Latvia

Ekubirojs

We believe living in a home that fosters wellbeing through health, safety and comfort is a fundamental right. Ekubirojs aims to deliver citizens a simple deep renovation journey – by focusing on transparency, standardization and efficiency – while lowering CO2 emissions. We believe that citizen wellbeing is at the core of the renovation journey.

In Latvia, we focus on building on-the-ground support as well as scaling our efforts through digitization, using the SUNShINE platform. Our main tasks include:

  • Informing, motivating, assisting building owners to follow through energy efficiency investments and advocating for their interests from start to finish of the renovation process;
  • Implementing co-design methodology with stakeholders to facilitate the building renovation process;
  • Helping stakeholders access subscription-based financing through the Building Energy Efficiency Facility (BEEF), which guarantees energy savings, health, comfort, safety and 20-year maintenance for a price that is very close to the costs they already have with utilities and maintenance.

We participate in the EUROPA project because we are committed to improving the deep renovation process through standardization and guaranteed energy savings, reducing energy poverty and improving citizen wellbeing. We already operate in 5 municipalities in Latvia: Bauska, Tukums, Jūrmala, Ādaži and Līvāni, but we expect to expand our activities to other municipalities once the One-Stop-Shop in Latvia is established.

The Situation in Latvia:

Many multifamily apartment building stocks in Easter European countries are rapidly deteriorating. Around 70% of Latvian population live in such a building. Unfortunately, building owners do not have sufficient access to monetary and non-monetary resources to solve the issue. Almost all multifamily apartment buildings (total area exceeding 300 million square meters) in Easter Europe were built during the Soviet Era, which ended in 1992. 

During the 90s, these buildings were privatized and new building owners did not – and still do not – have the financial resources and management skills to take proper care of the buildings, which currently pose a threat to the health, safety and wellbeing of their residents. 

Even though the existence of this issue is widely recognized and accepted at both the EU and Latvian level, dEEp building renovation has been a slow process. Residents do not have enough experience in joint decision-making; they lack sufficient and adequate knowledge and  expertise on the renovation process to make smart and informed decisions; and they do not have access to financial support or public funds for  the renovation. Therefore, although some insulation works have been conducted in the past years, there is a need to foster dEEp building renovation in the country and to raise awareness about the innovative financial mechanisms that can be used to make the renovation process affordable for everyone.

Some of our success stories:

In Latvia, 18 projects of deep renovation of multifamily buildings have been finished. All projects included energy efficiency guarantees. 16 of the renovation projects have been performed by “RenEsco” Ltd. whereas two by the municipality “Salaspils siltums” Ltd. In general, Ekubirojs assisted 1200 families by facilitating and coordinating their renovation journey. The methodology to support the residents and the project execution developed by Ekubirojs is being currently implemented in Slovakia, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland through the Accelerate SUNShINE and Fineergo-Dom H2020 projects. 

The multi-stakeholder platform “SUNShINE Platform” has been developed to foster collaboration among all the stakeholders of dEEp building renovation and to increase transparency and accountability throughout the entire process. The Platform is currently being tested in Slovakia, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland by service providers to launch renovation projects; upload and store building documents and files; keep track of renovation steps; and monitor and evaluate buildings energy performance. As part of the EUROPA project, the onboarding of the SUNShINE Platform will be developed to ensure that building owners can engage with and have access to the Platform and explore all the options of their renovation journey in selected EU countries.   

The “LATVIAN BALTIC ENERGY EFFICIENCY FACILITY” or LABEEF was created by the investment control enterprise Funding for Future B.V. (F3). It is a fund which aims to facilitate long-term investments necessary for multifamily building and public building renovation projects. In 2018, LABEEF financed the first six multifamily building deep renovation projects in Cesis, Sigulda, and Riga.

One-Stop-Shop

Ekubirojs

Location: 

Noliktavas street 3-2, Riga,
LV-1010 Latvia
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Contact Information: