Forty households have already signed up, and installations are on the horizon! In the Bavarian town of Neutraubling, the LIFE Street HP Reno project is turning community interest into concrete steps toward clean heating. What began as a well-attended information evening has evolved into a promising local pilot, with a growing number of residents participating in a collective heat pump initiative. A community sparked into motion Earlier this year, around 70 residents gathered at the Kulturhaus to learn more about their municipality’s heat planning and the potential role of heat pumps. Together with the city of Neutraubling, German project partners Shiftup and IWO presented the idea of a group purchase — a coordinated approach that could simplify the process and reduce costs for residents. Following this event, the city formally invited the Street HP Reno team to support the implementation phase. The interest was clear, and the collaboration quickly gained momentum. Local outreach with strong results As part of the municipality’s official heat planning programme, two follow-up events were organised: one aimed at residents and another at local businesses. The initiative reached far beyond the event spaces. Residents were informed through town hall displays, targeted direct mail, and an article in the local newspaper, which was delivered to all 3,000 households. Some attendees even promoted the initiative through their personal WhatsApp status updates, helping the message reach neighbours organically. To make it easy for interested households to take the next step, Shiftup launched an online registration platform. Within just a few weeks, forty households had signed up to join the group purchasing process. Installer selection underway With a solid base of interested participants, the focus has now shifted to selecting a qualified installer. IWO and Shiftup are currently meeting with potential providers. These include companies recommended by the municipality, suggestions from registered participants who already have experience with heat pumps, and contacts from manufacturers previously involved in the project. All offers will be carefully reviewed and compared to ensure a transparent and fair process for everyone involved. The installer is expected to be selected in early autumn, after which installations can begin. What's next and where else? Neutraubling is not the only town exploring this approach. Street HP Reno is also active in Wangen im Allgäu and Berlin, where new pilots are being prepared, including one led by the housing cooperative kliQ Berlin. In Wörrstadt, residents will be introduced to the concept this autumn, with the aim of launching another pilot there. The idea of coordinated, community-based renovation is clearly gaining traction across Germany. One neighbourhood at a time, the energy transition is becoming a local reality.

It was great to see you all again (or for the first time, welcome University of Bonn!) online. We discussed progress on our deliverables, according to Erac and by country, began thinking about the idea of an innovation parade and held the second working session of the Transnational Working Groups. Read more about the online Partner Days here! You can find the most important slides and other materials in the  Erac Teams environment .If you don't have acces to the Erac Teams environment, please contact  alyssa@bureaudoor.nl Team Energiesprong Global Alliance

