Italy
Platform Coordinator
CECODHAS Italia gathers the three main Italian social housing federations: Federcasa (representing 108 public corporations which build and manage approximately 770,000 social homes for low-income groups), Federabitazione-Confcooperative (representing 3,500 non-profit cooperatives providing 15,000 new dwellings per year for sale or for rent for low-mid income families) and Legacoop Abitanti (representing 867 cooperatives with 418,050 members with 30,000 dwellings with 30,000 still owned by cooperatives). The three organizations together, representing the public and cooperative sector, have 6300 members and manage about one million Social Housing dwellings across Italy.
Description of the Platform
The Italian POWER HOUSE Platform, led by CECODHAS Italy and organised into the following three themes, works to mobilize all actors involved in the energy transition in the residential sector in Italy.
Theme 1 - Social issues
Covers the issues related to fuel poverty and other issues related to tenants’ behaviour. It deals with communication strategies to increased awareness and tenants’ involvement in energy efficiency practices. The coordination is entrusted to Federcasa.
Theme 2 - Technical issues
Covers the issues related to innovative technology solutions, as well as all matters related to the technical feasibility of renovation projects, from the preliminary analysis to the monitoring of the actual performances achieved after the interventions. The coordination is entrusted to Federabitazione-Confcooperative (Casa Qualità).
Theme 3 - Financial issues
It aims to deepen the analysis of new financial models and the strategic planning of the intervention as well as the analysis of the economic feasibility of renovation projects. The coordination is entrusted to Legacoop Abitanti (Finabita).
Platform Strategy
The Italian POWER HOUSE Platform works to increase the number of homes which are retrofitted annually by 20% in comparison to year 2007, to decrease household energy bills by 10% in comparison to 2007 and by the end of 2020 decrease the energy consumption and the production of CO2 by 20% compared to 2007. The Platform facilitates collaborations with other key actors such as the public administrations, trade associations in the construction sector and environmental organisations.
Federcasa’s members showed a high interest in learning about refurbishment project management and financing and on the technical side, management of heating systems, new heating systems, renewable energy and ventilation were the ‘hottest topics’.
For Federabitazione-Confcooperative, the needs analysis survey revealed low interest in high-tech solutions with members favouring passive architectural solutions such as natural ventilation. Information on efficient water management is also in growing demand. The survey along showed the need for training of managers of the cooperatives in Life- cycle-costing as a way to combat cost-misperception. The Cooperative Federation also sees the need for the creation of increased demand on behalf of residents through awareness raising on the advantages of sustainable low-energy living.
The cooperatives affiliated to Legacoop Abitanti expressed a demand for low cost customised training courses providing neutral information. For both cooperative federations, while new housing is being built to high energy standards, because the large majority of their stock is owned by the co-operators, the challenge is to re-build a relationship with residents to promote refurbishment and asset management strategies.
Following a performance review, the Platform Coordinator has issued an updated strategy statement and priorities going forward:
Federcasa’s members are interested in cooperating with Northern neighboring countries, particularly in exchanging experiences on the use of wood in construction in order to combine sustainability with low construction costs and reduced timing of delivery. Furthermore, in collaboration with Southern countries like Spain and Greece, they would also like to exchange experiences on Mediterranean passive buildings.
From a technical point of view, Federabitazione-Confcooperative will consolidate the work done to date by providing information to its members on examples of passive house and carbon-neutral building solutions in different European climate areas, as well as examples on microgeneration, geothermal and district heating/cooling in multifamily buildings or at neighborhood level. Energy advice to tenants and data monitored along the use and maintenance phase are also topic of interest. From a financial point of view, Federabitazione-Confcooperative would like to develop a database of existing systems of subsidies for energy efficiency in housing including examples of model of cooperation with financial institutions.
The cooperatives affiliated to Legacoop Abitanti expressed their interest regarding low-cost building innovative techniques, geothermal plants and requalification of urban areas with complex systems of energy, water and waste management. This information should be accompanied by details on costs, pay-back time and performances after completion as well as neutral information on the companies that are delivering these services.
