Best Practice Handbook of Sustainable Building Renovations
This study examines financing approaches for building renovations in both the public and private sectors, providing valuable insights into the past and current use of financial models, procedures, and processes. The findings highlight the challenges associated with renovation financing, particularly in the private sector, where limited access to financial resources and the complexity of shared ownership structures can delay or even prevent projects from moving forward. By contrast, public sector renovations tend to be more widespread, often benefiting from larger-scale investments and greater availability of information.
Key findings include:
In Austria, a diverse range of funding schemes is available; however, many large-scale public renovation projects still face challenges such as limited funding and high renovation costs.
In Hungary, most public energy-efficiency renovation projects are financed through non-refundable grants, although municipalities often encounter administrative burdens and a lack of long-term financial solutions.
In Slovenia, energy performance contracting (EPC) and EU funding schemes play an important role, but the wider promotion of successful financial solutions remains limited. In addition, legal and procedural barriers continue to hinder faster implementation, particularly in the private sector.
This compilation of best practices aims to support knowledge exchange and dialogue among stakeholders in Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia by offering insights into effective financial strategies for building renovation. The report will serve as a valuable resource for future national working groups and platform discussions, enabling countries to learn from one another and explore ways to address shared challenges.
The findings presented here will also contribute to the continued identification and analysis of good practices, leading to the development of an updated catalogue of 50 best practices later in the project. This ongoing collaboration is expected to foster the growth of sustainable investment practices and support the scaling up of energy-efficient renovation across the region.
The first version of the handbook is available here, while the updated second version can be accessed here.