As active participants in numerous EU projects, we often share updates on our progress and achievements. We work on projects in the field with passionate, content-driven people, which is super important. However, it’s equally crucial that these projects are coordinated effectively – a task that isn’t always easy with such passionate individuals. Understanding the daily lives of our partners can be challenging, even for us self-proclaimed “EU project-experts.” To bridge this gap and gain a better understanding of the role of a project coordinator, we asked the Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO), the project coordinator of LIFE Cosme Reno, to provide an honest glimpse into their workday.  While most retrofit projects now include energy assessments before and after implementation, the carbon impact of design choices is rarely considered. That’s a missed opportunity — and we’ve set out to change that. Introducing our simple carbon tracker tool: a lightweight, user-friendly solution that helps SMEs assess the carbon footprint of different retrofit design options before the work even begins. “ Leading the project is similar to the experience of parenting. You are responsible for everything; sometimes you need to encourage and sometimes be strict, but the most important is that you need to be there for the project and the partners ” – Karine Jegiazarjana, IWO Constitution and work packages Starting the project is similar to establishing a new state; you need a “Constitution” which is the Grant Agreement concluded between partners and the European Commission. And then you need your “legal system” and “rules of the game”, both settled in the Consortium Agreement between all partners. When it comes to the Consortium Agreement, the partners are in a similar situation as the EU Council when voting on Common Foreign and Security Policy – we need unanimity, everybody should agree.  If our project was a house, it would have five rooms called work packages (WPs).  In each “room,” living and working are organised separately. There are deliverables and milestones, which are basically tasks and goals, representing the “homework” to be completed in each room (aka work package or WP). As parents, we make sure the homework is done in each WP, and if it is not done on time, we bear the responsibility and excuse the respective partner in front of the “headmaster” – that is CINEA in our case. When the “homework” is done, we are responsible for checking it and handing it in. Being leaders, we want to make sure that this Cosme Reno house is actually also a home for all partners, where working in each “room” is safe and everyone feels good about doing their “homework”. As a lead partner, we may not have tasks in the WPs “de jure”, but we are there for our partners “de facto”. Like a good therapist, we listen. Like a solicitor, we provide our opinion. Like a friend, we can give advice and a hug when needed – even if we can only give a real hug during consortium meetings in person and thus just a few times during the project. We should defend the interests of each partner, while still acting in the project’s best interest. We need to be a “Lady Justice”, holding a sword, scales, and sometimes wearing a blindfold. To be impartial and fair. Leading the project can be like working in an ambulance; you will be called to treat a sore throat as well as a heart attack, and you need to be prepared for this. Any issue will come to you, and you either know how to solve it or have to develop the best skill, called “figure it out”. And at times, you will also have to accept that the help and support you can provide has certain limits. Cosme Reno For Cosme Reno, we went through so many changes, we changed the partner constellation several times, faced delays with signing the Grant Agreement, reconsidered different perspectives regarding the Consortium Agreement, and replaced the  coordination team at IWO. However, this feeling, when the project is progressing and all partners are committed to working toward the common goals, is absolutely worth the difficulties sometimes encountered. So what do project leaders actually do? Sometimes you may wonder: What do they (the project leaders) actually do? The answer is, we do everything so the partners can do their job in the best way. We jointly go through ups and downs with each of them and are ready to step in at any point when we are needed. Despite sometimes also having a hard time or being tired and struggling, we very much enjoy working with the partners and have never regretted becoming a project coordinator. The value and gain of meeting and working together with all of you, sharing expertise and experiences, and learning from each other is absolutely worth it. Interested to know more about project coordination (and much more…)? Get in touch with IWO !

