LEAF - Low Energy Apartment Futures

LEAF was a three-year project that looked to improve the energy efficiency of multi-occupancy apartment blocks by overcoming the barriers experienced during the retrofit process. With a budget between 100,000 and 1M€, LEAF aimed to the creation of resources to help building owners and managers undertake energy retrofit projects. The toolkits provided advice and information on retrofit and were designed to overcome a number of known barriers.

A technical toolkit provided organisations with a greater understanding of the measures that can improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. It featured information on costs, savings, subsidies and user behaviour. An engagement toolkit provided a framework to manage the retrofit process and aid decision-making. It took the form of a step-by-step guide which includes advice and information on communicating with residents, decision-making, obtaining legal agreements and gaining planning permission. It provided an honest and informative account of the barriers and successes in implementing multioccupancy retrofit.

The project started in 2013 and was completed in 2016.

Main beneficiaries: the energy-poor.

It addressed the topics of: indoor comfort (thermal comfort, housing quality), information and awareness, energy efficiency and vulnerable consumers (disabled, students, tenants, public housing inhabitants).