REsidential retrofit upscaling through innovative FInancing and collective NEighbourhood Demonstrations

2026-07-22

Despite growing awareness and efforts, the renovation rate of Belgium’s residential building stock remains too slow, and the average renovation depth is insufficient. REFINED aims to accelerate renovation efforts in the private residential buildings of Mechelen, Belgium. Building on the success of existing one-stop-shop services from previous initiatives (FOSSTER, CONDORENO, and the EU City Facility), the project introduces a collective approach. By aggregating renovation projects at the neighbourhood and condominium levels, the process will be streamlined for both residents, building managers and contractors. This collective model enhances social inclusion by providing increased support to underserved households while fostering a shift towards energy-efficient living. To further support inclusivity, REFINED will develop and implement innovative financing schemes, such as on-tax financing and energy performance contracting, to make sustainable energy investments more accessible. REFINED will also build technical, economic, and legal expertise in collective renovation projects, offering valuable insights for the construction ecosystem and policymakers. The project’s approach is designed to be replicable across Europe, providing a scalable model for accelerating sustainable energy investments in residential buildings. The REFINED partnership is coordinated by the City of Mechelen (local government), working alongside financial and technical specialists De Woonpas (NL) and Wattson (BE), communication experts Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BE), and academic researchers Thomas More (BE). REFINED will contribute to Europe’s goal of achieving climate-neutral buildings by 2050 by driving 10,9 M€ in green investments for private residential renovations in Mechelen. These efforts will result in final energy savings of 2,4 GWh/year, and GHG emission reductions of 384 tCO2eq/year. The project is expected to achieve a leverage factor of 10,3.

Belgium

2025-10-01