Before we dive in, let’s share a story… At Ressorts, our secular cathedral is striving for a habitat with zero negative impact and zero struggles with bill payments. To achieve this, we deeply believe in cooperation among building stakeholders. But what does cooperation entail ? Does it mean having a shared account? Forming partnerships? Sharing our machinery? How far do we push cooperation in a competitive entrepreneurial environment? We found ourselves pondering these questions, so we decided to step back and explore the concept of cooperation in our sector. In this document, we share our conclusions: 7 action principles organized around the prism created by the action research centre Institut des Territoires Coopératifs . Each action principle contains two different, sometimes complementary, sometimes opposing logics. Cooperation arises between these two logics, and, spoiler alert, dialogue and time are always necessary. 7 dialogues of cooperation in the building renovation sector Source : Institut des Territoires Coopératifs (InsTerCoop) Role and Identity The principle Cooperation is about more than just knowing your role in a company, structure, or project – it’s about understanding who you are as a person, rich in humanity, values, and beliefs. As InsterCoop wisely puts it, “it is not the roles that have things to say, but the people.” Beyond this, sharing our emotions is crucial. Let’s return to the essence of the word ’emotion’ – what moves us . It’s about identifying what drives us, what gets us out of bed in the morning. Sharing these motivations can only strengthen and deepen the bonds of trust among those working together. Applied to renovation In the building sector, we recognise the importance of human relationships and the trust that emerges during the construction of a project. So, before diving in, why not take the time to share the project’s common identity among all stakeholders? Link what each person wishes to contribute, both through their identity and their role. Imagine a conversation that brings together identity and role: I participate in this project because…       … I am energised by the idea of leading an innovative project.       … I enjoy working with the participating organisations, which I trust.       … I want to tackle the challenges of decarbonising the industry. By sharing what motivates us and understanding each other’s roles , we create a stronger, more united team ready to transform the future of renovation together. Diversity and Unity The principle Building a common project involves various goals and objectives, and it should celebrate the uniqueness of each individual. While we aim for large-scale renovation, achieving this requires a multitude of skills. Applied to renovation Business consortiums exemplify unity through diverse, complementary expertise to deliver highquality renovations. Each entity contributes to a robust whole. Consider a prefabricated façade panel : a complex, high-performance unit made from diverseexpertise and materials. The strength of off-site construction lies in this collaborativediversity. By embracing both diversity and unity, we advance innovative, large-scale renovations, benefiting from each participant’s unique contributions, driving us towards sustainable, energyefficient homes. Objectives and Constraints The principle “The ability to imagine solutions depends on the ability not to be trapped by problems.” (InsterCoop).Often, a project will be disrupted by obstacles and uncertainties that can become overwhelming. These operational challenges should not overshadow the objectives we aim to achieve. Cooperation relies heavily on a constant dialogue between operational constraints and the set goals. Applied to renovation We know that the constraints linked to housing renovation are inherent to the project. The key is to make these visible to other consortium members: “I can’t meet the quoted prices”, “I’m behind on this production”, “I need help with this issue”. Sharing these challenges unlocks obstacles and builds trust. Through discussion, partners working together can gain perspective, overcome constraints, and stay focused on the performance goals of the renovation. By maintaining open communication, we can tackle obstacles effectively and ensure that our projects stay aligned with their intended objectives, ultimately leading to successful and efficient renovations. Resist against and Move towards ALERT. Stop everything. Read this carefully : it’s our most crucial point. Defining your intention in any project greatly simplifies the cooperation process with your peers.Navigating together and building a common goal requires aligning in the same direction, engaging in dialogue, and finding consensus. Cooperation itself is a project that demands time and collective effort. Resisting proposals or improvements only slows the process.Four cooperative postures towards a project (thanks to Fertîles , French school of cooperation):  I engage with : we co-create and work together. I support : I back the project, give energy, and promote it. I oppose : I block, refuse, and cause failure. I disengage : I let it pass and withhold my energy. Applied to renovation The building sector faces the challenge of working together towards effective renovations, with all parties (owners, consultants, contractors, manufacturers) on board. We work together, we colabour.Conversely, collaborating on a project but rejecting proposals without improvement, or not supporting peers, despite having the same goals, wastes time and complicates projects. Cooperation means aligning in the same direction, making constraints visible, and co-operate towards a zero-carbon society where paying bills isn’t a struggle.Practically, it means shifting from the habitual “yes, but…” – which blocks progress – to “yes, and…” – which supports and improves the work. However, resistance and blockages are sometimes necessary to drive change. Organic and planned The principle Here, “organic” means working with instinct and trust, while acknowledging that every cooperative project also requires planning. Applied to renovation Consider the long-term performance guarantees that require clear frameworks for cooperation and decision-making. These guarantees span years, making it impossible to predict all contextual changes (political, economic…). Thus, adaptation is necessary, a blend of organic cooperation and rigorous planning. Could this adaptability to global and unprecedented challenges be the very definition of resilience? Act together and thinking together The principle Thinking together enables us to act together differently. It involves sharing updates and doubts, shifting from “I do for” to “I do with” and blending reflection with concrete actions daily. Applied to renovation An energy renovation project unites companies that execute and technical entities that design the project. To collaborate effectively, they must bridge their activities throughout the renovation process — from the initial diagnosis to the airtightness tests, and even through the performance guarantee phase post-delivery. This connection ensures that each trade’s challenges and expertise are considered from the design stage. Renovation is a significant challenge that requires the constant cooperation of all trades, from drawing sketches to completing the construction. Personal Transformation and Social Transformation Cooperation, especially constant dialogue, initiates personal, structural, and even collective transformation within companies or partnerships. Expanding this view, individuals across various sectors, from tertiary to industrial and communal, come together on a territorial scale to act and build collectively. Beyond personal ambitions, housing pioneers consistently practice decentring and stepping back, akin to a hot air balloon flight gaining altitude to change perspective and identify transformation pathways in their territory. What skills are necessary? What raw materials are available? What existing solutions exist? With which structures could I cooperate to progress together? At Ressorts, from our hot air balloon, through European projects, we hope to contribute to transforming the construction sector towards a desirable future for all. This transformation involves collective efforts to combat energy poverty and climate change. How do you organize cooperation in your projects? This article was written by the Ressorts teams as part of the Energiesprong approach deployment in Europe, specifically through the LIFE Cosme Reno project, which aims to develop cooperation among SMEs in the construction sector for Zero Net Energy Housing.Special thanks to Anne and Patrick for their approval and to Sandrine Abayou for the selfexplanatory illustrations. We reference their work here: [link to the website] . Written by the Ressorts team

