Irrinova Darek (Renovate your Home)
About this good practice
Problem: Dwellings around the Grand Harbour fall within an Urban Conservation Area and are generally older than 60 years. The Malta Long-term Renovation Strategy 2050 prioritises renovations for the worst performing building stock, which applies to these zones. However, due to the mild Mediterranean climate and the small market of energy efficiency products and servies, most renovation measures are not economically feasible. In addition, citizens living around the inner harbour area are more at risk of energy poverty and therefore find it difficult to invest in building renovation.
Context: “Irrinova Darek” (Renovate your Home) scheme goes beyond adopting renewable energy sources but focuses primarily on the Energy Efficiency First principles..
Implementation: An approved energy performance assessor shall carry out the study and propose energy efficiency measures that will achieve at least 20% improvement beyond the NZEB benchmark levels, and limit the delivered (end-use) energy consumption for space heating and cooling to 15 kWh/m².year, as evidenced by an energy performance certificate. The scheme covers up to 90% of the cost capped at €15,000 and an additional €900 for installing a solar water heater or heat-pump water heater.
Beneficiaries: Dwellings in the Inner Harbour Area towns: Kalkara, Birgu, Cospicua, Senglea, Paola, Marsa, Floriana and Valletta.
Benefits: Dwellings will achieve a step-change in energy performance, while improving indoor comfort.
Resources needed
National Budget (1st year): Euro 600,000, excluding operational and management costs.
Human Resources: 1 senior head, 1 PR and marketing, 2 eligibility, vetting and processing officers, 2 technical support external experts, 1 Evaluation Committee Board, 1 programme manager, 1 financial controller.
Evidence of success
Good Practice Highlights: The scheme overcomes the barrier of limited cost-effectiveness for many energy efficiency measures and opens up new green markets and jobs. Moreover, dwellings will be renovated beyond the established NZEB levels, thus contributing towards the acceleration of decarbonisation of the building stock.
Evidence of success: In spite of the short application period of 1 month and the limited marketing exposure, over 100 applications have been received.
Potential for learning or transfer
1. Contributes towards diversifying building renovation approaches for historically sensitive protected dwellings in a Mediterranean climate context.
2. Support the Energy Efficiency First principle by giving priority to passive energy efficiency measures
3. Mobilise citizens at risk of energy poverty to become energy efficient and decouple their energy bills from the need to attain indoor comfort
4. Demonstrate the Passive House concept and contribute towards reducing the capacity of active heating and cooling systems thus reducing peak loads.
5. Promote the use of Energy Performance Certificates in real life projects and improve the confidence of European citizens in these certificates.
Further information
BCA - Malta Launches the "Irrinova Darek" Scheme
Website
Good practice owner
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