Target groups
Article April 2020
Tenants as ambassadors
This year, housing corporation Domijn in the Netherlands will provide three showcase houses that are completely renovated according to the new 'INDU-ZERO standard'. This way we can show housing corporations, contractors and other interested parties what we can make on a large scale: a renovation package for energy neutral homes, at an affordable price. Of course tenants will benefit from the INDU-ZERO approach as well.They will soon become our most important ambassadors.
Quick and easy
The houses can be completely renovated in just 2 days. The work is largely done on the outside of the house. Smart solutions for heating, ventilation and power generation in the façades and roof are being used. There is hardly any work to be done on the inside of the house. Which means that residents don’t have to leave their house during the renovation.
Brand new again
After the renovation the old façades won’t be visible anymore. It’s like a coat that is placed over the existing house that makes it look brand new again. The old window-frames are being removed and the new façade with new window-frames will be placed in front of the old façade. The inside is equipped with a window-sill and a new finish. Optimal ventilation will improve the indoor climate substantially. Moisture, draughts and mustiness will no longer occur. An additional advantage is that the insulating façade is also sound-damping.
Affordable housing costs
As a housing association, affordable housing is very important to us. We want to make sure that tenants don’t have to pay more on total housing costs (rent and energy) than they did before renovation. We want to secure this in a so-called energy performance fee. We will also offer our tenants the services of an energy coach, who can assist them lo live as sustainable as possible. If they succeed, we can assure them that their energy costs will drop considerably. Which is beneficial for all parties involved.
Future ambassadors
Tenants can live in a house that is updated for years to come. It looks brand new again, a comfortable and healthy living environment that it’s comfortable to live in that is energy neutral and gas-free.This way we all contribute to the climate agreements now and in the future. We therefore assume that our tenants will soon be our most important ambassadors.
Contribution by Pascal ten Berge, senior project manager, Domijn, the Netherlands
Article February 2020
Test homes for renovation packages in six countries
INDU-ZERO is working on the criteria and requirements that the renovation packages must meet. And naturally they also have to be tested. For this purpose test homes are selected in the six participating countries. In the Netherlands the first so-called showcases should be completed at the end of 2020. It is intended that in 2020 and 2021 test dwellings are also designated in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway. The results of the tests will be incorporated into the prototype of the renovation package and are also decisive for the design of the factories.
Sustainability and lower residential expenses
At the moment housing corporation Domijn is preparing for the showcases in the Netherlands. Pascal ten Berge, project partner and senior project manager: "Domijn is the only Dutch housing corporation participating in the project. By doing so we want to contribute to a more sustainable world and keep the living expenses for our tenants as low as possible. For the showcase we are going to select three single-family homes that were built in the sixties and seventies, an end house and two intermediate dwellings. Of course we have to make good arrangements with the residents. In addition, we are talking to the municipality to facilitate the licensing procedure. We have to deal with all sorts of rules and procedures such as criteria for buildings and asbestos issues if applicant. "
Advanced insights
During the project we continually have to take into account new developments and advanced insights. Pascal: "In the Netherlands we are currently dealing with new nitrogen standards and noise requirements for heat pumps. In addition, the developments of used materials and installations in the renovation packages also keep changing. It is important that we always use the latest insights and strictest demands so that we can eventually build factories that meet all standards. "
Face challenges together~
According to Pascal, an affordable end product is one of the most important success factors: "Considering the scale that we are dealing with and the rising construction costs, standardization is inevitable. This can only be realized if we face the challenges together and we are willing to invest. The costs for the renovation packages can be lowered and we will be able to renovate 22 million houses towards energy neutral in an innovative way. In order to do so we have to think outside the box. In the end we all have to work with fixed budgets and the renovation packages have to be produced within those given frameworks. This is the common goal of the project."
Article June 2019
The 5 sustainability challenges for housing associations
Housing associations are facing huge challenges in the coming years to make their housing stock sustainable before 2050. The current renovation solutions like Zero on the Meter and other initiatives are far too expensive and cannot accommodate the capacity to improve all homes in time. What are the challenges that housing corporations struggle with and what are there solutions to the problem?
1. With current approach tenants will not be able to afford their energy costs and rent
Because of the continuing increasing energy costs, tenants can eventually no longer pay their rent. Energy poverty is a widespread problem across Europe, as between 50 and 125 million peopleare unable to afford clean indoor thermal comfort. How can we prevent this situation from happening?
2. Current approach makes investments too big
In urban areas, there is already a shortage of social housing. The number of single to 2 person households increases (household dilution). In addition, people are urged to live independently as long as possible. So the next few years corporations are being encouraged to build additional properties and new houses. At the same time existing houses have to be made sustainable. How can we make sure that both sustainable renovations and building new houses can be done?
3. Current project focus prevents major sustainability transition
Because of the continuous stacking of measures, the necessary big steps are not being made. The only way to do this is to unite forces and invest in long term developments in regard to product development, production facilities and industrialization, leading to substantially lower prices and better products. How can we make sure that forces are being united to be able to reach the climate agreements?
4. Serious shortage of work force available now and in the future
The construction industry is dealing with a serious shortage of labour that will only increase during the years to come. This calls for more standardized ways of production and renovations. How can we do that?
5. Current project focus will not lead to required mass production
The current project-based approach of housing associations is too expensive and too small. Corporations will have to take a different role as a client. No longer per project with invitations to tender and own programs of requirements. But more widespread daring to think and act in construction flows rather than project flows. This means more cooperation with other corporations and investing in multi-annual pathways. How can we make sure that housing associations are willing to look over their own boundaries and walls?
Webinar 26 June
Want to know more about these challenges and how INDU-ZERO offers solutions to the problems? Join our webinar on the 26th June! You can subscribe by using this link: https://sir.webinargeek.com/challenges-housing-associations
Contribution: Rutger Vrielink, Pioneering, the Netherlands and John Slot, Domijn, the Netherlands
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Article March 2019
Norwegian wood
Bodø municipality are partners in Induzero to test out new groundbreaking methods of renovation in order to meet the demands of national authorities and the EU's energy and climate goals. To prepare the citizens, the construction industry and also the municipality for the realization of the new zero emission neighborhood Bodø is carrying out major development projects with the vision to build a smart and sustainable city, now and in the future. A new district will be built from the bottom and the municipality has great ambitions for what is one of Norway's largest regional development projects.
Norwegian construction practice is characterized by a high degree of wood construction and wood elements. Wood is a renewable and climate-friendly raw material that is increasingly demanded. The national government in Norway aims to increase the use of wood to accomplice the 2050 targets.
The development of for example laminated timber has opened new possibilities for the use of wood. The past 20 years have seen a rapid development in glulam technology, both in relation to large spans and hubs. A number of national and Nordic development programs and projects have contributed to this. We see the results in large buildings in Norway such as the national airport Gardermoen.
Bodø municipality is a partner and pilot area in the FME ZEN, which is a power center for research on environmentally friendly energy. With a pilot area in a new district, the municipality, together with ZEN, will be able to create a fully-fledged future zero-emission neighborhood in a new district. It will be a future-oriented and energy- and climate-friendly new district. This requires solid expertise on energy and climate, and not least about the interaction between energy systems and different buildings techniques and materials.
Contribution: Marianne Bahr, Bodø Kommune, Norway