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter . Life is moving at a crazy pace, isn’t it? We’re all caught up in the hustle and bustle, so don’t forget to take some time for yourself. Whether you’re relaxing on vacation or just looking for a little escape, reading this newsletter could be the perfect way to unwind. Amidst all the chaos, we’re still hard at work making strides towards a more sustainable future. Globally, we have the start of some exciting new EU projects, but also with each country we’re not slowing down anytime soon. Germany has big news regarding a fire station, Italy is going back to the school benches while France gives us some teaching about cooperation and the UK is talking big numbers with their new project. That’s what we do it for. Will you join us? Read the newsletter here! .

Exciting things are happening in the Netherlands with the launch of the new Dutch National Knowledge Centre for Biobased Construction (Nationaal Kenniscentrum Biobased Bouwen -NKBB) by the outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge in June, during Provada. The National Knowledge Center for Biobased Construction Aims to Accelerate Biobased Building. The Netherlands is on the brink of a sustainable construction revolution, driven by supply chain transitions, innovation, and a growing awareness of the need to make the built environment more future-proof and sustainable. This was one of the reasons why four Dutch ministries introduced the National Approach to Biobased Construction (NABB) in November last year. This framework outlines the actions required to create an independent, nature-inclusive biobased (agricultural) economy. One key activity in the NABB is building a knowledge platform for all market stakeholders. With the establishment of the National Knowledge Center for Biobased Construction (NKBB), this initiative is taking shape, creating a learning ecosystem. Scaling Up Biobased Construction The NKBB contributes to bridging the gap between theory and practice, facilitates quick and easy access to knowledge gained by frontrunners, and connects experts eager to engage in biobased construction. Located in Almere, in the province of Flevoland—a region pioneering future-proof societal developments with projects like the ZuiderC area development in Lelystad—the NKBB plays a pivotal role. As De Jonge states: “Farmers and builders need to find each other. This is already happening in many places. But we must learn from one another; otherwise, everyone will reinvent the wheel. That’s unnecessary if we pool our knowledge together. This is exactly what the Knowledge Center is for.” Collaboration with Building Balance The NKBB actively develops knowledge and programs in close cooperation with Building Balance, the implementation organization for the National Approach to Biobased Construction. Building Balance initiates, stimulates, and supports independent regional and national supply chains from farm to building, while actively contributing to creating the right market conditions to accelerate and scale up biobased construction. In addition, the NKBB collaborates with knowledge partners to elevate existing solutions to successful application levels. Knowledge Database More information about the NKBB can be found at www.nkbb.org . The website already features a knowledge database and a project monitor that visualizes biobased projects across the Netherlands. In the coming period, significant efforts will be made, in collaboration with partners, to further unlock knowledge and develop suitable programming. Source: https://buildingbalance.eu/actueel/lancering-van-het-nationaal-kenniscentrum-biobased-bouw-nkbb/

When it comes to sustainable renovation, there’s one big blind spot that’s been overlooked for too long: carbon emissions during the design phase. While most retrofit projects now include energy assessments before and after implementation, the carbon impact of design choices is rarely considered. That’s a missed opportunity — and we’ve set out to change that. Introducing our simple carbon tracker tool: a lightweight, user-friendly solution that helps SMEs assess the carbon footprint of different retrofit design options before the work even begins. Why this matters Design decisions have a big impact on a project’s carbon footprint. Until now, assessing that impact was too complex or costly for most SMEs. This tool changes that. Whether you’re an architect, manufacturer, logistics provider, or maintenance partner, the carbon tracker makes it easier to align on greener choices. It gives all partners a shared reference point to discuss and select products, solutions, and designs based on their carbon impact. It’s fast, practical, and perfect for collaboration between designers, manufacturers, logistics partners, and maintenance providers. Click the link to access the tool and watch an instruction video on how to get started.

