RenoHUB: one-shop-stop offices boosting the energy efficiency renovation of residential buildings

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Narrative

The aim of the project is to boost the energy efficient renovation of residential buildings in Hungary. The current rate of renovations is not sufficient to significantly decrease the energy consumption of the residential sector, which amounts to a third of Hungary's final energy consumption. Residents often lack not only money for the renovation but also the necessary information. The project introduced a one-stop-shop system for the energy efficiency renovation of residential buildings, with services covering the whole spectrum of the energy renovation process. The system consists of an online platform and a network of physical offices (“RenoHUb information hotspots”). The goal is to provide residents with all the information they need in one place to help them make quality energy retrofits, such as preliminary energy savings calculations, individual assessments and technical advice, along with financing options, guidance materials, market studies, recommendations from qualified energy and technical experts and contractors, etc.

Financial data

Total: 1 558 298,75 Euro (EU funding: 100%)

Recommendations

The improvement of the energy efficiency of residential buildings should be of top priority, therefore projects with such aims should be supported on a much larger scale at the expense of projects which are less cost-efficient. The REnoHub project targets middle-class residents. Low-income households should also be eligible for subsidies. Buildings with the worst energy efficiency (e.g. built before 1980), and deep renovations should be prioritized - to make real progress and avoid any lock-in. If the developed RenoHub system is efficient (i.e. the service reaches a significant number of residents and contributes to the quality energy retrofit of buildings in a rate that it reaches FItfor55 targets for the sector), then its financing should be continued. It would be a substantial waste of resources if the experiences and the trained personnel of the system would disappear due to the lack of financing.