IRENE holds the first Informative Session of 2026 in Madrid's Puerto Chico Neighbourhood
IRENE continues guiding homeowners and residents through renovation funding opportunities
Door-to-door outreach reaches over 5,000 homes ahead of the session
Puerto Chico builds on previous engagement activities as IRENE expands support in 2026
The LIFE project IRENE hosted its first informative session of 2026 on Thursday, 22nd of January, at the Centro Cultural Fernando de los Ríos in Puerto Chico, Madrid. The event marked the fourth community engagement initiative in the neighbourhood, one of the project's pilot sites.
The session, attended by over 60 people, was directed at homeowners of Puerto Chico and property managers and was made possible thanks to the support of the Asociación de Vecinos de Puerto Chico. Its main goal was to inform participants about available funding opportunities for building renovation and energy efficiency improvements.
During the session, residents expressed concerns about the uniformity of building façades, the amount of available funding, and the procedures required to access it. Questions included whether a single façade project is required, how previous renovations might affect eligibility, and the licensing process for building works. Experts addressed all these questions and invited attendees to contact Oficina Verde and the IRENE project for more information and guidance.
Experts Addressed Funding and Technical Solutions
Representatives from Global Factor, Ayuntamiento de Madrid, and the Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja from CSIC, supported by HELP EU—all project partners based in Madrid—presented information and answered questions from attendees. Representatives from Q-21 Arquitectura and reBive, with long-standing experience in the neighbourhood, presented their innovative renovation solutions. Additionally, Manuela Navarro, former president of Asociación Vecinal Guetaria, presented a successful case of community-led rehabilitation in Orcasitas.
“In Orcasitas, we have achieved savings of between 58% and 70% thanks to the renovations. Therefore, I encourage the Puerto Chico neighbourhood to consider applying for the funding programmes available” - Manuela Navarro
In preparation for the event, the IRENE project team conducted an extensive door-to-door leaflet delivery campaign, reaching more than 5,000 homes in Puerto Chico. This direct outreach approach is essential to the project's communication strategy, ensuring that information about grants and renovation support reaches all residents, particularly vulnerable households who may otherwise face barriers to accessing these services. By delivering information directly to residents' homes, the project aims to bridge the gap between available resources and those who need them most, ensuring that energy-poverty alleviation measures reach the families and individuals who may benefit most from building renovations and energy-efficiency improvements.
“Some residents spend little on heating, simply because they are away from home during the day or due to financial limitations that prevent them from using it.” - Fernando Martín-Consuegra
Building on Previous Community Engagement
This event was built on three successful community sessions previously held in Puerto Chico. The first took place during the project's kick-off phase, which included a field visit to Madrid's pilot area. Project partners and local residents toured both the Poblado Dirigido de Orcasitas and Puerto Chico, where they learned about collective rehabilitation efforts and explored current funding opportunities.
The second community session, held at Asociación Puerto Chico on 16 October 2025, Alicia Gomis from Oficina Verde – Ayuntamiento de Madrid presented available renovation grants, while Fernando Martín-Consuegra from Instituto Eduardo Torroja (CSIC) explained the energy monitoring systems that will track efficiency parameters before and after renovations. Manuela Carrasco, along with representatives from Q-21 Arquitectura and ReBive, showcased examples of successful renovation projects. The third session took place on 13 November 2025 at the Ángel González Public Library, in the Aluche neighbourhood of the La Latina district, as part of the “Green Office in Your District” programme.
This latest session marked an important milestone in helping Puerto Chico residents on their renovation journey, equipping them with the technical guidance and financial tools required to improve both the accessibility and energy efficiency of their homes. The IRENE project team confirmed that additional informative sessions will be organised in Puerto Chico throughout the year, continuing the dialogue with residents and providing ongoing support as the neighbourhood moves forward with its renovation initiatives.
Residents and property managers interested in energy efficiency renovations of their homes are encouraged to contact Oficina Verde at:
Phone: +34 91 480 17 79
Address: C/ Bustamante 30, Madrid (Spain)
Email: oficinaverde@madrid.es
Part of a European Initiative
IRENE works towards achieving an Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Energy Renovation Wave across Europe. Madrid's Puerto Chico neighbourhood is one of four pilot sites across Europe participating in the IRENE LIFE Project's approach to tackling energy poverty and promoting energy justice. Each pilot city implements tailored strategies to address local challenges while contributing to replicable models for energy solutions.
In Vilvoorde, Belgium, the project engages schools and communities through educational packages that link vulnerable households to energy-saving services. Leuven is implementing its ambitious "1000 Rooftops" programme, installing solar panels for disadvantaged households as part of energy-efficient renovations. Meanwhile, Vilnius, Lithuania, is conducting a series of workshops to enhance energy efficiency in multi-apartment buildings and improve access to modernisation financing mechanisms. Madrid also foresees establishing a new "Oficina Verde" One-Stop-Shop in Puerto Chico, which will provide comprehensive energy audits, financing support, and technical assistance to residents. Together, these four pilot actions will generate valuable data and insights to inform energy poverty alleviation strategies across Europe.
Press Contact
Email: infoirene@globalfactor.com
Website: https://www.helpeu.eu/irene
This project has received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Programme under Grant Agreement No. LIFE24-CET-IRENE/101215481.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Find IRENE on social media
