The housing-energy nexus
1 in 10 Europeans experiences housing conditions, which fall under the concept of energy poverty, meaning they are unable to adequately heat their homes in winter, or keep cool summer. At the same time, housing costs continue to rise: between 2010 and 2024, housing prices increased by 53%, while rental prices increased by 25%, placing increasing pressure on vulnerable households.
Addressing energy poverty requires solutions that connect housing policy, energy systems, and social protection. Across Europe, cities, communities, and local organisations are already testing practical responses under PREFIGURE — from new models for community energy to initiatives aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing household energy costs. PREFIGURE’s Prototypes of Change present 15 innovative real-life responses to the issue of energy-housing precarity across 8 countries: Estonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Find out more about them in Sofia!
corner <Science> to meet you! in Sofia
Following its debut at KIT Science Week in October 2025, the corner <Science> to meet you! installation will arrive in Sofia from 20 to 22 April, located just across the National Palace of Culture. Built from two repurposed office containers, corner is a vibrant space which serves as a venue for discussion, workshops, and public engagement around climate, energy, and housing challenges.
Visitors will engage with immersive installations on the future of climate, learn more about the current renewable energy technology and explore the working solutions on alleviating energy poverty and securing access to fair housing in Europe.
Additional activities will include:
- High-level policy roundtable on housing and energy affordability in Bulgaria;
- Free energy consultations from the Bulgarian-Austrian Consultancy Company;
- Presentation on the first energy community in Sofia (Sofia Energy Agency);
- Dedicated sessions on energy poverty and energy independence, hosted by WWF Bulgaria and Greenpeace Bulgaria)
- An exclusive live podcast discussion with the Mayor of Sofia (Niki+Tsetso).
All visitors are welcome!
The tour
The exhibition is curated by the Institute for Regional Science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and is part of a European tour that will continue to:
- 24-29 April | Thessaloniki, Greece
- 13-14 May | Barcelona, Spain
- 2-4 June | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 11-13 June| Copenhagen, Denmark
- 23-25 June | Karlsruhe, Germany
- TBD: September | Tartu, Estonia
©Laura Bosch