The interview with Manuel Castoldi, president of Rete Irene, offers a direct look at how the organisation works to clarify misconceptions regarding the new  Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Castoldi explains that Rete Irene was created with the ambition of driving the energy renovation of the Italian building stock through an integrated approach aimed at reducing consumption and improving comfort. During the 2021–2023 period, the network carried out two hundred energy renovation interventions, most of them achieving significant class jumps and average efficiency improvements close to seventy per cent.

According to him, the decision to prepare a document debunking myths about the EPBD arose after realising that many professionals and users had not read the text of the directive and that, in addition, the public debate was marked by imprecise narratives. Castoldi recalls that the Superbonus experience left the sector with a distorted image due to flaws in the mechanism’s design and the space it opened for speculative behaviour. This, in his view, makes it even more necessary to provide rigorous communication based on legislation and technical evidence to rebuild trust and guide citizens and market actors correctly.

Throughout the conversation, he emphasises the importance of restoring a balanced narrative on energy renovation: a practice that, when carried out properly, generates environmental, economic, and social benefits. Likewise, he insists that initiatives such as Rete Irene’s, supported by data and collaboration with consumer associations, can help dispel doubts and facilitate the public’s understanding of the EPBD, an essential step in accelerating the decarbonisation of the European building stock.