New open-source platform aims to make data more accessible and enable buildings to become more energy efficient in the EU
Buildings in the EU account for over a third of the region’s energy-related emissions, with 75% of these buildings performing poorly in terms of energy efficiency. Despite ambitious targets, the annual renovation rate remains stagnant at just 1%, underscoring the need for a faster transition toward energy-efficient buildings. ReLIFE, a three-year EU LIFE Programme funded project, coordinated by Eurac Research and supported by key partners including Ecoserveis, aims to accelerate renovations by building an open-source platform with data to inform homeowners, financial institutions, and others.
“Building owners, tenants and managers often lack accessible, reliable data to make informed energy decisions. We hope to offer open access to high quality building related data into energy use, performance and financing to unlock Europe’s building stock transformation and sustainable future.” – Simon Pezzutto, Project Coordinator of ReLIFE.
The recently revised Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) calls for a 11.7% reduction in energy use by 2030, but reaching this target demands an acceleration in the rate and scale of renovations across Europe.
“ReLIFE enhances data accessibility, quality, and sharing in the building sector, empowering stakeholders to drive energy efficiency and reduce emissions.” – Francesca Conselvan, Researcher at e-think.
The ReLIFE project’s open-source platform will serve as a central hub for essential building information across Europe. This easy-to-use tool will offer a range of services, from financial guidance to energy forecasting and technical insights, supporting collaboration between banks, energy service companies, building and homeowners, and other stakeholders. Through its network of four associated partners, the ReLIFE project will also roll out practical case studies to test and refine its solutions.
Key elements of the ReLIFE project include:
- Addressing EU building emissions by focusing on energy-efficient renovations across the EU building stock.
- Centralised, open-source ReLIFE platform for accessible data and tailored services, empowering informed decision-making in deep renovations.
- Provide a set of key services addressed to target stakeholders among forecasting, technical and financial guidance.
About ReLIFE
The ReLIFE project, coordinated by Eurac Research (the Accademia Europea di Bolzano) aims to make data more accessible in the EU building sector. We are creating an easy-to-use, open-source platform that acts as a central resource for important information about buildings in Europe, including financial and technical details. This platform will help different groups — like banks, energy service companies, and building owners — share information more easily. Our goal is to increase the rate of major renovations in homes, helping to create a more sustainable and efficient future for all.
The three-year ReLIFE project began in October 2024 and has received a total grant of € 1.977.112,84 from the European Commission, through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the LIFE programme and operates under agreement n° 101167067 LIFE-2023-CET.
