Housing Europe’s Super-i project is coming to an end, resulting in developed models to assess the environmental and social impacts of energy-efficient renovations in social housing. These tools help housing providers identify which renovation elements deliver the most benefits. The project analysed the best combination of public and private investments to optimise renovation outcomes.
Key questions remain, such as who ensures energy consumption reductions and how savings should be shared between housing providers and residents. Energy price fluctuations also introduce investment risks.
The project will test its financing model through a crowdfunding platform, which will be further developed and applied through the follow-up project Supershine. At the same time, Danish housing associations have already used rent subsidies to finance energy upgrades, helping tenants reduce bills, while working with ESCOs for solar panel installations. In Italy, public housing by ATER Trieste leads two pilot projects, including one focused on efficient renovations while residents remain in the building.
The conference in Copenhagen was an opportunity to learn more about the Danish system, thanks to BL, and was followed by a site visit highlighting the positive impact of tenant democracy in not-for-profit housing as a driver of innovation.
Super-I highlights the need for integrated renovation strategies, particularly for the worst-performing buildings, which can have the highest social impact and the shortest payback periods, making them easier to finance.