Inspiring change for people

and the environment

LEAF: Improving the energy

efficiency of apartment blocks

Tessa Clark, March 2015

Aim = improve the energy efficiency of flats,

apartments and tenements

• Multi-occupancy properties

• Taking whole block approach

• April 2013 – March 2016

• Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) funding

• Six partner countries

• 24 case study blocks – 240 apartments

About the project

BACKGROUND

www.lowenergyapartments.eu

50% 44%

71%

41%

55%

19%

35%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Austria France Germany Hungary Sweden England Scotland

% o

f h

ou

sin

g

% of multi-occupancy housing

Different contexts: EPCs

• Whole building EPCs available in

all partner countries except UK

• Individual apartment EPCs

provided in all partner countries

except Sweden and Germany

• Listed buildings can be exempt

• Quality of output

Different contexts: management

• Property managers or management boards

exist in all partner countries except the UK

– Often required to have annual meetings

• Various ownership models:

– Housing co-operatives

– Homeowner association

– Fully owned by one organisation

– Fully private owned (different owners)

• Decision procedures and voting rights vary

– Majority usually required for refurbishment

ABOUT THE PROJECT

LEAF Partners

Toolkits T

EC

HN

ICA

L

TO

OL

KIT

• Reinforcing and beyond EPCs

• Info on:

• What EPCs are

• Descriptions of technical measures

• Cost, savings and subsidies

• User behaviour guidance

• Communal EPC tool (UK)

EN

GA

GA

EM

EN

T

TO

OL

KIT

• Step-by-step guidance for managers

• Info and advice on:

• Engaging and communicating with owners/ residents

• Decision-making

• Legal agreements

• Planning consents

• Signposting for further contacts

Both available in European-wide and national

specific versions

Project impacts C

AS

E S

TU

DIE

S

• 24 pilot projects in 6 countries (240+ flats)

• Whole building action plans

• Targets (per year):

• 0.55t CO2 saved

• 2,300 kWh saved

• 280 kWh generated

OT

HE

R IM

PA

CT

S

• Toolkits publicly available for other organisations to use

• Learnings from case studies

• Policy recommendations at local, national and EU levels related to:

• EPCs

• Multi-occupancy housing

• Energy efficiency

www.lowenergyapartments.eu

CASE STUDIES

Edinburgh

France – England - Sweden

Hungary - Austria

Germany

BARRIERS TO RETROFIT

A quick analysis of our case studies shows the top 5 biggest

barriers are:

1. Some residents being unwilling to contribute costs

2. Government support is inconsistent or ‘piecemeal’

3. Difficulty in bringing all stakeholders together to discuss

options

4. Energy efficiency not being a priority for residents

5. Difficulty in making contact with the apartment owner

Biggest barriers

• Major issue across countries

• Availability of grant funding varies across Europe

– Often changing or uncertainty e.g. changes to ECO, grants only

available for one year in Germany

– Non existent in some countries!

– Inadequate for what’s required

• Maintenance funds are not available in some countries, or

are insufficient

• Payback expectations differ

• Disbelief in energy savings

• Competing purchase decisions

• Bank loans not available

Finance

Communication and engagement

• Time intensive!

• Challenges:

– Private rented properties

– Social relationships between owners

– Lack of interest / awareness

– Finding contact details

– Making and maintaining contact

– Bringing decision makers together

– Conflicts of interest

– Reliance on one motivated individual

• Energy efficiency is not a priority for

residents – or for property management

company (e.g. Austria)

• Protected building status

• Quality control of installations / who to trust

• Refurbishment not reflected in property value

• Lack of minimum requirements

• Quality of EPCs

• In UK: lack of whole property EPCs and

communal approach

Technical

Read our background report:

http://www.lowenergyapartments.eu/about-

leaf/background/

LEAF results (including barriers and

lessons) available autumn 2015

www.lowenergyapartments.eu

Tessa Clark

Senior Consultant, Changeworks

0131 538 7954

tclark@changeworks.org.uk

Thank you