Buildings Icon
Buildings
Digitalisation Icon
Digital Technologies

Retrofitting Buildings for an Energy-Efficient, Low-Carbon Future: Forum on Domestic and International Practice

Energy Efficiency
Task groups:
DWG
EEB
SEAD
TOP TENs
Event Icon Event
16-17 October 2025
Contact: Secretariat@energyefficiencyhub.org

Event Information

The building sector is critical to achieving the doubling of the global rate of energy improvement by 2030. Existing buildings are essential to the effort and pose particular challenges, and sharing of international best practices is key to accelerating progress in all countries. This forum brought together government officials and experts from the private sector, international organisations, and research institutions to discuss existing and emerging practice. Forum objectives were:

  • Feature lessons from China: Showcase China’s experience with a range of national and local policies, programmes, and financing instruments deployed to retrofit buildings;
  • Spotlight international work: Share replicable examples of programmes from other countries and understand how these could be applied in other settings; and
  • Highlight existing and new technologies: Learn about results from using currently-available technologies and share views on how to apply emerging technologies to building retrofits.

The event was co-organised by the National Center of Technologies Innovation for Green and Low-Carbon Buildings (NCTI-GB) 国家建筑绿色低碳技术创新中心, the Center of Science and Technology and Industrialization Development of China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development 住房和城乡建设部科技与产业化发展中心, China Quality Certification Centre 中国质量认证中心, and the Energy Efficiency Hub 国际能效中心.

The forum was hosted by the National Center of Technologies Innovation for Green and Low Carbon Buildings (NCTI-GB) and the Energy Efficiency Hub.

The in-person forum commenced with a day of site visits around Beijing, followed by a full day of in-person panel sessions. To learn more, download event agenda.

The Energy Efficiency Hub is committed to protecting the personal data of individuals whenever it processes their personal data. For more information, please read the Data Protection Notice below.

网页中文版本

Agenda

Day One: Site Visits

  • Beijing Daji Lane, Luomashi Street

Step into Beijing’s first large-scale zero-carbon building demonstration district, where cutting-edge design meets sustainability. This retrofitted commercial zone integrates photovoltaics, energy storage, and grid interaction, setting a new benchmark for urban decarbonisation.

  • 29, Guangximen Beili, Beijing Research & Development Center of Building Energy Efficiency

Witness the transformation of a 1987 brick-and-concrete building into a net-zero energy, carbon-absorbing facility. Through advanced insulation, electrification, and smart energy management, this retrofit showcases how old structures can lead the way in climate innovation.

  • China Architectural Design and Research Group (CADG) BIM Building

Explore a smart, efficient, and 3-star green building designed with full lifecycle analysis using BIM technology. Though newly built, its approach offers valuable lessons for retrofitting existing buildings with digital precision and sustainability in mind.

  • Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

Discover Beijing’s green urban planning innovations, while preserving its cultural identity. The exhibition hall highlights achievements from the city’s core district plan, offering a glimpse into the capital’s sustainable transformation.

Day Two: Forum

  • Session I: Technologies for Building Retrofits
  • Session II: Keys to Implementing Retrofit Policies
  • Session III: Scaling Financing for Green and Efficient Buildings
  • Session IV: Financing Building Energy Retrofits – Deep Dive on ESCOs

The event featured high-level opening and closing ceremonies. Download event agenda.

Explore other events

Event Icon Event
Buildings Icon
Buildings
Digitalisation Icon
Digital Technologies

Retrofitting Real Estate: Business Models and Solutions for Efficient, Low-Carbon Buildings

14 November 2025
This event was livestreamed from Belèm, Brazil. Effectively unlocking investment in retrofitting remains a critical challenge. Despite the clear economic and environmental benefits of retrofitting buildings, financial barriers continue to hinder large-scale adoption. The split incentive dilemma—where asset owners bear the capital expenditure for upgrades while tenants reap the financial benefits—remains a major roadblock. Additionally, uncertainty around commercial viability, regulatory frameworks, and financing mechanisms further complicates large-scale retrofitting efforts. This session brought together businesses, technology providers, and policy makers to showcase best practice implementations supported by conducive policy environments. The session aligned with the COP30 Buildings and Cooling Pavilion’s priority areas, including financing resilient buildings, high decarbonisation-potential technologies, and innovative approaches. This event was organised in partnership with GlobalABC, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the European Commission, Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL), Trane Technologies, and the German Energy Agency on behalf of the Hub Energy Efficiency in Buildings Task Group. For further details, please visit the GlobalABC event page.  
Energy Efficiency
DWG
EEB
SEAD
TOP TENs
Event Icon Event
Buildings Icon
Buildings
Digitalisation Icon
Digital Technologies