It was a pleasure reconnecting with all our Circular Reno partners in Dublin on September 26th and 27th. Ian Hutchcroft once again proved to be an outstanding moderator, guiding us through the value chain presentations by country and the rest of the program. Read more about the Partner Days here! You can find the presentations and other materials in the  Teams environment . If you don’t have acces to the Erac Teams environment, please contact  christian@energiesprong.org . Team Energiesprong Global Alliance

The LIFE Reno Tides project aims to deliver an approach for phased, two- or three-step industrial retrofits, enabling homes to achieve A or B energy labels. With rising material costs and interest rates, achieving Net Zero retrofits in one step has become increasingly challenging for housing organizations across Europe. To prevent a market stagnation for deep energy retrofit of housing - which would cause factories delivering prefabricated facades or roof to slow down their activities – the Reno Tides project is designed to organise smartly phased Net Zero energy retrofit buy-in-schemes for multiple building owners, including social housing organisations: 1 stage dealing with prefabricated insulated facades installation. 1 stage dealing with prefabricated insulated & solar powered roof systems. 1 stage dealing with transition to an upgraded energy system. Our consortium is set to explore the potential for these coordinated, staged collective buy-in-schemes by focusing on the three main directions: Developing renovation tide strategy tools for housing organisations To help housing organisations standardise their tasks and achieve decarbonisation strategies, our project aims to develop dedicated strategy tools for renovation in steps. These tools will facilitate the deployment of collective procurement approaches for partial renovations, all integrated into a Net Zero renovation path by 2050. Setting & deploying LEAN delivery kits for construction companies We aim to support the whole supply chain in achieving significant volumes of retrofitted housing. To do so, we will develop common practices for fast, high-quality renovations involving multiple companies using a ‘tidal’ delivery approach. Our project aims to define clear articulation in the different renovation work steps using BIM-based processes. The use of LEAN and off-site principles will allow for a modular, affordable renovation design. Establishing contracts and improving business models Rising material costs and interest rates have created a Europe-wide issue where social housing organisations and citizens often lack the financial capacity for much needed large-scale retrofits. To enable mass replication of staged renovation schemes, our project will explore innovative financing solutions. The purpose of our work is to provide the value chain with resources to contract and finance waves of partial renovations, ensuring alignment with the Net Zero 2050 pathway. Project Project 101167715 — LIFE23-CET-LIFE Reno Tides Project Acronym LIFE Reno Tides Project name Supporting staged massive Net Zero Retrofit with collective buy-in-schemes of insulated prefab façade & roof systems for housing Project coordinator POUGET Consultans (POUGET) Project duration October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2027 Website https://energiesprong.org/reno-tides/ Join us in shaping the future The LIFE Reno Tides project is part of a movement transforming Europe's housing stock with smarter, phased Net Zero retrofits. By leveraging collective buy-in schemes and innovative financing solutions, we aim to ensure affordable, high-quality renovations for a sustainable future. Together we’ll build the path to 2050 — one staged step at a time.

