How to support vulnerable households through passive solutions
The energy transition is progressing rapidly, but not always in an equitable manner. In Europe, millions of households still struggle to access basic energy services.
In this context, several key questions arise:
· How can we design energy-efficiency renovation strategies that effectively help to reduce vulnerability, bearing in mind that many households cannot afford conventional heating and cooling systems?
· How can we ensure that energy-efficiency renovation projects reach the most vulnerable groups?
To address these challenges, CARTIF took part as a speaker at the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) Annual Conference 2026, during the session entitled ‘How Integrated Energy Renovations Can Reach Vulnerable Households: Practical Approaches to Financing, Engagement, and Demand Reduction’, presenting some of the work carried out as part of the SUPERSHINE project.
Beyond technology: the role of social innovation in energy retrofitting
Energy-efficient refurbishment now benefits from well-established technical solutions. However, its implementation in disadvantaged neighbourhoods does not depend solely on its technical effectiveness. Factors such as households’ financial capacity, social acceptance of the works, political pressure or the complexity of administrative procedures can become significant barriers to the viability of any intervention.
EPAH 2026 Workshop: Simulating real-world decisions in vulnerable contexts
During the conference, CARTIF led an interactive workshop based on role-play, designed to replicate the real-world complexity involved in decision-making for energy-efficiency renovation projects targeting vulnerable households.
The exercise was based on a typical urban setting, in which participants were tasked with implementing measures in a district characterised by high levels of energy poverty and low energy efficiency in the building stock.
Passive measures: much more than just energy savings
During the project, the focus was on implementing as many passive solutions as possible, with the aim of reducing the district’s energy demand and improving the indoor comfort of the homes.
This approach served to convey a key idea: in vulnerable contexts, improving living conditions cannot depend on the use of active systems, but rather on the quality of the building itself.
People: When technology meets reality
To introduce the social dimension, each participant was assigned a role representing a person with specific characteristics, needs and limitations. This enabled the various profiles involved in the process to face real-life situations. As a result, decisions were no longer purely technical but came to be influenced by social, economic and political factors.
Making decisions under real-world constraints
In addition to the participants, the group was given a set of constraints that introduced real-world limitations into the process. These constraints forced them to continually rethink their decisions, shifting from a focus on technical optimisation to one centred on practical feasibility.
Key takeaways: how to tackle energy poverty
The exercise revealed that, in situations of energy poverty, the priority is not to optimise energy consumption, but to reduce the need for energy.
This approach led to a number of key lessons:
- Energy poverty is a multifaceted problem. It cannot be solved by technical solutions alone.
- Decisions are influenced by context: what is optimal from an energy perspective may not be so within the social and economic context.
- Coordination between stakeholders is essential, particularly when integrating solutions at building and district level
- There is no one-size-fits-all solution: each situation requires a balance between efficiency, cost and social acceptance.
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