On 1 May 2026, a new rule came into force for drawing on the Nová zelená úsporám Light grant (the “New Green Savings” scheme): without a renovation passport, you will not get the grant. This change caught many homeowners off guard, having assumed it was enough to submit an application and pay the invoices for insulation or window replacement.
A renovation passport is not a bogeyman, nor extra red tape. It is a document that helps you, as a homeowner, make the right decisions in the right order. But you do need to understand how the whole thing works.
What a renovation passport is
A renovation passport (in English, a Building Renovation Passport) is a structured document that describes the current state of the building and proposes a staged renovation plan, so that the house reaches energy class A or B by 2050 (or sooner, if you want to draw more grant funding).
The document usually contains:
- An Energy Performance Certificate (PENB) - the current state
- An analysis of the building’s structures and their thermal-technical properties
- Identification of weak points (thermal bridges, leaks, poor windows)
- A proposed set of renovation priorities with estimated costs and benefits
- A recalculation of the expected energy consumption after renovation
It is prepared by an energy specialist authorised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO). The price ranges from 8,000 to 25,000 Kč depending on the size of the building.
Who needs a renovation passport
NZÚ Light is intended for detached houses and individual flats. A renovation passport has been mandatory for all applicants since 1 May 2026. Without it, the SFŽP (State Fund for Environmental Protection) will reject the application before it even reaches assessment.
If you are planning:
- Insulating the façade or roof
- Replacing windows and doors
- Replacing the heat source (boiler → heat pump)
- A combination of these measures
…you will not get anywhere without a renovation passport. The exception is minor repairs under 50,000 Kč, but these are not covered by NZÚ Light anyway.
For owners’ associations (SVJ) and apartment buildings, similar conditions apply under NZÚ for apartment buildings, where the energy documentation requirements are even stricter.
How thermal imaging helps lower the cost of the energy specialist
The energy specialist preparing the renovation passport has to assess the condition of the building. This is normally done through a site visit, a review of the design documentation (where it exists), and calculations.
The problem: older houses often have no design documentation, or an incomplete set. The specialist then has to estimate the properties of the structures, which drives up the cost of the work and reduces the accuracy of the result.
A thermographic report solves this problem. The energy specialist gets:
- Precise temperature maps of the whole façade
- Identification of thermal bridges and their intensity
- Documentation of the state of the insulation (where it is present, where it is missing, where it is damaged)
- Visual evidence of damp and any condensation problems
This replaces hours of guesswork and increases the accuracy of the final document. Many specialists will knock 1,500-3,000 Kč off the price of the audit as a result - so the thermal imaging effectively pays for itself out of the saving.
How to put it all together
Step 1: Thermographic inspection
Book the inspection before you contact an energy specialist. You will receive a PDF report with thermograms and a list of findings. Ideally in winter (October - March), at a temperature below 0°C.
Step 2: Choosing an energy specialist
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) keeps a register of authorised specialists. Approach 2-3 of them, send them the thermographic report, and ask for a quote for the renovation passport. With good supporting data from you, you will get a better and cheaper quote.
Step 3: Preparing the renovation passport
The specialist carries out a site visit (shorter than without supporting data), evaluates the thermal imaging data, prepares the energy certificate, and draws up the staged plan. This usually takes 3-6 weeks from signing the contract.
Step 4: Applying for the grant
With the renovation passport in hand, submit your application to the SFŽP. Approval typically takes 2-4 months. Work may only start once the decision to award the grant has been issued (or earlier, at your own risk, but in that case you cannot claim the grant retroactively for work already carried out).
Step 5: Completion and final accounting
Once the work is complete, you submit invoices, handover certificates, and optionally a follow-up thermographic inspection as evidence that the work was carried out correctly.
The most common mistakes
1. Starting insulation work before you have the grant decision The SFŽP does not pay grants retroactively for work completed before the decision. An exception exists, but it is conditional and complicated.
2. Commissioning a renovation passport without thermal imaging data Higher price, worse result, more guesswork. Unnecessary.
3. Confusing the PENB with the renovation passport The Energy Performance Certificate (PENB) is part of the renovation passport, but it is not the same thing. An old PENB is not sufficient for grant purposes.
4. Ignoring the staged plan The renovation passport proposes an order for the measures. If you do not follow it (for example, replacing the windows before insulating the façade), you may not achieve the planned savings.
Summary
Anyone who wants to draw on NZÚ Light since 1 May 2026 needs a renovation passport. It is prepared by an energy specialist, and our thermographic report gives them the key input data. The whole process, from booking the thermal imaging to submitting the application, takes 2-4 months.
Want to get started? Book a thermographic inspection - we will send you a price quote within 24 hours.