There are many questions in Europe about why Germans are discussing the situation and state of heating in their country. Indeed, heating has been a very hot topic in Germany for some time now. There is an ongoing controversial debate about how to heat in the future, as it became evident after Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine that Germany had been too dependent on Russian gas for decades. That is why the energy crisis after February 2022 hit the German energy market hard. As all over Europe prices for gas rose dramatically, German population and industry suddenly had to struggle with this situation and to pay those high prices. The German government implemented a short-term subsidy scheme though and had to find alternative ways to supply the country with gas, as deliveries stopped immediately after Russia’s aggression. The call for alternative solutions began: gas deliveries from other countries, liquid hydrogen, heat pumps for buildings and power station projects with huge heat pumps for power production. The Street HP Reno project funded by European LIFE programme came in time with its start in autumn 2023. The project focuses on serial installations of heat pumps in residential buildings by making it more affordable through group purchase. In Germany, it perfectly addresses the need of finding and offering independent heating solutions with heat pumps for buildings. At the same time the project addresses the energy crisis at the household level and responds to the urgent need of decarbonisation of the building stock until 2050 in line with European regulations.  How to decarbonise heating? According to the so-called German “Heating Law” that entered into force as from January 2024 Municipal Heating Plans must provide solutions for all towns and cities in Germany by summer 2028 at the latest. At the same time the Building Energy Law came into effect, stipulating that newly installed heating solutions in buildings must use at least 65% renewable sources or unavoidable waste heat. Heat pumps, therefore, offer a good perspective. But in Germany the heat pump suffers from a poor reputation. Many myths hinder its spread and people need to be convinced by a strong lobby – a challenge, which the German partners in Street HP Reno project decided to accept. “In the U.S., that’s around 3 to 6 million buildings per year that need to be fully decarbonized,” says Martha Campbell, a principal in the Carbon-Free Buildings program at the energy nonprofit RMI. In Europe, by another calculation, roughly 15,000 houses need to transform every day for the next 30 years. An important step was taken in May 2024 when the first Local Authorities Club took place online with six municipalities of different sizes from all over Germany representing 319.000 citizens. The club was organised by several partner organisations, including Energiesprong DE, ansvar2030 & The Climate Task Force, District Energy, Shiftup, and the Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO). The presented project approach generated significant interest, and in the end, some of the participating municipalities applied to piloting the upcoming project ideas.  Preparations for pilot projects in three German regions are currently in full swing, with the first well-attended events, involving around 50 participants, already taking place. In collaboration with leading municipalities, the focus is on coordinating the process with all relevant stakeholders: mayors and heads of district authorities are securing political support, climate managers and climate protection agencies are communicating the project to residents, and heat planning experts are identifying target neighbourhoods for the bundled replacement of heating systems. Local craftsmen are being integrated into the installation process, while local energy providers and network operators are ensuring that all interests are considered. After identifying neighbourhoods with potential for a collective heating system replacement, the buildings of “ambassadors” are analysed as exemplary buildings for the area. In collaboration with the municipality, a local campaign is launched to inform residents about the project through flyers, information events, and other activities. The demand from residents is then pooled, and the necessary data is collected via an online platform. This demand aggregation forms the basis for group purchasing of heat pumps at favourable conditions and the organisation of serial installation. Once an official offer is made to the residents, the project implementation can finally begin. Through this collaborative approach, the decarbonisation of neighbourhoods and cities can be driven forward, pilot projects can be replicated and adapted to other municipalities´ needs and the reputation of heat pumps might improve in Germany. Street HP Reno project and its partners support this sustainable heating solution that hopefully can and will be facilitated for future implementation in Germany and Europe.

EU-funded LIFE project introduces phased, affordable retrofitting solutions to help European homes achieve A or B energy labels—making deep energy renovations accessible for all. Read and download the Press Release below.

Your guide to finding the heat pump that fits your building — and your climate goals. Switching to a heat pump is one of the smartest moves you can make for a more sustainable, future-proof building. But let’s be honest, between all the technical jargon, system types, and installation options, it’s easy to get cold feet before making the leap. That’s exactly why we created the  Street HP Reno Library of Heat Pump Solutions . Developed as part of the EU-funded LIFE  Street HP Reno  project, this catalogue is here to help you cut through the confusion and move forward with clarity; whether you’re planning a retrofit for your home, advising others, or managing a multi-building upgrade. What’s inside? A structured overview of today’s  most common and innovative heat pump technologies Guidance on  which systems fit which types of buildings  (from single-family homes to shared housing) Key  benefits and limitations  of each solution — including space, integration, and efficiency considerations Simple visual schemes  that show how these systems work in practice A final section featuring  clever solutions to common challenges  — like integrating with older heating systems or blending into building facades This isn’t a technical manual. It’s a smart, friendly tool for making better decisions, with just the right level of detail to feel confident, not overwhelmed. Why it matters Climate plans are moving fast, and fossil heating is on the way out. Whether you’re a homeowner exploring cleaner options, a local authority guiding renovations, or an advisor supporting communities; heat pumps are central to the shift. But good decisions need good information. This catalogue helps you compare options, spot the right fit, and take the next step with confidence. Curious? Check out the catalogue and see what’s possible: