Sofia Energy Agency

Established in July 2001 under the SAVE II Programme of the European Union, Sofia Energy Agency (SOFENA) supports local authorities in sustainable energy planning and provides technical support for developing and implementing actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It supports the EU Covenant of Mayors initiative and implements effective and comprehensive climate actions on the territory of the whole country. 

Activities 

The main activities of SOFENA include assessments of energy consumption. SOFENA also establishes energy saving projects in municipal, residential, industrial and office buildings, in addition to municipal public transport and street lighting.  

SOFENA has successfully implemented more than 30 EU projects fields in the following areas: 

• Energy efficiency, 

• Renewable Energy Sources, 

• Energy Management, 

• Energy communities, 

• Energy Poverty, 

• Just Transition, 

• Raising awareness and capacity building, 

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation, 

• Financing and project investments in SMEs and industries. 

Network  

SOFENA is an active member of: 

• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): helping companies innovate and grow sustainably 

• Climate Alliance (CA): focused on taking a holistic and truly sustainable approach to climate change. 

• Association of Bulgarian Energy Agencies (ABEA): working for the development and implementation of integrated policies to reduce energy consumption, air pollution and GHG emissions in Bulgarian municipalities. 

SOFENA is one of the founders of ABEA (established on 10th January 2003), and during the first two years of its work, the chairman of the management board was the executive director of SOFENA, and the headquarters coincided with SOFENA’s address. 

Projects 

As of 2025, SOFENA is actively involved in the following projects:  

• LIFE-BECKON Project-(Programme LIFE) – stimulating and boosting the deployment of Energy Communities across Europe by developing and delivering comprehensive support mechanisms. 

• DE-Risk Project (Horizon 2020) – promoting the market acceptance of renewable energy systems by providing up to 100 GW of flexibility by 2030. 

Structure  

The Board of Directors consists of five members, including a financial controller. The General Assembly consists of more than 20 members, among which are representatives of Sofia Municipality, utility companies and private persons from universities and local businesses.