OPENGELA

The main objective of the OPENGELA Project is to develop an economically viable, scalable and replicable, integrated housing rehabilitation service (HRIS) for private residential buildings in the Basque Country.

CHALLENGE

OPENGELA will develop an innovative, comprehensive, housing renovation service for private residential buildings. The practical deployment of building renovation initiatives faces multiple challenges, including access to long-term and affordable financing, low priority of building owners, lack of robust consumer engagement strategies, complexity of project cost and risk estimation, legal and/or regulatory issues, and technical barriers.

SOLUTION

OPENGELA will be achieved through the creation of “district offices” as one-stop shops to facilitate turnkey solutions to homeowners, covering the entire customer journey. These offices will enable Basque citizens to access trusted professionals covering the rehabilitation journey. It will also focus on significantly improving energy efficiency and consider the social dimensions of the renovation process, such as accessibility, security, neighbourhood and cultural identity. OPENGELA will be validated by setting up these offices in two Basque neighbourhoods – Otxarkoaga in Bilbao and Txonta in Eibar – which, according to partner-economic studies carried out by the Basque Government, have been classified as “vulnerable / very vulnerable neighbourhoods.”

RESULTS

The impact of the project goes far beyond energy and cost savings, and encompassed social, economic and environmental benefits. The non-energy impacts of the project are significant and arguably outweigh the benefits related to energy efficiency. The project will contribute to reduce energy consumption and will not only help address climate change, but it will also result in an increase in the quality of life of EU citizens, a decrease in energy imports, and an improvement in air quality and public health.