Citizen-led renovation initiatives can make a real difference in remote regions

In recent years, Estonia has made real progress in the renovation field — especially on apartment buildings — and is developing interesting approaches like serial renovation. But the scale and pace of this process still need to increase significantly to meet the 2030 and 2050 targets.

The country’s long-term renovation strategy envisions renovating a total of 54 million m² of buildings by 2050. Additionally, a National Renovation Plan will be ready by the end of 2026 and, from 2030 onward, all newly built structures must be zero-emission buildings. 

Uku Loide, Energy Efficiency and Project Manager at the Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA) - one of the enablers of the Support Service for Citizen-led Renovation (CLR) - tells us about the challenges face by the West Estonian islands, which – in addition to the usual constraint – experience even higher prices than the mainland and need to keep the small community together and attractive for the new generations.

How is the state of the art of building renovation in Estonia and the West islands in particular?

Estonia has set ambitious national goals for renovating its building stock and improving energy efficiency. Most apartment building renovation projects are supported through national reconstruction grants managed by EIS/KredEx, which provide an important financial framework. But, for smaller rural and island communities, the biggest challenge is often not the lack of motivation — it is the complexity of the process itself. Apartment associations need to understand technical documentation, grant conditions, loans, procurement procedures, and long-term financial planning. For many residents, this can feel overwhelming.

This is where citizen-led renovation becomes especially important. In Estonia, apartment buildings are already managed through apartment associations, which means communities are used to collective decision-making. Citizen-led renovation builds on this existing structure by helping residents work together, understand their options, and take ownership of the renovation process.

The West Estonian islands are often seen as peaceful and beautiful places to live, but island communities also face very practical challenges. Many apartment buildings were built during the Soviet period and today need major renovation. Energy prices remain a sensitive issue, construction costs are higher than on the mainland, and finding contractors is often difficult because of distance and logistics. At the same time, small communities want to remain active, liveable and attractive for future generations. Here, renovation is not only about reducing energy use. It is also about improving indoor comfort, reducing energy poverty, strengthening cooperation between neighbours, and ensuring that smaller villages remain viable places to live.

What’s the core purpose of the EISEA?

The EISEA works across the West Estonian Archipelago, including Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Vormsi, Kihnu, and Ruhnu. Our mission is to support islands in becoming more energy-efficient, resilient, and low-carbon communities. We act as a regional energy advisory structure and provide one-stop-shop-type support for apartment associations and municipalities.

Our role is to help communities move from the first renovation idea to a realistic and implementable project. This includes energy audits, technical advice, support with grant applications, renovation scenarios, financing guidance, communication with residents, and coordination between different stakeholders. For many communities, trusted local support is essential because renovation projects involve long-term financial commitments and complex technical decisions.

Who are the communities you will work with?

Within the Citizen-led Renovation project (CLR), we are working with several island communities whose need for renovation is clear and where residents are ready to cooperate.

One pilot area is Aste in Saaremaa, where three associations managing buildings with 18 apartment face similar technical problems. Instead of treating each building separately, the community is interested in a neighbourhood-based approach with shared planning and joint learning.

Another pilot community is Suuremõisa in Hiiumaa, where 5 apartment buildings are involved in the initiative. Residents are working towards stronger cooperation between apartment associations and exploring common solutions for heating, ventilation and outdoor infrastructure.

Which challenges do your communities need to tackle?

The communities face several shared challenges. Many buildings suffer from poor insulation, outdated heating systems and weak ventilation, which leads to high energy costs and uncomfortable indoor conditions. Financing is another concern, especially because incomes in island communities are often lower while construction costs are higher than in urban areas. The contractor market is also limited, which makes professional local support even more important.

The communities will work on both technical and social aspects of renovation. On the technical side, the focus is on deep energy renovation: insulation, new windows and doors, heating and ventilation upgrades, renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and battery storage. At the same time, communities will also focus on communication, resident engagement and decision-making processes. Building trust and ensuring that residents understand the benefits and risks of renovation is essential for successful long-term projects.

Why do you think citizen-led renovation initiatives are important in your local context?

Citizen-led renovation initiatives are especially important in island regions because traditional market-based renovation services do not always work well in small and remote communities. Large commercial companies usually prefer simple and profitable projects, while island renovation projects are often smaller and logistically more complicated. Communities, therefore, need local organisations that understand both the technical side of renovation and the everyday realities of island life.

Citizen-led renovation also gives people a stronger sense of ownership. When residents are involved in the planning and decision-making process, they are more willing to support ambitious renovation projects and long-term change. In the West Estonian islands, renovation is closely connected to wider regional development goals: keeping villages attractive, improving living conditions and helping both young families and elderly residents remain in their communities.

What are your expectations from CLR III?

Through CLR, EISEA hopes to develop a practical and replicable renovation model for island and rural communities. We want to strengthen our methods for community engagement, technical assistance and financing guidance while learning from other European partners facing similar challenges.

At the same time, we believe we can contribute valuable experience to the consortium. The West Estonian islands provide an important perspective on how citizen-led renovation can work in small, remote and geographically challenging regions. We can share practical lessons about supporting apartment associations, adapting national support schemes to rural communities, engaging residents and combining technical assistance with one-stop-shop-type services.

Our ambition is to make the West Estonian islands a practical learning ground for citizen-led renovation in rural and island Europe. If renovation models can succeed in small island communities with limited markets and difficult logistics, they can also provide useful lessons for many other regions across Europe.