Deep renovation of old homes that lead to excessive energy consumption is the most effective means to eradicate energy poverty. It is also complex, costly and difficult to implement.
While the tendency is to think of energy communities (ECs) as energy producers and/or suppliers, recent EU directives have a broader definition and recognise community approaches to energy renovation as an important mechanism for reducing energy injustices.
Shared and Supported Self-Renovation (3SR)[1] is a well-developed approach that provides technical and social support for people living in poor housing conditions. The vision of this approach, which is being practised by more and more entities across Europe, is “to improve the quality of life and living conditions of people suffering from poor housing, while keeping in mind a great awareness of the architectural heritage and ecological qualities and merits of the existing buildings.”
The approach is has been in place since 2013, and is currently led by Humanity Earth Life Population Solidarity (HELPs) and Hands for Homes, a network of NGOs. It is actively practiced in France (Les 7 vents, Enerterre); Greece (Mediterranean Centre for Environment); Italy (Associazione delle Città della terra cruda); and Spain (Taph Taph).
Among measures carried out by CEES Pilots, 3SR has the heaviest costs in terms of materials and human resources. It is also the most difficult do replicate because individual dwellings are unique and must be considered within local contexts.
3SR aims to build up communities while upgrading homes
Importantly, 3SR is not a charity or a hand-out. Rather, it enables householders to become actors in the renovation works and become empowered through learning and doing. Each ‘S’ reflects a specific aspect of the approach; together, encourage engagement, assign responsibility for quality control quality and identify ownership.
| Element | Description |
| Shared | Reflects two aspects of 3SR projects: a group of volunteers is recruited to assist on each project, andusually, each household that receives assistance from volunteers is expected to volunteer in other projects to ‘return the favour’ This aims to build a 3SR culture into local communities to enhance social impact and keep the association (or organization) dynamic. |
| Supported | Reflects the mechanism by which a project is validated in that a certified renovation professional (often referred to as the ‘Practitioner’, ‘Expert’, or ‘Artisan’) oversees all aspects of the work. This begins with the critical first step of diagnosing what works needed, which work requires the engagement of other professionals and which can be done by trained volunteers. |
| Self-renovation | Reflects that, ultimately, 3SR projects are ‘owned’ by the householder, who engages most closely with the Practitioner and also serves as ‘host’ to the volunteers. |
Householders also need to understand the various actors who will be involved in a 3SR project and their diverse competencies, as well as their own relation to each group. Several of these relationships imply specific responsibilities and have legal implications.
Phases of a 3SR project
Typically, a 3SR project is carried out over four phases. It is important that householders understand the full process may take one to two years, from first interaction to finalising the renovation work. This is not unusual for deep energy renovations and does not suggest that 3SR is more cumbersome or slower than other methods.
Key benefits – and a word of caution
While the primary motivation for pursuing a 3SR approach may be to reduce renovation costs, such projects deliver benefits across three key areas.
| Technical | Financial | Social |
| – Expert diagnosis and renovation plan – Advice on sustainable materials that can be locally sourced – Appropriate training of volunteers – Oversight of works carried out | – Access to wholesale prices for materials (through expert) – Generate work for local artisans and support local suppliers – Substantially reduced labour costs – Low-cost renovation – Reduced energy bills | – Greater thermal comfort for the householder – New sense of pride in the home – New skills and knowledge boost self-esteem of householders and volunteers – Stronger social cohesion in the community |
As noted above, 3SR is complex and requires expertise in construction and/or renovation. ECs that are active in the more typical roles of energy producers and suppliers may not want to add energy renovation work to their services. But they could be well placed to collaborate post-renovation. Making homes more energy efficient reduces the level of energy they need to consume. Often this increase the share that can be supplied through locally produced clean energy that is more affordable to the household. Once a house is renovated, an EC could, for example, equip it with ‘right-sized’ solar PV installation.
Learn more about how 3SR is implemented and the competencies required in the CEES Energy Solidarity Toolkit.
Click through for more blogs related to ‘ACT’.
- Hosting Energy Cafés
- Distributing Energy Efficiency or Cosy Kits
- Energy Advice Home Visits
- Home Visits for advice and quick fixes
- Local energy production, self-consumption and supply
- Energy production to sell to grids or suppliers
- Production of renewable energy for self-consumption
- Energy sharing: an emerging approach to energy solidarity
- Retail supply of renewable energy
- CEES Partner highlights
[1] Additional information can be found in the HELPS Project Guide.