The meeting, hosted by Diana Bosfy from FEDARENE, gathered experts from Spain, France, and Italy to share practical models and financial solutions supporting public-sector renovation.
Spain: Structuring Legal and Financial Frameworks
Clara Castañeda from Creara Energy Experts outlined Spain’s comprehensive framework for public building renovation, drawing on FACILITA’s reports on legal and financial mechanisms. She explained how regions implement EU directives such as the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU/2023/179) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU/2024/1275) through local regulations and One-Stop Shops (OSS).
Spain employs a broad mix of funding tools, from EU and national grants to repayable instruments such as EIB’s ELENA, InvestEU, Private Finance for Energy Efficiency (PF4EE), and the European Energy Efficiency Fund. Other options include leasing, green bonds, and the white certificate system (CAE), which monetises energy savings. Clara emphasised that the most effective strategies blend grants with repayable instruments, supported by contracting models like Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs), Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and project bundling to reduce costs and accelerate large-scale implementation. OSS, she concluded, remain the anchor for combining legal, financial, and technical assistance.
France: The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes OSS Network
Rogelio Bonilla from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region presented the regional OSS network of 23 local entities, developed under EU projects BAPAURA and BAOBAP. The network provides municipalities with two main services: continuous advisory support and targeted project assistance.
Rogelio illustrated three OSS models led respectively by an NGO (ALTE69), an energy syndicate (Sigerly), and a public engineering agency (Ingé 43). Each model offers tailored services but shares the same mission: providing municipalities with expert guidance throughout all renovation stages, from feasibility to financial structuring. An average project typically requires 15–40 days of expert support, at a cost of about €4,000–€5,000, helping municipalities access more funding and achieve higher energy savings. The OSS operates sustainably through a service-fee model, offering measurable returns on investment and ensuring continuity across project cycles.
Italy: The Emilia-Romagna Experience with ELENA Support
Claudia Carani of AESS – Agenzia per l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile shared the results of the Top Condomini initiative, co-funded by the EIB’s ELENA facility. Operating through two regional hubs, the project supported more than 180 municipalities in Emilia-Romagna with digital and technical assistance for public and residential renovations.
Despite the end of Italy’s Superbonus 110 % scheme, the OSS achieved outstanding results: 5,531 dwellings renovated (mostly social housing), €168 million invested, and over 12,900 m² of solar panels installed. New rules under Legislative Decree 36/2023 simplified Energy Performance Contracting, while REPowerEU funding under Italy’s recovery plan supported large-scale public-housing retrofits.
Conclusions
The meeting highlighted that successful renovation of public buildings requires legal clarity, blended finance, and strong One-Stop Shops to coordinate funding, technical design, and delivery.
Closing the session, Diana Bosfy reaffirmed the CoP’s role in promoting exchange between European regions and strengthening the financial foundations of the energy transition.
