How can local and national governments accelerate energy retrofitting in condominiums?

According to Eurostat 2017, 42% of the European population currently live in flats (condominiums, multi-owned properties, tenements, social housing, etc.). Retrofitting condominiums (tenements and flatted buildings) is highly strategic for local authorities, as a large number of private owners can be reached at the same time. Once the retrofitting is done, co-owners benefit from comfortable homes as well as from financial and carbon savings.

Fragmented ownership

However, many obstacles stand in the way. Retrofitting condominiums with their fragmented ownership structures is often challenging. Private home owners are elusive and tackling a condominium retrofitting project is more than the sum of individual decisions. It is incredibly difficult for a group of homeowners to achieve the necessary approval for retrofitting works. They often lack information about who to contact and shy away from or get trapped in the collective decision-making process. Driven by individual thinking, very personal motivations and bound to their own socio-economic context, each homeowner may act very differently.

Black box condominium

The picture is not much brighter when we look at the supply side: most building professionals as well as energy consultants are still not prepared to work with condominiums. They are unable to cope with the broad scope of works and prefer to only deal with one flat owner and his/her project, instead of the total building renovation involving several parties. Moreover, more financial solutions exist for individual apartments than for multi-owner buildings.

A conference to hear more about policies and approaches

Brussels, 22 November 2019, 10:00-16:00
Room «Mezzanine», Brussels-Expo Palais 1

Policy-makers and city practitioners will discuss and share learnings from the Interreg ACE Retrofitting (Accelerating Condominium Energy Retrofitting) project around strategies and tools to overcome the legal, social and financial barriers of building improvements in condominiums.

Register now: https://fr.surveymonkey.com/r/ACEretrofittingConference

A snapshot of the political part of the conference programme:

Supporting condominiums in Belgium: How to design policies that meet the specific needs of condominiums ?

• Thierry Van Cauwenberg – Energy Consultant, Cabinet of Philippe HENRY, Vice-President of the Wallon Government and Minister for Climate, Energy and Mobility
• Sandrine Galet – Vice-President of the Belgian Association of Syndics and Real Estate Administrators
• Olivier Hamal – President of the National Federation of Condominium Owners
• Roel Vermeiren – Coordinator long-term strategy for dwelling renovation and Policy officer social energy policy, Flemish Energy Agency (VEA)
• Vincent Spruytte – Vice-President of the French-speaking Union of Syndics

Condominiums in the European policy landscape

Policy-makers from EU institutions and cities outside of Belgium will do a roundup of existing and needed policy instruments for facilitating condominium retrofits.

• Emmanuelle Causse – Director of European Affairs, International Union of Property Owners
• Antoine Guéguen – Project Director «Eco-rénovons Paris», City of Paris

Check the agenda for all sessions.