COLOUR, a key opportunity to accelerate collective energy retrofitting

Spain, and Catalonia in particular, face both a major opportunity and significant challenges when it comes to promoting citizen-led energy retrofitting. With approximately 14 million homes in poor energy condition, Spain has one of the highest potentials in Europe for improving energy efficiency.

However, the current pace of renovation remains critically low: only 0.08% of the building stock undergoes deep renovation each year, well below the 3% target set by the EU Renovation Wave.T

The state of building renovation in Catalonia: a cautious outlook

Catalonia accounts for 15% of Spain’s housing stock (3.9 million homes), much of it ageing: more than half was built before 1980, and its poor energy performance is evident, with 81% of energy certificates rated E, F or G. Under European regulations (EPBD), a very significant share of emissions reductions must come from the renovation of the least energy-efficient buildings, turning a potential challenge into a progressive obligation through to 2050.

Despite ambitious goals, renovation remains fragmented and largely individual, with few collective or neighbourhood-based initiatives. Public programmes such as the “Barris Programme 1” have seen limited uptake, mainly due to low citizen engagement and the lack of integrated support services. The main obstacles include sector fragmentation, homeowners’ limited initial capacity and access to financing, high costs for developers, and difficulties in accessing grants and subsidies.

As for energy communities, there are around 400 in Spain, yet they are present in only 4% of municipalities. In Catalonia, uptake is even lower, and most projects are limited to photovoltaic self-consumption, with very few initiatives focused on building renovation. The main barriers are initial bureaucracy and the limited scope of projects, rather than a lack of interest.

Nevertheless, the potential is very high. In Catalonia, dozens of energy communities have building renovation projects currently under study or in preparation. In addition, the forthcoming Neighbourhoods Plan of the Catalan Government (2025–2029), with a budget of €1.6 billion, opens up a key opportunity for municipalities and energy communities to drive large-scale collective renovation projects.

What is COLOUR and why is it key to driving energy retrofitting?

COLOUR is a project funded by the European Commission that supports energy communities in designing, assessing and implementing collective energy retrofitting projects, ensuring quality and transparency.

In this context, the COLOUR project positions itself as a key enabler, supporting energy communities in their transition through technical, financial, legal, social and administrative assistance, specifically:

Technical support:

• Assessment of needs and opportunities for improvement.
• Free preliminary energy and economic studies.
• Identification of local professionals, comparison of quotes and negotiation.
• Construction oversight and final verification.

Financial support:

• Mapping of grants, subsidies and public or private financing options.
  Design of innovative funding combinations tailored to each community.

Administrative and legal support:

• Support with procedures, permits and licences.
• Review and clarification of contracts, budgets and financing agreements.

Social support:

• Support for Governing Boards in the decision-making process regarding buildings eligible for renovation.
• Support for energy communities in consumer recruitment campaigns.

Why are the COLOUR project partners key to its success?

COLOUR is an alliance of leading organisations in Catalonia working to advance energy communities—OECOOP Energia SCCL, the Catalan Institute for Energy (ICAEN) and the Europace Foundation (FEP)—with the support of the external expert, the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC).

• OECoop has a solid track record in promoting energy communities with ambitions that go beyond photovoltaic self-consumption, incorporating collective renovation as well as broader social and environmental objectives.
• FEP brings extensive expertise in integrated housing renovation services based on the One-Stop Shop model, with proven experience in addressing structural barriers and stimulating demand for renovation, particularly in multi-family buildings.
• IREC complements the alliance with advanced scientific and technological expertise in renewable energy, smart energy management and building decarbonisation. Its REACT group specialises in dynamic simulation, energy efficiency and the integration of renewables at both building and district scale.
• Finally, the Catalan Institute for Energy (ICAEN), which operates under the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition of the Government of Catalonia, strengthens the initiative from a public governance perspective. As a leading body in driving Catalonia’s transition towards a decarbonised, inclusive and efficient energy model, ICAEN will leverage its network of 42 territorial offices to contribute in-depth knowledge of energy communities, their needs and ongoing projects across the region.

Together, OECoop, FEP, IREC and ICAEN form a strong and complementary alliance that combines community engagement, technical knowledge and innovation, operational expertise and institutional support, creating a robust framework to accelerate the creation and consolidation of energy communities across Catalonia.

The role of COLOUR in the CLR III project

COLOUR aims to strengthen long-term commitment, governance and accountability within energy communities, while increasing both the pace and accessibility of collective renovation. The project seeks to empower communities to lead renovation processes and to foster greater municipal involvement, while simplifying administrative procedures and aligning local incentives with social and environmental objectives.

Through COLOUR, Catalan stakeholders in Community-Led Renovation will receive integrated technical, financial, legal and administrative support, enabling energy communities to become effective promoters of collective renovation. By coordinating a fragmented value chain, COLOUR will accelerate renovation rates, reduce costs and complexity, and generate shared benefits for citizens, municipalities and local professionals.

Why are citizen-led renovation initiatives important?

Citizen-led renovation initiatives are essential because they foster a sense of ownership, inclusion and long-term commitment to the energy transition. They enable citizens to become active agents rather than passive consumers, and help connect local needs with institutional programmes.

These initiatives strengthen social cohesion, build trust among neighbours and help ensure that the benefits of renovation—such as lower energy bills, improved comfort and higher housing quality—reach everyone, including vulnerable groups. In the context of an ageing building stock and persistently low renovation rates, citizen-led models act as catalysts for collective action, helping to overcome financial, technical and administrative barriers.

Finally, by engaging municipalities, cooperatives and local businesses, citizen-led renovation creates a virtuous cycle that stimulates the local economy, creates skilled jobs and ensures that public funding is translated into tangible, community-centred results.

In this context, COLOUR emerges as a key tool for transforming energy retrofitting into a collective, accessible and place-based process, putting people and communities at the heart of the energy transition.