8.5 million euros for energy retrofitting of old residential buildings in the Basque Country

We are participating in the AGREE initiative, partnering with the Basque Government, the Urban Planning and Housing municipal authorities of Basauri, San Sebastian, and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Bidebi, Donostiako Etxegintza, and Ensanche 21, respectively) and Ihobe, the Public Society of Environmental Management of the Basque Country.

AGREE’s goal consists of developing comprehensive rehabilitation projects that focus on accessibility and energy efficiency. New financing systems specifically designed for this sort of interventions will be created, guaranteeing the participation of the residents in the process.

It will also improve the quality of life for the residents in the participating buildings. Furthermore, the project, which is led by the Basque Government, seeks to promote the rehabilitation market, while increasing energy efficiency and accessibility in buildings to obtain significant environmental advantages such as the reduction of 250 tonnes of CO₂eq/year by 2022.

The experience and knowledge acquired in these three pilot experiences will be included in a manual so it can be applied to similar buildings, thus improving the energetic, environmental, and social conditions of the building stock of the Basque Country.

An ageing building stock

The buildings in the Basque Country are some of the oldest in Southern Europe, with 57% of residential buildings built between 1940 and 1980, long before energy efficiency regulations were drafted.

In 2017, the Basque Government conducted a study on the Demand and Housing Needs in the Basque Country, and concluded that 76,286 households would need to be rehabilitated within 4 years. 67% of these homes are located in buildings that are over 40 years old and their owners are mostly seniors who lack the financial means to improve their property.

The AGREE project has been funded with 562,000 euros provided by the Horizon 2020 European Project. The latter is considered the largest research and innovation programme in the European Union and its funds have been allocated to guarantee Europe's global competitiveness by supporting innovative projects such as AGREE.