Caroline Simpson

The Renovate Europe Campaign is the voice for energy renovations. We are committed to creating a platform where our partners can collaborate while bridging the gap between national partners and EU policy makers.

Read it to learn about our Renovate Europe Day in Madrid, our field trip with Commissioner Kadri Simson and her cabinet to renovation sites in Belgium, and the C4E Forum in Bratislava.

Thank you to all of our partners and everyone else who participated in Renovate Europe events last year.

Welcome to Renovate Europe‘s newsletter highlighting our key actions over the past months!

We were delighted to organise in November a programme for EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and her Cabinet to visit two renovation projects in Belgium and witness EU policy in action. As the negotiations of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive come to an end, it is worth highlighting the impact EU policy can have on accelerating industrial and innovative approaches to energy renovation, but also the impact it can have on local communities. Read more.

This year, for the first time since 2011, Renovate Europe Day 2023 took place outside of Brussels, and travelled to Madrid for the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council. This conference was a key moment for us to assess progress on energy renovation, especially in the Spanish context, gather inspiration from successful initiatives, and emphasise the paramount importance of an ambitious Buildings Directive for citizens, civil society, industry and the climate. See you next year in Budapest, Hungary! Read more.

Renovate Europe supported Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) in a remarkable renovation videos project across six EU countries. Take a look at these renovation stories on BPIE’s YouTube channel.

Two new partners have joined the Renovate Europe Campaign in 2023! They are BASF and EPPA. Read what they had to say in the newsletter.

Read the full Newsletter here.

Renovate Europe was delighted to organise a programme for EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and her Cabinet to visit two renovation projects in Belgium on the 10th of November 2023 and witness EU policy in action. As the negotiations of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive come to an end, it is worth highlighting the impact EU policy can have on accelerating industrial and innovative approaches to energy renovation, but also the impact it can have on local communities.

First Stop: BuildUp Factory, Aarschot

In the morning, we explored the innovative modular approach to energy renovation at the BuildUp Factory. Commissioner Simson witnessed first-hand how this fast-growing startup is reshaping energy renovations with speed and efficiency. Their offsite construction solutions exemplify how European industry can minimise disruptions and maximise energy savings. Digitalisation plays a key part in their process.

In Lille, BuildUp led on the energy renovation of school buildings during the summer break, thus not disturbing the students and teachers in any way. Click here to watch the video.

Second Stop: Gansbeek Residential Area

Our journey continued to Bilzen, where the transformation of the Gansbeek Residential Area showcased a 60% reduction in energy bills for social housing residents. It was work undertaken by Knauf Insulation’s division Knauf Energy Solutions, in partnership with Daikin and Fluvius, for the Wonen in Limburg housing company.

The visit highlighted that energy renovation not only saves energy costs but also substantially improves living comfort.

These visits underscore the vital role of energy efficient buildings for EU citizens, industry, the local economy, and the climate. With the EPBD recast negotiations concluding, we must ensure it provides a long-term, stable framework to guide our industries’ investments in new factories, new solutions and more skilled workers.

We extend our profound thanks to Commissioner Simson for her insightful visit and support. Together, we will continue to advocate for a more sustainable, energy efficient, and competitive Europe.

#AccelerateRenovation #PrioritisePeople

Welcome to Renovate Europe‘s newsletter!

Here are the highlights of the last months.

Last Tuesday 6th of June, the trilogue negotiations between the Council of the European Union, European Commission and European Parliament concerning the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive started. The EPBD is the crucial final piece of legislation in the Fit-for-55 Package, and represents THE opportunity to translate the political discourse on slashing energy imports into tangible action – the outcome of these trilogues cannot be underestimated!

In parallel, the Campaign has put its focus on the high potential that the Multi-annual Financial Framework can have to support renovations. For it, together with E3G, we prepared the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy Support for Energy Efficiency and Building Renovation study in which we take a look on how EU member states are planning to use this funding and we highlight key actions to maximise impact.

Finally, we will pay attention to the first C4E Forum organised by Renovate Europe. The fourth edition of the Forum took place between 23-26 May in Šamorín, Slovakia. The event brought together up to 250 participants representing all sectors and from all across Central and Eastern Europe for three fruitful days of networking and knowledge-sharing.

Read the full Newsletter here.