In addition to the much needed funding for sustainable energy projects, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with the help of donor financing develops and offers supporting services to its partners, local participating financial institutions (PFIs) and their clients. The joint efforts are aimed at enhancing implementation of sustainable energy projects.
Homeowners Associations (HOAs) is one of the commercial banks’ clients eligible for loan financing of sustainable energy projects in the residential sector.
Sustainable energy projects by HOAs lead to high energy savings and building improvements, however, require large funds and hence, highly professional preparation. The latter is provided to clients within the advisory packages of the EBRD’s residential Sustainable Energy Financing Facilities (SEFFs) in different countries. Advisory package may include trainings to the HOAs’ staff, energy assessments of buildings, project evaluations and marketing support.
To reach out to homeowners’ associations, the SEFF teams in different countries conduct the awareness raising and capacity building workshops aiming to overcome the existing barriers in implementation of sustainable energy projects by these large energy consumers.
This way, series of workshops for homeowners’ associations in Russia were organised jointly by the EBRD’s facilities RuSEFF-Residential and “Policy Dialogue”. One of such workshops took place in the city of Perm, where Anastasia Grechanaya, RuSEFF Residential bank relationship expert, presented the alternative sources of capital repair financing and types of technical support provided to the homeowners’ associations within the RuSEFF-Residential facility.
As a result, an increased interest is observed from HOAs to obtain loans for modernisation and receive technical support from the Programme. This way, the EBRD through RuSEFF residential supports implementation of sustainable energy projects by the residential sector.
The Policy Dialogue activity is part of the broader EBRD programme ‘Improving Urban Housing Efficiency in the Russian Federation’, funded by investment incentive from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).