About
https://super-i-supershine.eu/super-i/about/
SUPERSHINE is an EU-funded project that has supported the renovation of social and affordable housing districts to help households reduce energy bills and tackle energy poverty, while accelerating the transition towards climate-neutral living.
Over the course of the project, SUPERSHINE has developed and tested replicable smart neighbourhood models that integrate energy efficiency, affordability, sustainability, and well-targeted financing mechanisms. These models demonstrate how social housing renovation can deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits at district level.
The project has successfully implemented and validated its approach in three lighthouse districts in Trieste (Italy), Herning (Denmark), and Riga (Latvia), which served as real-life demonstrators. These districts showcase integrated solutions including energy-efficient buildings, low-carbon mobility, smart energy systems, and improved water and waste management, supported by digital and responsive technologies that optimise resources while enhancing residents wellbeing and quality of life.
Building on the experience of the lighthouse districts, SUPERSHINE has supported the transfer and adaptation of its methodologies in fellow cities—Setúbal (Portugal), Belgrade (Serbia), Zaragoza (Spain), and Istanbul (Turkiye)—strengthening local capacities and fostering replication across diverse urban and socio-economic contexts.
Through its results, SUPERSHINE has contributed to the implementation of key EU policy frameworks, including the European Green Deal, the Renovation Wave Strategy, and the New European Bauhaus, by providing concrete tools, models, and evidence to support sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality urban regeneration.
The project capitalised on and further advanced the work developed under SUPER-i, particularly in relation to innovative financial schemes, ensuring that financing solutions for energy-efficient social housing renovation are operational, scalable, and replicable beyond the project’s lifetime.
Discover SUPER-i project
SUPER-i and SUPERSHINE work together to renovate social houses as we know them
Approach
SUPERSHINE adopted a human-centred, bottom-up approach to social housing renovation, placing residents’ needs and behaviours at the core of the transition.
Key elements of the approach included:
- Integrated, low-carbon renovation of social housing districts at neighbourhood scale
- Active engagement of social housing providers, local authorities, financial institutions (LFIs and IFIs), SMEs, and residents
- A structured four-step social engagement and co-design process to ensure local ownership and acceptance
- Promotion of long-term sustainable energy behaviours and social inclusion
- Alignment with New European Bauhaus principles, combining sustainability, inclusiveness, and quality of living environments
- Deployment of innovative and scalable financial schemes developed through SUPER-i
Lighthouses
Lighthouse districts are in three cities: Trieste (Italy), Herning (Denmark) and Riga (Latvia).
Key Results and Outcomes
By the end of the project, SUPERSHINE has delivered:
- Validated renovation pathways based on the smart neighbourhood and lighthouse district concepts
- Blueprints and practical guidelines to support replication and adaptation in other European cities
- Strengthened cross-sectoral partnerships between public authorities, housing providers, industry, and finance at local level
- New processes, methods, and integrated solutions centred on residents’ needs and supporting sustainable urban–industrial synergies
- Human-centred business models for social housing renovation that enhance resident engagement and long-term impact
- A growing network of social housing providers and cities committed to sustainable, affordable, and inclusive renovation
Consortium
Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea
Project Coordinator
University of York
Scientific Coordinator
Latest News
A New EU Toolkit to Drive Inclusive and Energy-Efficient Building Renovation
A practical, scalable framework supporting stakeholders in tackling energy poverty and advancing sustainable housing solutions!
SUPERSHINE publishes final results for sustainable and inclusive social housing renovation in Europe
SUPERSHINE presents an integrated model that combines financial innovation, energy poverty reduction, citizen engagement and circularity to make social housing renovation both climate-neutral and socially just.
