In the framework of the second Swiss Contribution to selected EU member states, the Swiss-Slovenian Cooperation Program contributes with an amount of 16 million CHF between 2022 and 2029 to increased energy efficiency and the transition to renewable sources.

The program leads to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and raising awareness about the need to transition to a low-carbon society. This is also in line with current country targets for the share of renewables in overall energy use until 2030. The program promotes greater use of renewable energy at the national level and strengthens the administrative and organizational capacities of public-sector stakeholders to implement renewable energy investments and establish renewable energy sources. Besides, its aim is to encourage established possibilities for symbiotic use of agricultural land with electricity generation from renewables.

The program consists of the following three components:

1. DIGI-LEC - Optimizing energy efficiency and renewable energy planning through the digitalization of Local Energy Concepts (LECs)
   
   This component provides local communities with support in planning their local energy concepts with an ambitious share of renewable energy sources. The digitalization of Local Energy Plans will make all relevant information available to the public through a single access point, thus enabling the sharing of good practices and providing a general overview of all local plans.
   
   Switzerland finances this component with 1,7 million CHF.
   
   
2. Promotion of energy communities with renewables and promotion of shallow geothermal energy use in the public education sector
   
   a) Sub-Component a - Increased share of renewable energy communities
   
   The focus is on establishing renewable energy communities in Slovenia’s public education sector, which contributes to a faster green transition to a low-carbon society. It also includes educational and awareness-raising aspects. This measure helps to increase the share of renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and establish a practice or a model for the implementation of similar renewable energy community projects across the country.
   
   Switzerland finances this sub-component with 6,21 million CHF.
   
   b) Sub-Component b - Replacement of fossil fuel boilers with geothermal heat pumps using shallow geothermal energy
   
   The sub-component promotes the use of renewable energy sources and contributes to the transition away from fossil fuels by replacing fossil powered boilers in schools and educational centers with heat pumps using shallow geothermal energy.
   
   Switzerland finances this sub-component with 5,21 million CHF.
   
   
3. Piloting Agri-photovoltaics
   
   This component focuses on implementing pilot projects to test simultaneous land use for both energy generation and agricultural production. Many key actors, particularly in the agriculture sector, will gain insight into how photovoltaic systems work and develop a better understanding of the benefits of using land simultaneously for solar photovoltaics power and agricultural production.
   
   Switzerland finances this component with 2 million CHF.

Swiss-Slovenian Cooperation Program Factsheet (PDF, 1 Page, 263.3 kB, English)