How to get up to NOK 150,000 from Enova and the government for a green home in 2025

After the big rise in electricity prices in 2022–24, lots of Norwegians have decided to make their homes more comfortable by installing heat pumps, solar panels and smart ventilation systems. The government is not just supporting the trend — it's helping out by covering up to a third of the costs through the Enova fund and local Norway Price programmes. To help you out, we've put together a list of 10 questions with some great tips on how to get the money, what is compensated, what documents you'll need, and what pitfalls you might face.

How much does Enova pay for solar panels, and how is the limit of NOK 47,500 calculated?

Hey, just so you know, from January 2025, it's going to be really straightforward. You'll get 7,500 kr fixed, plus 1,250 kr for each kWp of installed capacity up to 20 kWp. That means you could get a cheque for as much as 47,500 kr! Hey, just so you know, if your roof array is 10 kWp, the subsidy will be: Hey, just so you know, it works out at 7,500 plus 1,250 multiplied by 10, which equals 20,000 kr. Hey, just a heads-up: to make sure everything's running smoothly, the property should be a private house or a holiday home. Also, don't forget to get your application in no later than 20 months after installation. And one more thing, the installer will need to be registered with Elvirksamhetsregisteret. All you need to send me is your invoice, just the line 'installer effekt' highlighted, and some photos of the inverter and panels. Don't you worry - your money will be transferred to a Norwegian bank account within 3-6 weeks of approval!

Hey, I was wondering if you could help me figure out which type of heat pump would be the best fit for my budget of NOK 30,000?

At Enova, we understand that every situation is unique, which is why we offer two types of compensation: luft‑til‑vann (air-water) and veksel‑til‑vann (ground). If you're in the former category, you can expect a compensation of up to 20,000 kr. For those in the latter, we've got you covered with a generous compensation of 30,000 kr. Why more? A well in granite is a bit more expensive (around 135,000 kr), but the COP is over 4.5, which is great news! You can expect to save up to 70% on heating costs. We really care about your comfort, so here are our top tips for getting your new home ready for winter:

Condition No. 1 — Make sure your heating is working efficiently.

Condition No. 2 — If your home doesn't have an energy consumption history, we might not be able to accept it. You can combine the application with solar heating (+ CSP 5,000 kr) and a 'smart styling' boiler system (4,000 kr), but please remember that the total upper limit per property is 150,000 kr.

I'm so excited to find out which areas and materials are eligible for 150 kr/m²!

Hey, just so you know, Ennova is willing to pay 150 kr/m² of insulated surface area, but there's a catch: they only do this if you can increase the R-value by at least 50%. I'll give you an example to show you what I mean. Imagine you have an attic that's 80 square metres, and you put in 20 centimetres of cellulose insulation. You'll end up with a bill for 12,000 kr. But don't worry, because you'll get a grant that'll cover all of it, 150 x 80 = 12,000 kr (100%!). Don't worry - the walls and basement are similar, but there's a total limit of 25,000 kr per property. We love using materials with environmental certification (Glava ECOSE, Hunton Trefiber) and give them a bonus of +10 kr/m². Just a friendly reminder that the invoice must include a separate item for 'isolasjon materialer' (insulation materials) — please combine this with roofing work — otherwise Enova will unfortunately have to reject the application.

I'd love to get 10,000 NOK for 'balanced ventilation', but I'm not sure what it is. Can you help?

'Balansert ventilasjon' is a supply and exhaust ventilation system that recovers more than 80% of the heat. Don't worry, Enova will help you out with 10,000 kr for the equipment and installation if your efficiency measurement (SFP) is less than 1.5 kW/(m³/s). All you need to do is get an OVK certificate from an F-gas-certified installer. Hey, just so you know, when you install this with a heat pump, you can apply for both grants in one go. That means less time, which is always a bonus! One thing to bear in mind is that old houses can lose the effect if they don't have tight vapour insulation. That's why Enova requires a Blower Door test of < 2.5 ach. If you don't succeed, there's always another try.

How much will you get back for a ‘smart’ water heater and who is eligible?

Hey guys, just a heads-up that from March 2025, we'll be getting a new 'smart varmtvannsbereder' – a clever little Wi-Fi-connected boiler that can even schedule itself based on the weather! It'll be available for 4,000 kr (previously 5,000 kr, but we had to tighten our belts somewhere). Don't worry, though, the penalty for incompatibility with the Tibber smart socket is 0 kr, and Enova just needs photographic proof that the boiler is connected to the styring hub. Real life: Imagine living in a house with four people. If you switch your heating to night-time, you could save around 900 kr/year! And you could even pay for the device in three years, even without a grant.

