The Vilogia and ICF Habitat housing associations are the first in France to retrofit 10 demonstrator houses to Net Zero Energy (NZE). Before starting, Vilogia spent one year working with team members from both Energiesprong Netherlands and Energiesprong France – GreenFlex to retransmit and adapt the revolutionary Dutch retrofitting model to the French market. The first demonstrator houses will be realised in December 2017 in northern France. A year of learning and sharing knowledge “ The first year was all about learning and sharing knowledge”, says Agnieszka Bogucka, project manager at Vilogia. “We were comparing the situation between the Netherlands and France in regard to financial, legal and contextual matters so we could point out obstacles and opportunities. The Dutch contribution of experience and knowledge was very valuable. We met Dutch social housing companies and solution providers and exchanged a lot of ideas about communication. We learned a lot from the enormous work the Dutch Energiesprong has done in relation to Net Zero Energy make-overs.” "Today  the French team aims to continue its work and deliver 10 prime quality demonstrator houses. “We can do this due to the Interreg funds we have received”, says Agnieszka. “We want to show that what is done in the Netherlands is possible here too, in our French context. It will be a challenge, though. And at the same time, we will continue our feasibility study on legal aspects and work on how to deploy this solution on a larger market and larger housing stock.” Ten houses in a row The 10 selected houses are very similar to the Dutch houses that have already been retrofitted. They were constructed in the 1960s and built in a row. “We chose the same type of houses as the ones our Dutch partners worked on”, says Agnieszka. “They are very common here in the north of France. Because these French houses are very much like the houses in the Netherlands, it will be interesting to compare results with regard to the applicability of the industrial solutions, energy performance and the duration of the refurbishment.” “ We made several trips to Holland to get inspired by the huge amount of work that has already been done by Energiesprong!” continues Agnieszka. “And of course our aim – like the Dutch, I guess – is to deploy the French NZE solution to collective dwellings, which form the largest part of our housing stock.” The tender call is set! The call for tenders for the 10 houses was issued in October 2016. In the first phase, Vilogia pre-selected solution providers that have the capacity and knowledge to engage in such a project. The next step was to give them more specifications. As Agnieszka notes: “Our aim was to limit the complexity of the specifications as much as possible. So, we’ve set a clear goal: an NZE product that comes with a performance guarantee for 25 years, a construction solution that can be industrialised and limited construction time on the site. We want the solution provider to tell us how they will make this happen!” Vilogia will choose the solution provider in early 2017. “ In the first year, Energiesprong France – GreenFlex invited all possible parties to share information about this project”, says Agnieszka. “Most of the solution providers travelled to the Netherlands to see Dutch realisations, so we hope they know what we expect!” The tenants What do the tenants know about the plan? “Tenants are told there will be a retrofit, but they don’t know the details yet”, Agnieszka explains. “First we need to know what their problems are regarding the houses. They have told us, for instance, that it is cold inside due to poor insulation. So we explained we are looking into possibilities to fix this. Once we have chosen the solution provider to work with, we will organise a meeting and explain our exact plans to the tenants.” Keep it simple “ I really like the way the Dutch deal with their tenants”, says Agnieszka. “I like for instance that they help tenants to buy new pans that are suitable for the electric stove when they cut the gas system. Or, that tenants themselves can choose the colour of their new kitchen. Things like this make the tenants’ lives a bit easier during the refurbishment and they feel they are participating in the set-up of their own ‘new’ home. I also learned to keep it simple. Tenants are not interested in all the complicated technical details. You need to explain everything clearly and simply. In this way we create a relationship, and we build this project together. Our task is to inform them, so they can understand clearly what the project is all about.” Enthusiasm and scepticism Agnieszka is already very enthusiastic about the project. Is everybody that excited in France? “Some solution providers are really eager and motivated to participate, and Vilogia was also very excited from the beginning”, she says. “However, some people who came to meetings organised by Energiesprong France – GreenFlex, were still sceptical. They do not think the Net Zero retrofit can be done that fast in France. But it is a usual reaction: everything is new and different and this makes people afraid. That is why building those prototypes in France is so important. We need to show the example, we need to try and learn. And if we have to, we will bring the people who are sceptical to the Netherlands once more, so they can see with their own eyes that it works. We keep on talking about the project and we keep on motivating people!”

