Typologies of Business Models of Integrated Home Renovation Services: Accelerating Energy Efficient Renovations for Homeowners Associations in The Low Countries and France

The need for energy efficient buildings has become increasingly important in the context of climate change mitigation. Across the European Union (EU), 41,2% of the population resides in multiple ownership apartment buildings with figures rising in some countries as high as 65%. A majority of these buildings are in need of energy renovation....

Data encounters in renovated homes: Sense-making beyond displays

There is an increasing acknowledgement of the role of residents in the success of low- or zero-energy renovations. One of the approaches to improve this factor is by influencing resident behaviour by means of devices for feedback on consumption. The goal of these systems is to help residents make sense of the relation between their actions and...

Chances for the upscaling of living-cost neutral renovations in the Netherlands

Many multi-owned condominiums need an energy renovation, but in practice the number of such renovations is low. Dutch policy emphasizes the need to search for cost-neutral renovation solutions. This study therefore examined how the number of living-cost neutral renovations of buildings owned by assemblies of homeowners in the Netherlands can be...

Policy instruments for energy-efficient renovations at district level

IEA EBC Annex 75 aims to investigate, amongst other policy for reducing carbon emissions and energy use in buildings at district level, combining both energy efficiency measures and renewable energy measures. Particularly policy instruments deployed at the local level targeting owners and investors could increase residential building renovation...

Neighbourhood consultancy centres for the adoption of low-carbon technologies by homeowners: Experiences from Dutch initiatives

Frontrunner local authorities aim to achieve a market acceleration in the owner-occupied single-family home renovation sector by increasing awareness of – and enabling access to – low-carbon technologies in residential target areas. With their easy availability, adaptability, and possible mobility, pop-up consultancy desks can provide local...

The Progress of Energy Renovations of Housing in the Netherlands

The European Union formulated high ambitions of energy reductions to be realised in the built environment. The existing housing stock covers a major share of energy use and is seen as high potential to contribute to the savings. This should be realised in the first place by reducing the energy demand for heating by renovation of the existing...

Experiences of consortia for scaling up nearly zero-energy renovations of single-family homes

On average 64 % of the dwellings in Europe are owner-occupied. Although there is an enormous potential to reduce their energy use and hence CO2 emissions, the current average renovation rate is just around 1,2 %. The development of one-stop-shops is expected to increase the market uptake of home renovation. Developing emerging frontrunner...

Supply-side collaboration for energy-efficient renovations

The supply side for nearly zero energy building (nZEB) renovation of owner-occupied single-family houses in Europe is suffering from a severe image problem of lack of knowledge and trust, inefficient construction processes, insufficient quality assurance and communication difficulties with home-owners. Research was done in Austria, Belgium,...

Renovating a Fusee Ceramique Barrel Vault

This paper describes a proposal to renovate a Fusee Ceramique Barrel Vault with steel diagonals In 1956 two workshops, varying in height and span, were built in Wormerveer, The Netherlands. Both workshops were roofed with a concrete barrel vault with a thickness of 110 mm. The cylindrical vaults were constructed with Fusée Ceramique elements. A...

2nd Skin approach to zero energy rental properties: Occupancy patterns to improve energy simulation

A number of second skin solutions have been developed in recent years to solve the problem of large scale renovation of housing. The 2ndSkin approach presented in this paper is currently under development by a consortium of academic and industry partners in the Netherlands. The objective of the 2ndSkin project is to develop a strategy for an...

Progress of energy reduction in the Dutch non-profit housing sector

The European Union formulated high ambitions of energy reductions to be realised in the built environment. The existing housing stock covers a major share of energy use and is seen as high potential to contribute to the savings. This should be realised in the first place by reducing the energy demand for heating by renovation of the existing...

The role of the architect in integrated contracts for social housing renovations in the Netherlands

The use of integrated contracts in the Dutch construction sector has increased in recent years. Integrated contracts presume facilitating a much more effective process than traditional delivery methods leading to reduced cost and time and higher quality. In first instance this type of contracts was only used for large and complex infrastructure...

One Stop Shop: Development of Supply Chain Collaboration for Integrated Housing Retrofit

Developing an integrated offer for sustainable renovations

Within an ERANET-ERACOBUILD project, this study investigates the opportunities and barriers to establish a “one stop shop” with an integrated supply side, to counteract the fragmented offer in sustainable renovation of single-family houses and to increase the level of knowledge, skills and innovations. Aspects of providing reliable information...

Challenges and opportunities of the passive house concept for retrofit

For newly built houses and renovations European and national ambitions prescribe increasing levels of energy performances, even including achieving the passive house standard, net zero energy or carbon neutral houses. For highly energy-efficient renovation, project information from first demonstration projects is now becoming available. This...

Paradigm shift or choke? The future of the Western European housing stock

The 20th century saw an enormous worldwide growth of the housing stock. In particular the building boom after WW-II, during which the housing stock in most countries was multifolded, focussed the attention of the housing sector primarily to the planning and realisation of new construction; the consciousness of the enormous maintenance and...

Upgrade or replace?: The effect of the EPBD on the choice between improvement or replacement

What is better: improvement or replacement by new construction? The choice between life cycle extension and replacement of existing buildings is at itself a vital but very difficult decision, involving a wide range of different aspects and affecting several contrary and often conflicting interests. The emerging ecological awareness of the...

The search for the most eco-efficient strategies for sustainable housing transformations