On 29 January, The Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) Unit B.3 (Buildings & Products) of the European Commission visited oPEN Living Lab Genk and EnergyVille. The visit, bringing together around 30 European policy experts, placed a clear spotlight on how neighbourhood-scale renovation support EU energy policy objectives in practice.
The programme opened with a guided tour of oPEN Living Lab Genk, where policy officers experienced first-hand how real residential neighbourhoods are used to develop, test and deploy integrated renovation solutions. The living lab demonstrates how fossil-free renovation can be embedded in everyday life, combining technical innovation with social acceptance, affordability and health benefits for residents.
Reflecting on the importance of this approach, oPEN Lab coordinator Maarten de Groote (VITO) emphasised the broader value of neighbourhood-based renovation:
“In Genk’s oPEN Living Lab, investing today in fossil-free housing means investing in health, comfort, and affordable energy during uncertain times, not in abstract climate goals.”
Building on the on-site visit, experts from VITO and other oPEN Lab partners, shared lessons learned from the oPEN Lab project. Presentations focused on monitoring results from renovated homes, heat pump optimisation, prefabricated renovation solutions, and the social dimensions that influence successful uptake by residents.
Overall, the visit underlined how oPEN Living Lab Genk acts as a concrete bridge between EU policy and citizens’ everyday realities, contributing practical evidence to discussions around the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive and Ecodesign. By grounding policy ambitions in lived experience, oPEN Lab shows how Europe’s energy transition can be both ambitious and tangible, starting at neighbourhood level.