Something special is happening in Friesland. Friesian housing corporations and contractors are teaming up to deliver large scale Net Zero Energy (NZE) home renovations. Housing association Elkien has taken the initiative to bring three large contractors together to develop a sound, affordable Net Zero Energy concept. Killing two birds with one stone Housing association Elkien has taken the lead in initiating this productive cooperation for innovation. Managing director Alex Bonnema explains his vision of how it could all come together. “There is obviously a lot going on in the area of energy transition. We are aware that in 15 years the natural gas in the Netherlands will be gone and we are looking to move away form fossil fuels. Elkien's goal is to keep our rental properties affordable, and that means that rental and energy prices mustn't fluctuate. In addition to this we have an ageing population in Friesland. This trend looks set to continue, so we also want to address this challenge. Net Zero Energy provides us with an opportunity to address these issues in combination. With a sound and affordable concept, we can transition around 15,000 of our dwellings to Net Zero Energy without needing to raise housing costs (rent + energy costs). But Net Zero Energy also ensures that the housing costs remain stable into the future, and on the side we can simultaneously refit 80% of these homes with technology to meet simple aged care needs.” In for the long haul Bonnema acknowledges that this approach is not possible using short term solutions and is looking to establish long lasting collaborations, local to Friesland. “We aim to keep our housing costs under €620 per month for renters. Market providers will need to innovate to achieve this ( with Net Zero Energy for example) but in order to innovate they need a long term strategy. This will require a certain economy of scale and a combination of local talent. You have to be in for the long haul, otherwise you only get short term solutions that fall short. We're aiming, together with the contractors, for long term innovations.” Joining forces To develop the Net Zero Energy concept to its full potential will require cooperation, so Elkien has invited the three largest contractors in the area to share their knowledge; Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, Van Wijnen and Jorritsma Bouw. “You have to build an alliance, otherwise everyone just looks out for themselves. These three parties each have their own strengths and the art is to combine them as effectively as possible.” Contractors offer a peek at their innovations One of the contractors embracing the project is Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma. “We want to make a difference across the board” explains Biense Dijkstra, director of Dijkstra Draisma. And that is exactly what they have done. Over a period of two months, all three businesses involved have met with each other at least once per week. They have further taken the exceptional step of letting each other in on their latest developments. That is new in the building world. “Yes, that was certainly exciting” says Dijkstra. “You actually exchange your latest innovations, and whilst this is unusual, we have all taken the plunge. Through this process it becomes clear where each other's strengths lie”. For example, Dijkstra Draisma has been innovative when it comes to facades and even uses robots to install stone veneer. Van Wijnen has already developed a core energy product with performance guarantees and Jorritsma has innovated most in the domain of logistics and feels right at home working in earthquake zones. Dijkstra is convinced that “by bringing these innovations together we can deliver the best and most affordable NZE product”. The Net Zero Energy concept that has arisen out of this collaboration is offered to Elkien with a guarantee that the price of the NZE renovations will drop still a further 20%! “Of course, the guarantee that the price will drop is fantastic” says Bonnema. Local government also comes to the table The housing corporations are offering an economy of scale and the contractors a top concept, but the collaboration doesn't stop there. Four local councils in the region where many of Elkien's properties are located have also joined the initiative; Leeuwarden City Council, and the councils of Súdwest Fryslân, Heerenveen and Smallingerland. “These four councils have a sustainable vision which they don't only want to talk about, but also to realise on the ground” explains Bonnema. “The Council of Súdwest Fryslân, for example, wants all rental properties in their area to be energy neutral by 2030 and will require all new buildings after 2020 to be energy neutral. That's bold!” Alliances of stakeholders, that is the future. In order to forge alliances of stakeholders like these in Friesland, there has been a deviation from traditional professional relationships. “In order to innovate, you need to leave the traditional client role behind. Rather than specifying complicated targets and objectives, you need to look towards the interests of all stakeholders. The long term objectives. These objectives need to align. Through mutual understandings you gain insights and come to the best solutions” says Bonnema. And Dijkstra sees a new role for the contractors: “Let's leave our fears behind us and change the term competitor into partner.” We are certainly going to hear more from Net Zero Energy in Friesland.

