There isn’t one renovation wave

(Energycities, 26 Mar 2020) A district-level approach is needed to move quickly and deeply.

By adopting a district-level plan for the renovation wave, we can assess the assets and needs on a broader area and use them in the most efficient way possible. At the same time, we need a broad array of tools to motivate and enforce change in different kinds of buildings, building owners and occupants. But the assessments and tools are only useful if they can be wielded effectively by local authorities. That is why the EU’s ‘Renovation Wave’ must include a significant effort to build capacity and knowledge in Europe’s cities.

In reality, this might mean that in an area with significant industry generating excess heat the focus should be on investing in a district heating network for surrounding residences rather than promoting heat pumps to replace gas boilers. The Horizon 2020 Hotmaps project has already developed a tool for mapping and planning heating and cooling needs on a local, regional and national basis.

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Energycities, 26 Mar 2020: There isn’t one renovation wave