REHVA Brussels Summit 2026 | “From Policy to Practice: Real Experiences from Delivering Renovation Projects Across Europe,
Brussels, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1040 Brussels
How do EU renovation policies turn into real buildings, real heating systems and real improvements for residents? On 19 November, InCUBE will lead the closing session of the REHVA Brussels Summit 2026, “From Policy to Practice: Real Experiences from Delivering Renovation Projects Across Europe,” at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.
After a morning of technical and policy discussions on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive, our session brings the conversation down to the construction site. Partners from three InCUBE demonstration sites will share how they are delivering renovation in practice: one district and two buildings, in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.
In Trento, we will look at how a district energy supply is being decarbonised with ground-source heat pumps and renewable energy community models. In Groningen, we will show how prefabrication, robotics and automation can speed up industrialised renovation and reduce costs. In Zaragoza, we will explore participatory renovation of an occupied residential building, carried out while residents stay at home, with a focus on social inclusion and affordability.
Each case will cover the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned, and what it would take to replicate these approaches at the scale EU targets require. The session closes with an open floor for questions and discussion with the audience.
Session Programme
14:00 – 14:10 | Introduction
Komninos Angelakoglou, Principal Investigator InCUBE Project, CERTH
14:10 – 14:35 | Decarbonisation of the District Energy Supply With Ground-Source Heat Pumps: The Case of Trento, Italy
Matteo Buffo, Researcher and Technologist, Area Sustainable Territories, FBK
14:35 – 15:00 | Streamlining Industrialised Renovation: The Case of Groningen, the Netherlands
Nadia Mild, Project Coordinator, Van Wijnen
15:00 – 15:25 | Participatory Renovation With Owners at Home: The Case of Zaragoza, Spain
Beatriz Gimeno and Mapi Dal, Architects, Metro7; Paloma Bozman López and Ana Maorad, Sociedad Municipal Zaragoza Vivienda
15:25 – 16:00 | Open Floor: Questions and Answers
Moderated by Danielle Jacobson, Project Manager, New Energy Coalition