Energiesprong UK all started in 2016 with a meeting in Copenhagen between Arno Schmickler, project manager of Energiesprong UK, and Ron van Erck and Jasper van den Munckhof of the Dutch Energiesprong. Arno, who was working for the National Housing Federation in the UK at the time, became convinced of Energiesprong’s approach to performance-assured whole-house retrofits at scale. As soon as he returned to the UK, he started to convince others. A pivotal trip to the Netherlands At the housing conference in Copenhagen, the three men talked about Energiesprong in the Netherlands. “Ron, Jasper and I discussed if this approach could work in the UK as well”, Arno explains. “Of course our country is different, but I saw the opportunity to bring Energiesprong to the UK – although it’s a challenging one.” Sounding out housing providers, industry representatives and expert organisations, these parties were initially just curious but became increasingly excited. To transform this excitement into a commitment, Energiesprong UK organised a field trip to the Netherlands with a group of 30 representatives. Seeing the Net Zero Energy (NZE) houses that had already been built made a huge difference for them: “Now the group got really excited. During their two-day visit, they talked to housing associations, solution providers, the Dutch Energiesprong team and even tenants. During this trip the overall mood changed from ‘ we do it?’ to ‘ can we do it?’” When the group returned to the UK, their only question was: ‘Who wants to come on board?’ First project: Finding funds To get Energiesprong UK off the ground, the next step was to secure funding. Arno and his team managed to obtain funds from both Horizon2020 and Interreg. Arno notes: “Horizon2020 focuses on creating the right conditions for refurbishments to NZE with a project called Transition Zero, while Interreg focuses on getting the first refurbishments done – using the project name E=0. With funding from Horizon2020 preparing the initial market, the funding from Interreg will support early market demonstrator houses for Affinity Sutton and Moat Housing.” Nottingham City Homes, an arms’ length management organisation (ALMO) of Nottingham City Council, will be the first to market: “They already had secured some other European funds, which will make an Energiesprong makeover a reality in the UK.” Read more about this first UK project in the interview with Emily Braham , head of sustainable energy at Nottingham City Homes. Great challenges, but great commitment Arno explains the challenges being faced in the UK, which are different from those in the Netherlands and France: “First of all, in the UK we lack investment in the housing stock. The housing sector is under financial pressure, more so than in the Netherlands and France. Secondly, tenants have very low energy bills, because they are underheating their homes. The average bill is often below £50 a month, which is by far not sufficient to recover the investment over 30 years!” These are not the only challenges that Energiesprong UK is facing. “The political environment is very much focused on Brexit – and with the housing crisis the development of new homes at large quantities is at the forefront, thus pushing sustainability and energy saving projects very much into the background”, Arno continues. “Even so, our partners are still very committed as they see the opportunity to be the makers of their own destiny by focusing on a commercial model to improve their stock conditions significantly. They are determined to make performance-assured whole-house retrofits a reality in the UK and combine the ambition for warm and affordable homes with an investment strategy that will make their housing fit for 2050. Industry comes to the table as they see the opportunity to tap into a new market that they are co-creating with housing providers.” Next step: Volume The next major step towards NZE homes is to increase production volume, which Energiesprong UK will try by negotiating a collaborative commitment between housing providers and the industry. “We need to secure the timeline in which we can learn from the demonstrator houses and replicate them on a large scale. This learning curve will enable industry to reduce cost, which in turn enables housing providers to come to larger volumes. In parallel, we will work to improve the market conditions in the UK so that the financial business case is consolidated”, explains Arno. “The principle follows the Dutch volume deal . The early market demonstrator houses in the UK will be pivotal to raise confidence for a larger volume commitment.” The Energiesprong game To lead housing providers and industry towards securing a volume deal, it is important to understand the business pressures and opportunities. Arno is positive that this can be done: “You have to be creative and think outside the box. For example, Energiesprong UK recently organised a workshop in the form of an Energiesprong game. Representatives of the housing providers as well as the industry partners played a game that was set up around collaborative commitment. Because of the game element, people were encouraged to actually talk about numbers, price points and commitment on the number of properties. They were just one step outside of reality, which made them play and discuss more openly. The game involved ‘condition cards’ and ‘event cards’ which replicated the current and future envisaged market conditions. This helped to clarify where the focus needs to be and in what way we need to put more effort into changing the market to realise commitment for bigger volume.” “In the end I think the demonstrator houses will be very helpful,” Arno concludes, “since people can actually come and visit them and see with their own eyes that it works!”

