Barriers and drivers for energy efficient renovation at district level

This report aims to identify both barriers that hinder energy-efficient renovation of buildings and drivers enabling the implementation of energy and cost-effective renovation of buildings and energy supply systems at the district level.
Fifteen success stories regarding barriers and drivers were analysed in the first step. These success stories consisted of projects from seven European countries (Austria, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) where energy-efficient and/or renewable energy measures had been successfully implemented at the district level.
In the next step, different stakeholders involved in energy renovations at the district level were interviewed about their experiences to identify barriers and drivers. In total, 39 in-depth interviews from eight countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) were carried out. The stakeholders included policymakers, renovation solution suppliers, energy solution suppliers, clients and beneficiaries, financing intermediaries and other intermediaries. The barriers and drivers were divided into the following categories: policy, legal aspects, economic aspects, social aspects, communication, technical aspects, and knowledge and training.