Major achievements during the project

A priority in the project was working directly with municipalities to develop building renovation passports (BRPs) as well as understand the policy landscape around building renovations on the EU level. Municipalities, together with experts on energy efficiency, (the financial landscape around renovations), and energy auditors, were given the setting to create sustainable long-term plans for their building stock.

• EU policy guidebooks have been published in 4 languages (English, Romanian, Slovakian, and Bulgarian), and were presented to a broader audience during a Q&A webinar that was also translated into Bulgarian, Romanian, and Slovak. Lessons learnt from the guidebook and from developing and implementing BRPs have been shared with stakeholders from Serbia and Slovakia during a second knowledge exchange webinar. In addition, the Renocally team facilitated a workshop at the Annual EUKI conference in 2024 and presented project outcomes at external webinars on related/similar European projects.
• Development of 20 BRPs on a variety of buildings, including public buildings and schools.
• Technical and financial masterclasses held in 10 municipalities across Romania and Bulgaria, have allowed for capacity building amongst municipalities on the technical aspects and the financial aspects of implementing BRPs, including access to funding at EU and national level and public-private financing options.
• Financial strategies were developed for five municipalities in Romania, and five municipalities in Bulgaria that will help them keep their efforts in achieving climate neutrality for their building stock.
• Memorandum of Agreement signed with various municipalities across Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, agreeing to make Building Renovation Passports a political priority.
• Townhall meetings, webinars, roundtables, and conferences held in each of the pilot countries, reaching and connecting multiple key stakeholders.

Challenges

Building renovations come with several challenges, especially for countries in Central and Eastern Europe, where municipalities’ budgets and national funds for renovations are smaller. Apart from financial constraints, other challenges exist when implementing BRPs:

1. Lack of expertise among energy auditors and one-stop shops to provide information to building owners and professionals.
2. Lack of updated building inventories, including energy classifications, to allow defining renovation strategies at local level.
3. Lacking technical documentation that complicates developing BRPs.
4. Unfavourable market structures with high capital and production costs for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
5. Unstable regulatory environment on a national level that create uncertainty and hinder long-term investments in building renovations.
6. Limited financial resources, especially for small municipalities with little budget and few resources to apply for funding or secure private financing.

Lessons Learnt

Municipalities that took part in Renocally agree that there is a need to have a better understanding of EU policies.  This demand makes the Renocally guidebook more pertinent and relevant than ever. The successful attendance at events organised by the project on EU policy developments is proof of the interest in this topic and the added value that Renocally has brought.

1. Implementing BRPs can help municipalities renovate buildings to achieve their long-term climate goals.
2. Achieving high energy performance levels on buildings that have been renovated without a BRP will be more challenging and expensive.
3. Building renovation steps can be tailored:

• Aligning with intermediary and long-term goals of a municipality.
• In tandem with other energy initiatives in a municipality (e.g., energy communities/cooperatives). and schools.
• Based on the condition of existing building and their renovation need.
• Phasing and prioritising the building stock, for example by targeting the worst performing buildings first to achieve the highest energy savings.
• Based on available financial resources.

Moving Forward

While the project has come to an end, the real work on the ground has just started. To keep up the momentum leading to a sustained change in the building stock in each municipality, whether part of the project or those just starting on their journey, Renocally recommends:

1. Establishing one contact person in the administration to enable smooth data exchange between municipalities, building owners, and energy auditors.
2. Involving professional energy auditors to develop BRPs to ensure that they are developed within the legal framework and follow the right methodology.
3. Considering both the energy savings and positive non-energy outcomes (e.g., health), in the BRP, unlocking the multiple benefits that come from building renovations.
4. Invest in continuous capacity building and knowledge exchange between key stakeholders, such as energy auditors, financial experts, municipal staff, policymakers, energy agencies, and citizens.
5. Integrate both top-down and bottom-up financial approaches to secure financing for BRPs (and renovation projects) – this includes looking at existing legal frameworks, as well as establishing financial thresholds for different stakeholders and creating public-private partnerships to leverage external funding.

We thank everyone who participated in our project events, followed us on social media, read our reports, and implemented the work on the ground. Together, we can achieve real change and create buildings that do not harm the planet and are healthy for the people living and using them.