The sessions will showcase how a cleaner and more inclusive energy transition can be effectively achieved, from planning to implementation and monitoring. Among other topics, we will discuss:

• business cases for smart energy services
• how to get energy efficiency and demand-response considered as energy resources
• implementing renovation roadmaps to tackle energy poverty   
• gaps and challenges towards 2030 targets, and how policy measures can overcome them

Conference draft 

Agenda Day 1: Wednesday, October 15th. 

Morning Session. The future of energy efficiency: Insights and replication from InEExS 

This session marks the culmination of the InEExS project, showcasing innovative energy efficiency services across Europe. As the project concludes, this conference serves as a critical platform to disseminate key findings, highlight successful business cases, and explore the future of energy efficiency, all within the evolving framework of EU energy policy, particularly the recast Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and its ambitious targets.

A core focus will be the in-depth presentation of InEExS’s five distinct business cases. Each will delve into end-user challenges, innovative solutions, practical experiences, and crucial discussions on their alignment with EU policy objectives, demonstrating how these solutions can help Member States achieve their EED energy efficiency obligations. A presentation on the Smart Energy Cluster will precede a dynamic panel discussion with cluster representatives, fostering collaboration and identifying synergies among smart energy initiatives, with a particular emphasis on how these innovations can support the EED’s provisions on smart energy systems, demand-side flexibility, and the integration of renewables.

The afternoon features a dedicated, smaller-scale replication workshop, offering a deeper dive into the practical aspects of business case replication, including how to navigate regulatory landscapes and leverage available EU funding mechanisms to scale up these proven solutions.

Afternoon Session. Energy Efficiency First with Regio1st and CoolLIFE 

As Europe sees a growing focus on defence policies, it is crucial to ensure energy and climate objectives remain high on the agenda for a secure and sustainable Europe. In this context, the revised EED and its cornerstone Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle make regions and cities vital actors to implement this critical commitment to achieving the EU’s 2030 energy consumption target. However, making EE1st a reality on the ground requires capacity, coordination, and commitment at the local and regional levels, as 100+ cities and networks pointed out in an open letter before another hot summer.

The Regio1st project has worked over the past three years to bridge this gap by raising awareness and supporting regional energy planners integrating EE1st in their plans, in particular with the Regio1st Planning Framework that can help them better assess their local context and understand where to start from, with maximised energy, financial and social impact.

Following the European Commission’s agenda to revise its heating and cooling strategy, this final event will bring together authorities and stakeholders to explore how EE1st can be fully integrated into regional planning, in relation to building renovation, heating and in particular cooling strategies, with the participation from the CoolLIFE project. Real case scenarios will highlight achievements and persistent barriers, including financial constraints and navigating complex funding. As highlighted by the Multiannual Financial Framework, regional and local authorities constantly cope with budget limitations and constant pressure to deliver EU directives with limited resources; this reality often underscores the need for streamlined processes and reduced administrative burdens, a need increasingly acknowledged by the EU Commission’s 'Better Regulation' agenda.

The final event will thus provide a unique opportunity to explore the synergies between Regio1st and CoolLIFE, ensuring the integration of EE1st in the context of both heating and cooling solutions. This final event will thus serve as a launchpad for continued collaboration, replication, and policy alignment to address these barriers and turn the EE1st principle from policy into practice across more than 100 regions and beyond.

Parallel Workshop: Smart energy Cluster workshop with InEExS (Afternoon Session) 

For those interested in a deeper dive, a dedicated parallel workshop will be held by InEExS, focusing specifically on the implementation of its business cases to real-world examples.

Day 2: Thursday, October 16th

Morning Session. The renovation revolution: Unlocking affordable, sustainable, and inclusive energy transitions 

This session marks the culminating conference for the Reverter, RENOVERTY, EP-0, and Giga Regio Factory projects, bringing together the transformative insights and practical solutions developed in energy efficiency, building renovation, and energy poverty.  

As Europe strives towards ambitious energy and climate targets, including those outlined in the Renovation Wave, EPBD, EED recast, and RED directives, the session will serve as a dynamic platform to disseminate key findings, showcase innovative tools, and foster strategic discussions on the future of sustainable and inclusive energy transitions across both urban and rural contexts. Through focused presentations and interactive panel discussions, we will delve into different policy aspects, such as navigating the Urban-Rural Divide in Energy Renovation: Exploring context-specific barriers and best practices for increasing housing affordability and decreasing energy poverty, drawing insights from RENOVERTY and the broader project experiences. 

This final conference session will synthesise the collective achievements of these four projects, offering actionable recommendations and fostering collaboration among policymakers, local authorities, industry stakeholders, and research communities. Ultimately, it aims to accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy solutions and ensure a just and equitable energy transition for all European citizens.

(Poster session after lunch).

Afternoon Session. Living on a prayer? Halfway to 2030: how are energy efficiency policies delivering? 

This part will review recent trends and progress of Member States towards their energy savings targets (Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive). Partners of the ENSMOV Plus project and guest experts from various countries will share lessons learnt from implementing and monitoring policies, and discuss further developments.