The RE-LEAF: Affordable Renovation project in the Flemish province of Limburg has won the European Sustainable Energy Award 2026 in the SMEs Driving Energy Efficiency category, rewarding its efforts in pioneering an innovative financing model to tackling energy poverty by linking mortgage planning with renovation advice.
RE-LEAF, which is funded by the EU’s LIFE programme, came first in an online public vote, receiving the award at the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) Awards Ceremony on 9 June 2026 in Brussels.
While homeowners tend to think of energy renovation only after buying a property, when budgets are stretched and repairs difficult, RE-LEAF brings together social lender Onesto with local renovation consultants in the Energiehuis Limburg, allowing buyers to assess and include energy renovations before they take out a mortgage. Such renovations can reduce energy use by 40-60% while increasing property values by up to 15%.
“We saw that many clients were buying affordable homes that turned out to be very expensive to live in. So instead of treating it as a later step, we integrate energy performance into the decision to buy a home,” explains project manager Joris Piette, adding: “This is not just a project, but a shift towards a more integrated and inclusive energy transition.”
RE-LEAF: Affordable Renovation was one of three finalists shortlisted for the European Sustainable Energy Awards 2026 in the SMEs Driving Energy Efficiency category, which recognises Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that have developed and deployed innovative business or financing models to advance energy efficiency solutions, notably in buildings and industry.
The other finalists in this category were the Ener2Crowd Investing project in Italy and Cooling-as-a-service by Water Horizon in France.
Ener2Crowd is an innovative crowdfunding platform raising millions of euros in citizen investments for energy efficiency projects in buildings and industry. Water Horizon offers low carbon cooling solutions, using mobile battery technology to capture waste heat from one place, store it and deliver it as cooling to another.
The European Sustainable Energy Awards recognise outstanding individuals, projects and initiatives that advance Europe’s transition to clean energy in three categories – SMEs Driving Energy Efficiency, Local Energy Action, and Women in Energy. Nine finalists were selected by a high-level jury before being submitted to an online public vote.
EUSEW 2026
The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the biggest annual event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe and is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). The 20th edition of EUSEW is taking place in a hybrid format, onsite in Brussels and online, on 9-11 June 2026. The European Sustainable Energy Week consists of a three-day Policy Conference, the European Sustainable Energy Awards Ceremony, the Energy Fair, and the activities dedicated to the Young Energy Ambassadors.
For updates on the agenda and location of the events, please refer to the EUSEW Programme and the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) page on Linkedin. You can still join the event, either in person or online by registering, and then the platform opens up the possibility of networking with other participants.
Join the conversation any time on social media via #EUSEW2026.
- Publication date
- 9 June 2026
- Author
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency