The EU project on smart districts has unveiled its energy saving achievements after its renovation works in three residential areas

R2CITIES Best Practices Book is available for download.

The building sector is the largest energy-consuming sector in Europe. As retrofitting works are often unaffordable for people who own apartments in old blocks, the EU has had to step in

Throughout Europe buildings are still responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO₂ emissions. More renovation of the existing stock is needed. This is where citizens come into play

A revised EU directive to fight energy poverty and pulmonary diseases due to unhealthy buildings should be approved this month

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that each year 4.3 million people die of exposure to household pollutants. Buildings with a safe indoor environment can reduce healthcare costs

A peripheral district in Genoa, Italy, has become a smart city lab. The project has improved apartment conditions, reduced waste and lowered the energy bill, all with the help of citizens

Internet users can assess the solar potential of their roofs through a platform developed by Google. The online “calculator”, which was only accessible in the US, has now reached Europe, starting in Germany

An authority on social data, Susan Etlinger argues we need to apply critical thinking and exercise caution as we enter the age of “data ubiquity”

Innovations in waste management systems need new regulations for the management of sustainable landfills

R2CITIES innovation for the benefit of local citizens.

In Genoa, Italy, there are tenants who only pay as little as €50 in rent for a small apartment in a social housing estate, but this is only part of the story.

Mayors of cities in Europe and its Mediterranean neighbourhood have committed to acting together to ensure the transition to a more energy-efficient model based on the use of renewables and the reduction of CO₂ emissions

Although in its infancy, solar energy generation in Turkey has a promising outlook

In a world hungry for energy, top scientist Michael Grätzel hopes to make solar cells more affordable by copying photosynthesis

A social housing district with poor insulation, a municipality that is meeting a long-standing demand by residents while transforming the area into a model for eco-sustainability

Saving money by cutting the energy consumption of buildings is not strictly a question of technology. People need hard data to be convinced of the positive financial implications

Energy efficiency of a building can be calculated throughout its first 60 years of life after retrofitting thanks to Life Cycle Assessment schemes 

Retrofitting a district is quite different from retrofitting a single building: the technological challenges involved are far greater.

A residential energy-saving retrofitting program adopts strategies to convince local inhabitants of its benefits.

Involving all the players in a comprehensive retrofitting project from the start, an approach known as Integrated Project Delivery, could be the key to its success

The town council of Valladolid, Spain, is renovating its heritage buildings to achieve near-zero energy districts, while involving all stakeholders.

New technologies and energy management could soon lead to sustainable cities.

Solutions to halving energy consumption, costs and greenhouse emissions in cities may be on the horizon, as long as partners find suitable ways to cooperate.

Renovations of entire districts, designed to reach near zero energy consumption, need to be replicable if they are to be widely adopted

Three cases studies will constitute the basis for developing an easily replicable strategy for renovating districts so that they reach near zero energy consumption

Managing the building’s different energy processes is key to ensure higher energy efficiency and users’ comfort

Life cycle analysis is a tool to evaluate the environmental impact over the life time of buildings