In many European Member States, the 3% renovation rate will only be achieved if policies also focus on collective renovation. Fortunately, valuable experience from the ground with a specific focus on multi-apartment buildings exists. During a one-day conference in Brussels, the six pilot cities that are part of the ACE-Retrofitting project shed light on opportunities and challenges when it comes to supporting retrofit projects in condominiums.
During this 1-day conference, discussions were lively, sometimes controversial. What all panellists agreed on, though, is the need for strong linkages between governance levels for effective policies and between stakeholders for efficient and lasting retrofit projects.
Here are some conclusions from the debate on what is still missing for more efficient condominiums, especially at EU level:
• Policy instruments that take into account long term goals.
• Integrated plans for the building including how you can generate energy, improve safety etc.
• Policies that stimulate integrated measures combining health, energy savings etc.
• A thorough collection of information and data on condominiums
• More places where all stakeholders can meet
• More attention paid to retrofitting of condominiums
• Increase capacity-building (training support) for building professionals and trustees
• Make financial or fiscal help available at all steps of the renovation process, including the very first ones like audits.
Participants represented the following sectors:
- Local Authorities from Belgium and North West Europe
- Housing Associations
- Syndics/Co-owner groupings
- Local energy agencies
- Building professionals
The conference took place on 22 November 2019 during the Belgian Fair for Condominiums at Brussels-Expo.
