Circular Rehabilitation for Energy Poverty: Lessons from Social Housing in Europe

Energy poverty affects millions globally, limiting access to essential heating, cooling, and energy services, particularly in vulnerable communities. While traditional renovation strategies focus on energy efficiency upgrades, they often neglect material sustainability and lifecycle impacts. This study explores how integrating circular economy (CE) principles, such as material reuse, modularity, and design for disassembly, into building renovation can offer a dual solution: alleviating energy poverty while reducing environmental burdens. Through qualitative analysis of two European case studies, Super Circular Estate and Circular Retrofit Lab, this research identifies best practices, implementation barriers, and the long-term potential of circular rehabilitation. Results show that circular strategies can reduce embodied carbon, promote local resource utilisation, and empower communities through inclusive and sustainable design. However, significant financial, regulatory, and technical challenges remain. This paper argues that combining circularity with energy efficiency is both feasible and essential for achieving equitable and resilient housing. By reframing building rehabilitation as a tool for both environmental regeneration and social justice, circular approaches can accelerate the just energy transition in underserved areas.