Hey, do you think it'd be possible to combine a few measures and get a 'combo' of 150,000 NOK?

Absolutely! The new rules have replaced the old 'liste over enkelttiltak' with a 'menybasert' approach, which is great news. You can now insulate your attic for just 25,000 kr, install a ground source heat pump for 30,000 kr, a 20 kW panel for 47,500 kr and a ventilation system for 10,000 kr – all in one go! Don't worry - the rest of the way up to the maximum ceiling of 150,000 kr is covered by a local programme (for example, Oslo Klimafond - +400 kr/m² grönt tak). Don't worry - all your receipts just need to be submitted as one package, and each contractor can upload their own Ferdigattest to the portal. Don't worry - there's still plenty of time, as there's a strict deadline of 18 months from the first payment.

How the municipality compensates for the excess Enova — the example of Oslo and Tromsø

The Oslo Climate Fund has been incredibly generous, pitching in with 25% of its own contribution (up to a maximum of 10,000 kr) for electric VVB and green roofs. Tromsø municipality has also come forward with a contribution of 15,000 kr for an 'Energirådgiver' energy audit, which is really appreciated. Don't worry - this money isn't counted towards the Enova limit of 150,000 kr. The wonderful result is that, by installing a pump and panels, the lovely Oslo family can get back an extra 20,000 kr! All you need to do is upload confirmation of Enova's refusal (they don't pay for green roofs) and the house's 'Energimerking' passport, and we'll take care of the rest!

How long does the process take and what is most often rejected?

On average, the whole process takes about a week. First, the installation takes 30 minutes, then the application to the portal takes 2-3 days. After that, it's automatic verification for 2-3 days, and then 'Manuell stikkprøve' takes up to 15 working days. Don't worry, your money will be in your account in 4 to 6 weeks. Hey, just so you know, around 27% of rejections in 2024 were due to invoices that didn't quite meet our standards. It looks like there might have been a little mix-up with the description of 'varmepumpe væske-vann' and maybe the inverter power wasn't indicated as clearly as it should have been. Hey, just a heads-up: about 14% of the photos taken after installation at night show the number on the inverter tag, but Enova can't see it.

I would love to find a cheap 'grønt lån' if you know where I could go. Do you know how it works with the subsidy too?

Hey, just so you know, DNB, Nordea and SpareBank1 are offering 'Grønt Boliglån' at 4.05% (which is 0.4 percentage points below the base rate). But there's a catch: your house will need to receive at least an A/B rating from Energimerking after the renovation for this to apply! The bank kindly offers a second energy assessment for just NOK 1,500. And the best part? When you confirm, you'll get an awesome discount on the entire remaining loan! And the great news is that Enova doesn't require a 'green' loan, but the combination of these two things can reduce your total payment by as much as NOK 350 each month!

I totally get it: when do investments start to save more than the loan payments?

Take a look at this lovely case study: a 180-square-metre house near Trondheim with fuel bills of 45,000 kr/year. We'll install a ground source heat pump (260,000 kr), 12 kW panels (200,000 kr) and insulate the attic (25,000 kr). I'm so pleased to tell you that the subsidies add up to 64,500 kr! That's 30,000 + 22,500 + 12,000. I'm so pleased to tell you that the net investment is 420,000 kr. You'll save an incredible 27,000 kr every year on your heating bills, and with solar generation, you'll also get 9,600 kWh of electricity for just 7,500 kr. Hey, just wanted to let you know the total is €34,500. Don't worry, it'll be worth it in the end! It'll take 12.2 years to pay back. Hey, just so you know, if the spot price goes up to 1.10 kr, the payback period will drop to 9 years. I'm delighted to tell you that the value of the house goes up by around 5%! For the Trondheim market in 2025, that works out at about 250,000 kr, which is great news. It means that the ROI is reduced to 7 years.

I'm so pleased to tell you about Norway's 'green modernisation'! It's not only about fighting CO₂; it's also about money in the owner's pocket. We know how hard it is to save money on your energy bills. But we've found a great way to help you out! By combining Enova grants, municipal programmes and cheap 'grønt lån' loans, you could get back up to 150,000 kroner and reduce your utility bills by thousands of kroner a year. All you need to do is check the list of measures, select certified contractors, take high-quality photos, and in a couple of months, the first kroner will be in your account. Instead of worrying about electricity prices, why not invest in your home and let the sun and ground heat pay your bills while you enjoy a lovely walk along the fjord?