The project RenOnBill, in which adelphi research is leading the work on stakeholder engagement, was awarded the prestigious Citizens' Award at the EU Sustainable Energy Awards 2021. The project explores innovative "on-bill" financing options to boost the EU Renovation Wave strategy.
European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, was on hand to congratulate the winners at the online awards ceremony which kicked off the first day of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW): “The projects and individuals that are being recognised today are not only leaders in transforming Europe’s energy landscape, they are role models. Their work is a testament to the importance of citizen engagement in making the European Green Deal a reality. We've been working hard to develop policy instruments, which guide and support action on the ground, and it is truly inspiring to see this vision at work. Together, we are bringing Europe closer to its climate goals.“
The RenOnBill project was conceived in this spirit: it contributes to the EU’s Renovation Wave Strategy that sets out to at least double renovation rates in the next ten years and make sure renovations lead to higher energy and resource efficiency. Initiatives such as RenOnBill are bringing the EU closer to the 2030 targets. “On-bill schemes” are widespread in North America, and the RenOnBill project now aims to assess the replicability of such schemes across Europe, starting with pilot initiatives in Italy, Lithuania and Spain.
“Together with financial institutions, utility companies cover the initial investment of a building renovation. The resulting savings that homeowners eventually see on their energy bills is used to pay back the utility, appearing as a line item on the customer’s energy bills,” explains Paolo Michele Sonvilla, RenOnBill Project Coordinator. “On-bill financing can reduce the upfront costs of energy renovations to zero.”
The EUSEW awards go to outstanding individuals and projects highlighted at the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2021 for their innovation in energy efficiency and renewables. Finalists were chosen from a list of the year’s most successful projects for clean, secure and efficient energy. Prizes were awarded by an expert jury and by citizens via a public vote.
To learn more about RenOnBill, click here.
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