Digital Tools as Catalysts for Local Energy Transition: Lessons from the Opengela One-Stop Shop Model

The Opengela programme, led by the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, is redefining how urban regeneration and home renovation are delivered across the Basque Country. The Opengela case perfectly demonstrates how digitalisation and advanced data management can become structural drivers of the energy transition at local and regional level. 

Launched in 2019 under the H2020 HIROSS4all project and expanded in 2023 through the LIFE BIRTUOSS initiative, Opengela establishes neighbourhood-based One-Stop Shops (OSS) to provide integrated renovation services in the Basque Country. Its ambition is to foster holistic urban regeneration by combining technical, financial, social, and digital tools to scale its impact. Today, the Opengela network operates in 25 neighbourhoods across 21 municipalities, supporting 6,412 residents and facilitating renovation processes in 2,788 homes. By shifting from isolated building interventions to neighbourhood-wide strategies, the programme delivers measurable environmental benefits while reinforcing social cohesion and trust. 

Opengela: a Physical and Digital One-Stop Shop 

Opengela functions as both a physical and digital One-Stop Shop embedded directly within neighbourhoods. Residents can access personalised support covering: 

• Legal and administrative guidance 

• Technical renovation advice 

• Energy performance assessments 

• Tailored financial plans 

• Community engagement spaces 

What differentiates Opengela from traditional OSS models is its strong digital backbone. The physical offices build trust and proximity; the digital infrastructure provides precision, scalability, and strategic coordination. Together, they create a model capable of operating effectively at neighbourhood, municipal, and regional scales. 

A Digital Platform Structuring the Renovation Ecosystem 

At the heart of Opengela lies a sophisticated digital infrastructure developed by Ciclica in partnership with the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) for the Basque Government. This system is based on MATRIU, a suite of digital solutions designed to support large-scale building renovation, built on GIS and Big Data technologies. It integrates multiple data sources into a georeferenced database covering 134,000 buildings across the Basque Country, functioning as an Urban Building Energy Model (UBEM) that transforms fragmented building data into actionable intelligence. The platform, composed of two complementary tools, the “eOPENGELA Hoja de Ruta” for public authorities and the “eOPENGELA Comunidades” for residents, combines top-down and bottom-up approaches to support strategic decision-making and citizen participation. 

For Local and Regional Authorities 

The “eOPENGELA Hoja de Ruta” or “Road Map” interface enables public decision-makers to: 

• Filter municipalities according to building typology and energy performance 

• Identify worst-performing buildings to prioritise interventions 

• Develop large-scale, trans-scalar renovation strategies 

• Plan the progressive decarbonisation of the building stock 

• Aggregate projects at urban level 

• Provide long-term visibility and stability for market actors 

• Inform potential industrial policy in the renovation sector 

It also enables the formulation of multiple renovation scenarios quantifying environmental, economic, and social impacts based on personalised plans for each building. Through digital mapping and modelling, renovation policy shifts from reactive to proactive. Authorities can anticipate needs, structure demand, and coordinate action across governance levels. This data-driven approach strengthens strategic planning and ensures more efficient allocation of public resources. 

For Citizens 

The “eOPENGELA Comunidades” or “Citizen Engagement Tool” is designed to engage residential communities in the renovation process, helping to overcome barriers in planning, financing, and administrative support. Conceived as the digital interface of the proximity offices acting as One-Stop Shops, it translates complex energy data into accessible information. After meeting with a renovation counsellor in their local OSS, homeowners gain access to a personalised digital interface where they can: 

• View detailed technical information about their building 

• Adjust and validate building data 

• Simulate various renovation scenarios 

• Receive energy and financial projections 

• Access a tailored financing plan 

• Export a comprehensive renovation report 

By combining simulation tools with financial modelling, the platform reduces uncertainty and empowers residents to make informed decisions. Designed in alignment with the Building Digital Logbook and the Renovation Passport provisions of the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), digitalisation acts as a confidence-building mechanism, turning abstract climate targets into concrete, understandable renovation pathways. 

Measurable Impact: Evidence of a Successful Data-Driven Approach 

The Opengela model demonstrates that a structured, data-driven approach to renovation delivers tangible results. By integrating GIS mapping, energy modelling, and building data into neighbourhood-level planning, the programme effectively identifies priority buildings, aggregates renovation demand, and optimises intervention strategies. 

The outcomes speak for themselves: the network now supports 2,788 renovated homes and 6,412 residents across 25 neighbourhoods, with energy savings expected to reach 63% (13.7 GWh/year) and CO₂ emissions reductions of approximately 4,316 tonnes annually. These figures not only illustrate the environmental impact but also reflect the programme’s growing reach and the successful scaling of its One-Stop Shop approach. 

The programme’s effectiveness has gained European recognition. Opengela is featured in the European Commission publication “Giving LIFE to Europe’s Clean Energy Transition” as one of three highlighted examples of One-Stop Shops for building renovation, presented during the 2nd Round Table of the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition by Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. 

A Replicable Digital Model 

Opengela demonstrates that digitalisation is not merely a supporting tool for the energy transition, it is a structural enabler. By improving knowledge of the building stock, integrating GIS and energy simulation, and connecting public authorities, market actors, and citizens through shared data, the programme creates a coherent renovation ecosystem. 

Its strength lies in combining top-down and bottom-up approaches within a single digital framework: 

• Public authorities gain a strategic, data-driven planning instrument. 

• Market actors benefit from aggregated demand and long-term visibility. 

• Residents build trust through transparent information and personalised simulations. 

Already deployed in additional municipalities and neighbourhoods at the national level, and because the model is built on transferable digital architecture and adaptable governance mechanisms, it is highly replicable across European regions. If deployed more widely, similar platforms could generate comparable benefits at larger scale, accelerating the Renovation Wave, strengthening regional coordination, and delivering measurable decarbonisation outcomes across the EU. 

In this sense, Opengela is not only a successful regional initiative but also an inspiring example of how digital tools, when embedded in local governance and community structures, can enable systemic change in the European energy transition.