The EU Peers consortium convened in Madrid, Spain, from 20–21 March 2025 for its fourth project meeting, bringing together partners from across Europe to assess progress and chart the path forward for Integrated Home Renovation Services (IHRS). Hosted by Green Building Council España (GBCE), the meeting was attended by all project partners, including South East Energy Agency (SEEA), Ireland’s key implementing body for the initiative.
Over the two-day gathering, each partner presented updates on regional efforts to advance the EU Peers goal of improving framework conditions for IHRS and One-Stop Shops (OSS) and collaboration with stakeholders. The Project Coordinator, Jenny-Claire Keilmann from Climate Alliance, led a comprehensive stocktake and outlined upcoming project activities for the next 12 months.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to evaluating the Community of Practice (CoP) – an online platform created to serve IHRS providers, OSS actors, and stakeholders as a space for networking, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. The evaluation revealed strong momentum, with the CoP gaining over 230 new members. Strategies to continue expanding membership and deepening engagement were discussed extensively.
Representing SEEA, Project Officer, Colm O’Mahony, presented progress made in Ireland. He highlighted outreach efforts including webinars and workshops with IHRS providers, OSSs, contractors, and the supply chain. He also shared outcomes from bilateral meetings with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC).
Colm noted that Ireland’s CoP platform continues to grow, with SEAI recently joining, alongside six new members between November 2024 and March 2025: Envirobead, Energia, Kereen Building Services, Local BER, Atlantic Technological University, and JH Compliance Consultancy.
A unique highlight of the meeting was a collaborative “Walk in the Park” at Madrid’s famous Retiro Park, where project partners discussed key challenges and brainstormed creative solutions to improve their regional CoP platforms.
In the coming months, SEEA will leverage its expertise in housing retrofits and its role as a One-Stop-Shop to lead the Irish Community Platform, mentoring new initiatives and supporting capacity building across the country.
Learn more about EU Peers and join the Community of Practice today.
