The Clean Air storm
HERMANOS survived and keeps growing
“Czyste Powietrze” (Clean Air) is Poland’s largest home-retrofit subsidy programme. When the National Fund froze applications in November 2024, with payments overdue and rules changed retroactively, many contractors disappeared. HERMANOS stayed. And it keeps growing.
I join the board of HERMANOS: insulation, plumbing, photovoltaics. In parallel STARGEL: energy consulting and grant applications.
The programme starts paying 50% of the grant to the contractor up front. The industry explodes. HERMANOS scales its advisers and crews.
STARGEL becomes one of five pilot operators in Małopolska: the Gorlice and Nowy Sącz districts and the city of Nowy Sącz. From application to payout, at no cost to the homeowner.
The Fund suspends intake. Payouts slip, rules change retroactively, fraud by other firms poisons trust in the whole sector. Contractor bankruptcies begin.
Clean Air returns with stricter rules and without private operators. Applications nationwide fall several times over.
The company operates, serves clients in the new programme, launches a PV and battery line, its own lead engine, webinars and a strategic partnership with Energetyczny Projekt (from 1 Sep 2026). One of the few first-wave firms still standing.
You don’t have to take my word for it
Numbers and reviews you can check with one click. Every item links to a source outside this site.
What HERMANOS clients say
I can recommend Hermanos with a clear conscience; they carried out a complete energy retrofit of my house. [...] The biggest relief was that the company took over all the paperwork. I did not have to worry about documentation or applications – they handled everything for me, which saved me a lot of time and stress.I am very happy with the installation of the photovoltaic system, the heat pump and the ceiling insulation. [...] Most importantly, they take care of all the matters, documents and the work itself, so an ordinary person like me has nothing on his mind and nothing to worry about. Work completed, inspection passed. Everything in perfect order.I recommend Hermanos. Working with Mr Łukasz Nowak was top level. All the planned work was done professionally, on time and thoroughly. Recommended!Verbatim quotes from the public Google profile of HERMANOS Sp. z o.o. (Kraków), shortened where marked [...], translated from Polish. Names as shown on Google. Full texts and the other 145 reviews are behind the link.
Next Wednesday is open
Twenty minutes about your company: cash flow, subsidies, AI or entering a new market. If after the call I conclude I cannot help, I will say so and point you to someone who can.
dawid@kawinski.org