What is Energieprong?
The Energiesprong program was created by the government of the Netherlands in 2010. Its purpose is to accelerate the retrofitting of existing buildings to become zero-energy buildings. This means it can generate the total amount of its own energy requirements for heating, hot water and electricity.
When the program was launched, it worked with social housing companies and contractors to convert 111,000 houses in the Netherlands. It has since been implemented in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Canada as well.
Principles
The Energiesprong model increases the energy efficiency and indoor comfort of new and existing buildings through the application of five criteria:
1. Performance guaranteed for thirty years.
2. Implementation of solutions is possible in less than one week.
3. Affordability is created through energy savings and reduced maintenance costs.
4. Attractive design with upgraded features.
5. Procuring is based on purchasing housing concepts instead of detailed specifications and drawings.
This can be achieved by using new technologies such as prefabricated facades, insulated rooftops with solar panels, smart heating, and ventilation and cooling installations. A refurbishment comes with a long-year performance warranty on both the indoor climate and the energy performance for up to 40 years. A complete home makeover can be completed in less than 10 days, some have been done in a day!
How does financing work?
In general, an Energiesprong project is financed by future energy cost savings plus the budget for planned maintenance and repairs over the coming 30 years. This allows residents to keep the same cost of living. In the case of housing associations, tenants pay the housing association an energy service plan which is the equivalent of their previous energy supplier bill. The housing association can use this new income stream to partly fund the renovation works.
Energiesprong and BuildUp
At BuildUp, we are very committed to participating in the Energiesprong mission for various reasons:
1. Align with our commitment to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint
By participating in the Energiesprong movement, BuildUp can contribute to making social housing more sustainable, energy neutral and reducing its carbon footprint. This aligns with our commitment to sustainability and our goal of reducing energy consumption and emissions.
2. Fast-track energy-neutral renovation of social housing in Europe
Energiesprong is a program that aims to renovate social housing in Europe to be energy-neutral within a short timeframe. By participating in this project, we can help speed up the process and contribute to making social housing more sustainable.
3. Address the issue of bad insulation and outdated technical installations in social housing
Many social housing buildings in Europe have outdated technical installations and bad insulation, leading to high energy bills and CO2 emissions. Energiesprong's energy-neutral renovation approach makes social housing more energy-efficient.
4. Contribute with our offsite produced panels for faster construction times
Studies have shown that the onsite installation of prefabricated panels takes significantly less time than traditional construction methods. By using offsite-produced panels, we can complete large-scale projects in shorter timeframes and reduce overruns. Additionally, the automation used in the EnergieSprong approach results in lower labour costs, making it more cost-effective.
