The Success of the EU-Peers Workshop at Key Energy 2025: One-Stop Shops for Energy Renovation

Great participation and interest marked the workshop organized by EU-Peers on March 7, 2025, as part of the Key Energy fair in Rimini, the leading event in Italy for sustainable energy. The meeting provided an important opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities of local One-Stop Shops (OSS) for building energy renovation, a topic increasingly central in the context of European energy efficiency directives.

The workshop opened with institutional greetings from Alessandro Federici (ENEA) and Elisa Guiot (Regione Piemonte), followed by a presentation by Giovanna Claudia R. Romano (Regione Emilia-Romagna), who illustrated the implementation of the EPBD4 Directive in the new Regional Energy Plan.

Patrizia Pistochini (ENEA) then presented the EU-Peers project, a community of practice aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of one-stop shops for the renovation of residential buildings in Europe. The presentation highlighted the key role of OSS in supporting residents, SMEs, and local administrations in the energy transition process by providing technical, financial, and administrative consultancy.

A particularly stimulating moment was the debate moderated by Silvio De Nigris (Regione Piemonte), with the participation of sector experts:

• Piergabriele Andreoli (AESS Modena), with his experience in supporting public entities and promoting Local Energy Communities;
• Simona Acerbis (ATES Parma), who described the model of the Energy & Condominiums One-Stop Shop active since 2020;
• Giovanni Vicentini (Comune di Padova), who illustrated the city's pioneering path in the OSS sector;
• Andrea Petrina (Cassa Depositi e Prestiti), focusing on financing opportunities for energy renovation.

The experiences presented confirmed the need for an integrated and synergistic approach between the public and private sectors to ensure the effectiveness of one-stop shops. The diversity of operational models that emerged highlights that there is no single formula, but rather the need to adapt strategies to local specificities.

Several key messages emerged from the roundtable discussion, outlining crucial areas for the development and success of one-stop shops:

• The interoperability of data available at the regional level must be improved.

• Special attention should be given to the most vulnerable groups.

• Strengthening the training of operators in collaboration with local stakeholders is essential.

• There is a need to aggregate demand to better direct it toward supply.

• One-stop shops must act as project enablers, have widespread territorial coverage, and adopt a versatile approach.

The workshop's conclusions, entrusted to Francesca Hugony (ENEA), emphasized the importance of collaboration among the various stakeholders involved and the role of the EU-Peers community in facilitating dialogue and sharing best practices. Indeed, the Italian community, which is already established and operative, is seeking for new members to enlarge and become stronger.

In the coming months, the EU-Peers network will continue its work through online meetings and support activities for Italian and European OSS. Among the upcoming events, those focused on the economic sustainability of one-stop shops and the implementation of European directives at the national level stand out.

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