Listen to this interview with Housing Europe, the European Federation of public, cooperative, and social housing providers and its Secretary General, Sorcha Edwards.
1. As climate change migrates from the margins to the heart of EU policymaking, many argue that the state of EU buildings holds the key to achieving the energy, emissions and environmental targets set in the European Green Deal. Can you tell us about the role of the Social Housing sector and the work you’re already doing to decarbonize the EU building stock and towards a successful Renovation Wave?
2. Are you currently mapping the innovative retrofit solutions to meet the requirement of the Social Housing Sector? And what are the critical needs of the Social Housing Sector when it comes to retrofit solutions?
3. What challenges does the sector face, and which incentives might help to bring both building owners and tenants onboard the Renovation Wave?
4. Many innovative retrofit solutions are being developed in Europe to make renovation cheaper, faster, and more accessible, but they all require a particular economy of scale to reach the market. Do you believe the Social Housing sector’s purchase power and ability to buy in bulk could be the key to bringing these solutions to market?
5. Can you tell us about ongoing Housing Europe initiatives (i.e., Housing 2030) and their potential role in addressing housing issues related to climate change and economic recovery?
The HEART (Holistic Energy and Architectural Retrofit Toolkit) toolkit incorporates different components and technologies, which cooperate to transform an existing building into a smart building. In developing this toolkit, the project advances and improves energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies in buildings across Europe. Particularly in Central and Southern Europe where climate change is leading to increased electricity consumption both during summer and winter seasons. The core of HEART is a cloud-based computing platform that includes decision-making and energy management features. The HEART toolkit thus becomes the heart of a building, regulating its energy consumption and energy flow.
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