Why people still don’t renovate and what do they actually need
People are often hesitant to renovate their homes, mainly because the urgency and benefits of energy renovation are still poorly understood. This lack of awareness weakens motivation to act. Participants in our workshops made it clear: tools like the Building Renovation Passport must go beyond technical guidance. They should also offer behavioural tips and lifestyle suggestions, such as simple ways to reduce energy use or learn from the experiences of others.
These insights are just some of the takeaways from an 18 month co-creation process led by Ideas for Change. Our goal? To ensure the Building Renovation Passport truly reflects the needs, motivations, and behaviours of its future users.
The co-creation journey took us to four pilot cities, Dublin, Valencia, Rotterdam, and Bologna, where we conducted in-person workshops with a diverse mix of stakeholders: local authorities, building professionals, residents, and community groups. These sessions, based on a version from Pentagrowth methodology, were preceded by local context research and introductory meetings to understand the renovation ecosystems and challenges in each location.
The workshops themselves were dynamic, hands-on, and adapted to local realities. Through collaborative exercises, participants envisioned what a user-centric, impactful renovation tool should look like.
Afterwards, Ideas for Change analysed the results and presented them to the pilot partners, first in Bologna, during the projects’ General Assembly, and then online. Comparing local insights helped us identify shared needs and opportunities for improvement.
From this process, three key conclusions emerged:
User involvement is non-negotiable. Regardless of their expertise, end-users offer crucial perspectives. Without their input, tools risk being irrelevant or quickly outdated.
Context matters, but collaboration across contexts matters even more. The diversity of our pilot regions helped us build a tool that is both locally grounded and scalable across the EU.
Professional feedback is essential. While citizen input is vital, architects, engineers, and public officials help ensure that the Passport remains technically robust and viable in the long term.
These findings align with our core mission at One Click RENO: to make energy renovation easier, smarter, and more accessible. Our Building Renovation Passport, an interactive, digital roadmap that adapts to users’ needs over time, aims to help Europe become cleaner and greener by 2050.
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