9. September 2025

Social leasing of heat pumps: Bridging the affordability gap for energy-efficient housing

As Europe seeks to meet its climate and energy goals, transitioning to energy-efficient homes has become a critical step. However, for many households, the upfront costs of installing clean technologies like heat pumps remain a significant barrier. This is especially true for those in social housing, where energy poverty is a growing issue. With LIFE Street HP Reno, we’re focusing on a street-wide approach to retrofitting homes with heat pumps. But with the growing interest in social...

Remember this award-winning project from 2016 in Groningen?

thomas409661
Mar 17, 2021
2 min read

Let us take you back to this net zero energy renovation concept for stacked construction by Dura Vermeer that has won the Sustainable Building Award.

Commissioned by housing organisation Lefier, Dura Vermeer in Groningen has renovated two blocks of terraced houses from the 1960s to net zero energy: 24 homes on the Voermanstraat and 24 homes on the Pleiadenlaan. They are the first apartment buildings houses in the Netherlands that have been improved in this way. A unique project!

More comfortable living conditions for the same money

The tenants now live in a sustainable, comfortable, well-insulated house. A big advantage is that the housing costs do not increase with constant use. From now on, the amount that the tenant normally spends on energy consumption will be paid partly to the housing association and partly to his energy supplier. Partly because of this, Lefier can pay for such a major renovation on the house.

Home interventions

A large number of measures have been taken to make the homes energy neutral. The most drastic thing is that the house is completely "wrapped up". This means that a completely new front and rear facade has been placed in front of the existing facade. These new facade elements are fully equipped with wooden frames and brick slips. There is triple glazing in the frames. To bear the weight of the extra facade, new foundation beams have been installed around the entire complex. The balcony at the rear of the house has been closed to create an interior balcony. New, insulated roof plates, fitted with solar panels, have been installed on the roof. A new entrance patio with mailbox and awning has also been installed. Since the renovation, the houses no longer have a gas connection. Solar panels provide the energy.

Most important elements:

Frames with triple glazing
40 year performance guarantee
Insulating roof plates containing solar panels
A solar water heater
New entrance patio with mailbox and awning
Balconies are closed with sliding windows so that the balconies can also be 'closed' for extra insulation.
24 solar panels per household, with an annual yield of approximately 6,800 kWh
The air capacity of this heat recovery unit is 210 m³ per hour at 200 Pa
the RC value is on average 7
Residents could enjoy a renovated home within 10 working days