In order to ensure the maintenance of our urban historic heritage, urban policies should aim at improving quality of life in historic centres, facilitating the sustainable development and integrating citizens‘ participation into planning processes, focusing on protecting not only the physical fabric but also the social context. Consistent with this ideal, this work points at recommending energy efficiency strategies for the historic city. E2CH (?Energy Efficiency for the Historic Town?) project arises from the concept that historical cities could be handled as a reference model for contemporary urban development. One of its main goals is to improve knowledge of energy performances within the historic centre as a system, studying the efficiency and adaptability of traditional buildings to the environment. The project has developed a comprehensive methodology and different tools for the diagnosis, the decision making, the implementation of solutions and the subsequent management of energy at urban-scale. The case study of this project is Santiago de Compostela. For the past 17 years the Consortium of Santiago has been a pioneer in the design and development of programs for the rehabilitation of the historic city and the improvement of its liveability, respecting its assets represented by their historic dwellings.