On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the partners involved in the Greek pilot of the REVERTER project, including NTUA, E.K.POI.ZO., and KAPE, convened an event under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment. Held in the auditorium of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the event centered on the theme: “Addressing Energy Poverty through Radical Renovation.”
The primary objective of the event was to engage in discussions with a select group of stakeholders deeply invested in the issues of radical renovation and energy poverty. A total of 38 representatives attended, comprising private bodies such as professional associations, property owner groups, financial institutions, and individual business executives, as well as public bodies including representatives from Ministries, Municipalities, and officials from regulatory authorities like the Waste, Energy, and Water Regulatory Authority (RAAEF). Additionally, representatives from Civil Society, including universities, research centers, social movements, energy communities, and NGOs, were also present.
The event commenced with presentations by three members of the project team: Ms. Vicky Tzega, Legal Advisor of E.K.POI.ZO.; Mr. Dimitrios Damigos, REVERTER Project Coordinator and NTUA Professor; and Mr. Christos Tourkolias, Department of Energy Policy Analysis at KOPE. They covered various aspects including the results of a social survey on energy needs in the Attica region, focusing on challenges faced by vulnerable households; new indicators for identifying energy poverty and modern tools for household assessment; and a roadmap for implementing radical renovation in vulnerable homes within the project framework.
Following the presentations, a guided discussion ensued, centered around three pivotal questions crucial for the project’s progress and addressing energy poverty:
- How can the current definition of energy poverty be enhanced to more accurately identify affected households through a grassroots approach?
- Which proposed policy measures to alleviate energy poverty do participants deem most effective?
- How can the financing of necessary investments to combat energy poverty be streamlined?
The discussion yielded valuable insights and ideas, meticulously documented by the project team for integration into subsequent phases of the project.