RenovAID – Buildings Renovation

As buildings account for the largest share of energy consumption in Europe, improving their energy efficiency and reducing their energy consumption are key pillars in the pursuit of a decarbonised building stock by 2050, contributing to the implementation of the European Green Deal.

Kosovo and Albania, both officially considered as potential candidates for EU membership, have some of the most inefficient building stocks and the two highest energy poverty rates (40% and 37% respectively) in Europe. Despite their plans to reduce energy consumption, Kosovo and Albania lack adequate policy frameworks to scale up improvements – especially in the residential building sector – and support measures that could accelerate renovation.

Pogradec, Albania_(c) endri-killo l unsplash

Drawing on evidence-based analyses, the project provides the governments of Kosovo and Albania with policy recommendations on how to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The Kosovan and Albanian partners provide expertise based on the two national contexts and engage with local target groups, while the Polish and Hungarian partners share their expertise in EU policy. Training measures, workshops and consultations are organised to provide central and local administrations with the know-how and tools needed to develop long-term renovation strategies in line with EU policies, including the Energy Performance Certificate Framework.

One focus of the project is on energy poverty, which is particularly prevalent in Kosovo and Albania. Policy recommendations are developed, and guidance is provided to local authorities and the national government on how to disseminate information to citizens and the private sector on energy efficiency measures in renovations. Local governments, the private sector, and civil society are trained to establish one-stop shops as a means to facilitate and accelerate the climate-friendly renovation of buildings.

Supporting the implementation of EU climate and energy legislation in Kosovo and Albania can also help to pave their way to EU membership.

RenovAID addresses the issue of modest progress in improving the energy efficiency of buildings in Kosovo & Albania by providing multi-level structural support. The underlying rationale behind RenovAID is the importance of energy efficiency in the energy transition, as it simultaneously addresses environmental, social, economic and energy security dimensions. As both target countries lack adequate policy frameworks, RenovAID aims to provide holistic support for this aspect of the energy transition. Its most prominent objective is to facilitate the emergence of sound energy efficiency policy and impactful measures – including a well-designed Energy Performance Certificate Framework and one-stop shops for buildings renovation. RenovAID will also give particular attention to the issue of energy poverty – especially prevalent in Kosovo & Albania compared to other European countries – to enable the formation of support measures for vulnerable groups