建筑改造助力节能低碳未来：全球实践论坛

16-17 October 2025
10月16-17日 2025 中國北京 建筑行业对实现2030年全球能效提升速率翻倍的目标具有关键作用。现有建筑是达成这一目标的重要组成部分，但也带来了特殊的挑战，分享国际上的最佳实践将成为加速各国进展的重要推动力。本次论坛将汇集来自政府部门、私营领域、国际组织和研究机构的官员与专家，共同探讨现有实践与新兴探索。论坛目标如下： 聚焦中国经验与启示：展示中国在推动既有建筑改造过程中所实施的国家和地方政策、项目规划及融资机制的经验； 关注国际实践成果：分享其他国家可借鉴的项目范例，并深入探讨其在不同环境下的推广应用路径； 突出现有和新兴技术：总结现有技术的应用成果，并就如何将新兴技术应用于建筑改造分享见解。 本次活动由国家建筑绿色低碳技术创新中心 (NCTI-GB)、住房和城乡建设部科技与产业化发展中心 (CSTID, MOHURD)、中国质量认证中心（CQC)以及国际能效中心(Energy Efficiency Hub) 联合主办。 论坛由国家建筑绿色低碳技术创新中心和国际能效中心 (Energy Efficiency Hub) 共同承办。 此次线下论坛分为两天，一天为在北京的实地考察，随后将进行为期一天的线下小组会议。本次活动仅限受邀参加，如果您有兴趣参加，请联系国际能效中心秘书处，邮箱： secretariat@energyefficiencyhub.org An English version of the webpage can be accessed here.
Energy Efficiency
DWG
EEB
SEAD
TOP TENs
Event Icon Event
Cross Sector Icon
Cross-Sector
Appliances and Equipment Icon
Appliances and Equipment
Buildings Icon
Buildings

SEAD: Flexibility for Power Systems – How Appliances and Equipment Can Deliver Demand-Response

25 August 2025
As power systems face the fast-growing demand for electricity, flexibility becomes crucial. Meeting that demand requires investment not only in renewable and decarbonised energy supply and in stronger grids, but also in equipment and systems that enable the demand side to deliver this essential flexibility. Demand response is vital for balancing electricity supply and demand, maintaining grid stability, and ensuring that massive electrification of end-uses keeps pace with supply growth. The success of demand-response strategies hinges on regulatory frameworks that ensure appliances and equipment can understand and respond to grid signals. This is especially important for consumers, more of whom will benefit directly from better appliances than from other solutions like batteries and distributed solar generation. The policy options that are currently available can help steer the uptake of demand flexibility, but they must be mainstreamed now into broader strategies for investment in electricity networks worldwide. In this session, SEAD, in partnership with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), offered a platform for high-level participants to express a common understanding of demand-response, its role in flexibility, and the necessity for reflecting this in power system strategies. Participants explored what appliances and equipment must do to deliver this flexibility and the necessary regulatory frameworks for effective demand-response. This session was held in person at the Clean Energy Ministerial in Busan, Korea.
SEAD
Event Icon Event
Cross Sector Icon
Cross-Sector
Buildings Icon
Buildings

Energy Efficiency for Affordable Homes and Workplaces

13 June 2025
Description: This thematic session called attention to key policies and implementation tools underpinning the building sector’s contribution to doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement between now and 2030, and to energy security, affordability, and competitiveness. In the first part of the session, speakers discussed best practices and cases from around the world, exemplifying diverse approaches to lowering the barriers for energy efficiency adoption in buildings. Keynotes were delivered by the IEA and the European Commission. The second part focused on emerging digital solutions that can enhance compliance monitoring, simplify the retrofitting process, facilitate grid connectivity, and collect data. The wrap-up highlighted how the buildings sector can contribute to energy and climate conversations at major international fora including G7, G20, and COP30. The session was coordinated by the Energy Efficiency Hub and the IEA, in association with the European Commission, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, the UK Carbon Trust, the World Green Building Council, and the Partnership for Energy Efficiency in Buildings. About the event: This event took place during the IEA 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, which was co-hosted by the IEA and the European Commission in Brussels on the 12 and 13 June 2025, in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Movement. Further information is available on the event page.
Energy Efficiency
EEB
All events