Renovation Goes Wireless: Inside the Innovation Powering Europe's Retrofit Decade

Raimondo Salandra, Business Line Leader, Home Solutions

Why Europe’s renovation transition needs professional‑grade wireless - and how ABB‑free@home® is removing cost, complexity, and compatibility barriers for installers and homeowners alike.

Europe is racing to decarbonize a legacy building stock that is inefficient and energy‑hungry: around 85 percent of EU buildings were built before 2000, and roughly 75 percent have poor energy performance. Yet the annual energy renovation rate still hovers near 1 percent

This mismatch is why the EU’s Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024/1275) aims to accelerate upgrades, phase out fossil‑heating incentives, and set national renovation trajectories, with transposition due by May 2026.¹ ²

The Renovation Wave’s headline ambition - 35 million building renovations by 2030 - is not just a climate target; it reflects economic and social priorities tied to lower bills and improved comfort. Buildings account for around 40 percent of EU energy use and over one‑third of energy‑related emissions.³ ⁴

What this means for renovation: upgrades must be faster, less intrusive, and more affordable, while enabling smart control that visibly lowers consumption. Professional‑grade wireless systems are poised to unlock this shift - especially when combined with sustainability‑centric product design.

The reality on the ground: trends & barriers in Europe’s retrofit market

Demand is strong: Europe’s home remodeling market is now estimated above $150B and growing, with energy‑efficient retrofits a major contributor. Wireless smart home adoption continues to expand across the region.⁵
Labor is tight: Installers face a continent‑wide skills shortage, with tens of thousands of unfilled electrician roles and nearly six in ten installers citing labor constraints.⁶
Policy pressure is rising: The EPBD recast introduces new performance pathways, promotes digital‑ready “smart” renovations, and requires the phase‑out of certain fossil‑heating incentives in member state plans.¹ ²
Costs still matter: With energy prices still elevated compared to pre‑crisis levels, households are increasingly seeking upgrades that reduce running costs without major construction.³
Bottom line: Europe needs wireless‑first renovation solutions that shorten installation time, scale from single rooms to whole homes, and integrate energy‑smart features - without locking users into one ecosystem.

Wireless installations equate to faster and less intrusive installations

ABB‑free@home®: a renovation‑ready blueprint

Across Europe’s aging building stock, the renovation challenge demands solutions that are fast to install, minimally intrusive, and capable of scaling from simple upgrades to full‑home automation. ABB’s free@home® Wireless ecosystem is designed precisely for this context - preserving interiors while introducing intelligent control that reduces waste and boosts comfort.

At the center is the System Access Point 3.0 Wireless (SysAP 3.0 WL), which transforms a small wireless upgrade into a fully orchestrated smart‑home solution. It provides secure remote access, a streamlined user experience, and an open path to emerging standards including Matter and Thread - ensuring systems evolve with homeowner needs and regulatory expectations.

ABB-free@home® System Access Point for a truely connected home

Wireless essentials, without the complexity

Wireless control of lighting, shading, and temperature delivers immediate energy and comfort benefits - without structural works or rewiring. These categories consistently provide the fastest wins in renovation, helping households cut unnecessary heating/cooling, manage solar gain more effectively, and simplify everyday operation.

For installers, devices that integrate with existing switches or operate independently of wiring enable work to be completed in hours, not days - a crucial advantage amid labor shortages and accelerating demand.

Built to scale and stay open

Europe’s retrofit wave requires technology that ages well and interoperates widely. free@home® is designed to do exactly that, through:

Scalable wireless mesh that grows from small projects to whole‑home logic.
Remote‑ready cloud services that reduce site visits and support installers with diagnostics and updates.
Open‑ecosystem compatibility via optional Matter and Thread capabilities, allowing homeowners to use or expand their preferred platform.

This ensures today's renovations stay connected, compliant, and adaptable as EPBD implementation progresses across member states.

ABB-free@home® connected home for smart control

Sustainable materials meet sustainable renovation

Wireless retrofit capability is only one part of the story. ABB’s wiring accessory families integrate sustainability directly into aesthetic upgrades:

SAGA (ABB): made with bio‑circular materials and manufactured in ABB’s Mission to Zero™ net‑zero factory in Porvoo.
Busch‑art linear® (Busch‑Jaeger): produced from up to 98% recycled polycarbonate, achieving significant CO₂ savings and aligning with Cradle‑to‑Cradle principles.

Together, these ranges support low‑impact renovations that preserve a unified architectural style.

Built for installers, valued by homeowners

For professionals: faster job cycles, fewer callbacks through remote service capabilities, and confidence that installations align with evolving European energy requirements.
For homeowners: comfort that adapts to weather and routine, visibility over energy use, and freedom to choose the platform that suits them - without lock‑in.

Market pulse: why wireless will anchor Europe’s renovation wave

Policy & funding tailwinds. The Renovation Wave aims to double renovation rates across Europe and mobilize national and EU‑level funding toward scalable, repeatable upgrades.¹
Wireless-led smart home growth. Market analyses indicate that wireless technologies now dominate smart home shipments across Europe.⁵
Energy & affordability. Renovation remains central to addressing energy poverty, and digital/automation layers amplify efficiency through everyday optimization.³ ⁴
Industry direction. Themes for events such as Light + Building 2026 highlight the shift toward smart, sustainable, connected solutions.⁷

This is ABB’s “Inside the Innovation” in action: wireless solutions that behave like a reliable backbone, service tools that support the trade, and open standards that respect customer choice - positioning Europe’s renovation decade to be faster, smarter, and more sustainable.

Footnotes