Nove Fužine Primary School
• Otočec Primary School
• Prebold Primary School
• Preddvor Primary School
• Sveta Ana Primary School
• Velika Dolina Primary School, Brežice
• Vodmat Primary School, Ljubljana
• Železniki Primary School
• Kokra Branch School, Preddvor
• Selca Branch School, Železniki
• Srednja vas Branch School, Bohinj
• Šiška Grammar School, Ljubljana
• Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Maribor
• Slovenj Gradec School Centre
• Vrhnika Music School
• Šmarje pri Jelšah Care Home

** Fully completed building energy renovation projects:

• National Museum of Slovenia, Ljubljana
• Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia Regional Unit, Kranj
• Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia Regional Unit, Ljubljana
• The Slovenian National Theatre Maribor
• Multi-apartment buildings on Žigrova Street and in Runeč, Municipality of Ormož