What happens when more than 70 residents come together to talk about the future of their homes?
In the Neuland I, II and III/IV settlements in Berlin, this marked the official start of the first demand aggregation activities for Arec Reno. The kick-off was organised together with the consumer protection association Verband Haus- und Wohneigentum, Siedlerbund Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. and Arec Reno partners ShiftUp and DEPACT.
Residents raised questions about heat pumps, district heating, grid capacity, financing and future energy supply. A strong start – and a clear reminder that collective renovation begins with trusted information, practical guidance and the opportunity to explore solutions together.
Purpose of Arec Reno pilots
As the next stage of collective buy-in schemes for deep renovation, Arec Reno explores how joint demand can become a powerful driver for district-level renovation. Instead of approaching homes one by one, the project brings households, housing actors, SMEs, local authorities and market partners together around a shared renovation opportunity.
The pilot sites in Germany, France, Italy and Ireland — with the first pilot already underway in Germany — will test how this approach works in different local contexts. Each country brings its own building stock, market conditions, resident needs and policy environment. By working across these different settings, Arec Reno can learn what is widely replicable and what needs to be adapted locally.
Boosting deep district renovation
The pilots will help demonstrate how deep district renovation can be boosted through better coordination of demand, smart use of bio-based and low-carbon materials, inclusive job opportunities and stronger business models for the companies involved. They will also show how SMEs can play a key role in scaling renovation, when they are supported by the right tools, knowledge and collaboration structures.
Learning by doing
Most importantly, the pilot sites are not isolated demonstrations. They are learning environments. What happens on the ground will feed into practical tools, guidance and insights that can help other regions and market actors move faster.
This reflects the Energiesprong way of working: testing in practice, learning with the market, and using real projects to unlock the next wave of scalable renovation solutions.
Towards better homes at scale
Ultimately, the Arec Reno pilots aim to show that deep renovation can become more than a technical project. It can become a collective movement: rooted in local needs, powered by joint demand, and designed to make better homes achievable at scale.
By connecting local pilot action with the wider Energiesprong movement, Arec Reno contributes to a European renovation market that can deliver better, more comfortable and future-proof homes for many more people.
