The largest kindergarten in Chișinău, “Spicușor” in the Ciocana sector, which was energy-efficiently renovated in 2024, unveiled on Friday two murals on the exterior walls, created by local artists and the children of the institution as part of the renovation process.

This is one of the 22 institutions benefiting from the Energy Efficiency Project, implemented with financial support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the E5P fund. The two banks provided a loan of 10 million euros each, while the E5P fund provided a grant of 5 million euros for energy efficiency improvements in 14 high schools, 5 kindergartens, and three hospitals in Chișinău.

Present at the event, Carolina Novac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, stated that energy efficiency is one of the priorities of the Government, given that the Republic of Moldova has an energy intensity more than twice the European average, meaning that for one unit of GDP, twice as much energy is used. Thus, the Republic of Moldova has committed to reducing total annual energy consumption by 0.8% and to improving energy efficiency in 0.8% of buildings per year.

Since the building sector accounts for about 75% of the final energy consumption in the country, it has significant potential to contribute to reducing consumption. The modernization of the “Spicușor” kindergarten contributes to achieving national energy efficiency targets, as well as to the comfort of each child and staff member at the kindergarten, emphasized the State Secretary.

In this context, Carolina Novac mentioned programs carried out by the Ministry of Energy in both the public and private sectors to improve the energy efficiency of various buildings. These include the Energy Efficiency in the Republic of Moldova Project (MEEP), with a total value of 86.9 million euros, funded by EIB, EBRD, and the EU, which modernizes 10 national medical institutions and numerous residential buildings; the STEEM Project, funded by the World Bank, which improves energy efficiency in 46 primary schools, benefiting over 46,000 students and teachers; and INSPIREE, worth 73 million euros, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the German KfW Bank, which invests in energy efficiency in 30 key public buildings, including 16 higher education institutions and 14 district hospitals.

In the residential sector, several other programs are underway — the modernization of Chișinău’s centralized heating system, with EBRD support. This includes the installation of 2,510 individual heating points and the conversion of 1,665 apartment blocks to a horizontal heat distribution system, reducing heat losses by up to 30%.

The Energy Efficiency Fund for the Residential Sector in Moldova (FEERM) will renovate over half a million square meters of apartments and individual houses by 2027. The Green House Program invests in individual homes, and EcoVoucher supports replacing old appliances with new, energy-efficient one