Companies’ partnership develops high quality net zero energy products
Seven companies have joined forces to develop new technologies for high quality, swift to install zero energy products with long term guaranteed performance. The project is called ES’OPE and is inspired by the Energiesprong approach, which helped to change renovation practices in the Netherlands. ES’OPE is an abbreviation of ‘Energiesprong by Operene’.
The ES’OPE research and development project is supported by the Program of Investments for the Future (PIA) operated by ADEME and has officially started this month! The project is led by a consortium of companies: Chanel (project coordinator), Enertech, Eolya, IRFTS, Lorillard, Operene, Rosaz and the Liten laboratory CEA Tech (see also this pdf). Each company brings a unique specialism such as insulated facades, windows, low carbon heating solutions or ventilation. The ES’OPE project aims to jointly develop high quality solutions to accelerate the renovation of individual and collective housing in France.
Inspired by Energiesprong
The idea to start the ES’OPE project first came because duplicating a Netherlands style Energiesprong retrofit alone would not have been acceptable for the French market.
Hugo Vigneron, General Manager of Operene, says, “When we saw Energiesprong retrofits in the Netherlands we immediately saw that these would need to be adapted for France. For example, building regulations would not allow polyurethane foam insulation around windows in France. Anticipating higher environmental standards, the embodied energy in materials was also a concern we felt should be taken into account.”
Proud
Developed at Operene’s initiative, and officially launched in May 2018, the project will be spread over 5 years on a budget of € 10.9 million (including € 4.4 million financed by ADEME). Hugo Vigneron is excited that the network of SMEs has secured government support. He says “We’re really proud to show that despite the common beliefs, it is possible for SMEs to develop Research & Development (R&D) projects and have access to specific funding.”
New technologies lead to a complete high quality renovation offer
The heart of the project lies in the development of new technologies that will respond to objectives of: zero consumption after use, a guarantee of long energy performance (20 to 30 years) and fast installation (one week for an individual house). The project will start with a technology development stage, followed by a trialling and testing phase carried out in CEA laboratories. Demonstrators will then be effected after this, on buildings representative of the target market. The plan is to retrofit a mix of individual homes and apartment blocks using the solutions most suitable for rollout across France.
Architectural integration, a social approach to renovation, as well as the models, will all be integrated into the project in order to achieve a complete net zero energy renovation offer.
For a short description of the joined companies download this PDF