In 2017 local governments in the province of South Holland are providing funding for 15 homeowner associations to refurbish their apartment buildings to Net Zero Energy. This funding is available to associations consisting of 25 dwellings or more and will be used to provide comprehensive advice and support for transitioning their homes. These 15 projects will also serve as a learning platform, as participants share their experiences and create a knowledge base for future refurbishments. Help is needed Twenty five percent of the private housing stock in the Netherlands is organised into homeowner associations, and these associations often cover more than 25 dwellings. Until now, deep refurbishments like Net Zero Energy (NZE) makeovers have not been an easy choice. A lot of willing homeowners get lost in the myriad of decisions they need to make. Dutch local governments, Stroomversnelling and de MRDH (metropolis region of Rotterdam and Den Hague) have joined forces (with the help of Interreg funding) to stimulate and help homeowner organisations make this transition. Providing good advice and coaching Interreg are providing around 40% of the funding of this initiative, with local government contributing the other 60%.. This funding will provide support for 15 homeowners associations to develop and realise their plans to refurbish their homes to Net Zero Energy. A coach and adviser will help homeowners choose the right concept to ensure that their wishes are translated into sound practices and guaranteed energy performances they will then receive further assistance to help them engage the right contractors for the job. After a NZE makeover the homeowners will have a comfortable modern house, largely financed by savings on their energy bill. The house will now supply enough energy for heating, hot water and household appliances. How and when In December 2016 funding for this project was announced and the call is now open for homeowner associations with zero energy ambitions until the end of 2018. To find the right associations, meetings will be organised in the first semester of 2017 with local governments and the first enthusiastic homeowner associations. Once a homeowner association has submitted a plan for a deep refurbishment, it will first be checked to ensure that it is feasible. Then, when a plan gets approved, homeowner associations will receive further support in choosing the right solution partner for their retrofit. There will be an ongoing effort to recruit homeowners associations until the maximum of 15 is achieved. Overall there will be a lot to be learned from the 15 homeowner associations who refurbish to Net Zero Energy. Part of the process will involve sharing knowledge to help future homeowners associations wishing to refurbish to Net Zero Energy.

The project Project: Nine tall and thin houses Location: Nottingham Housing association: Nottingham City Homes Planning: Renovation starts April-May 2017, with the goal of a 10-day renovation Speaking with: Emily Braham, head of sustainable energy at Nottingham City Homes The Nottingham City Homes housing corporation chose nine houses in the UK to transform to Net Zero Energy (NZE). The houses are part of a larger renovation project with low energy standards. These nine houses, which are being called “2050 Houses”, will have the highest energy standards currently possible. The name refers to the aim that all buildings in the UK will be low to zero carbon buildings by 2050. The nine houses are the pilot project. If all goes well and financing (which depends on funding) is possible, another 200 to 300 houses will be renovated. We asked Emily Braham, head of sustainable energy at Nottingham City Homes, about the challenges the housing corporation is facing. Strong community “We chose these nine houses in particular”, says Emily, “because the people living there are quite a strong community. We would like to build on this, in terms of communication and participation. It helps the project if occupants have a good connection. In that way they can share their experiences and maybe help each other out when necessary!” Despite the enthusiastic occupants, some difficulties are also connected to these houses. “We do face some challenges with these houses”, Braham admits. “First of all, the houses are narrow and tall. Because of that there is not enough space on the roof for sufficient solar panels. So we need to find a solution for this.” Large differences in energy bills Another large challenge is the energy plan. "We are facing huge differences in the annual energy bill for heating", says Braham. "It turns out some of the tenants are really underheating their homes, because they do not have enough money to heat them comfortably. For example, there is one tenant who pays only £50 (!) a year, while another pays £1900 a year. The average of the nine houses is £900 a year, while our calculations say tenants should need to spend £1800 a year to stay warm. We cannot just ask our tenants to pay this amount each year, so we are working on a solution for this as well." The housing corporation is already investing in these installations. Emily adds: "and we have European funding for the demonstrator houses. This means we can probably subsidise occupants that currently have a very low electricity bill. Once they move out and new tenants come in, we can set the normal price. Anyhow, in the UK you cannot get to zero in terms of your energy bill. You always have to pay for standing charges and electricity in winter times. You would be able to sell your excessive energy, but the price for selling is much lower than the price for buying." Designer for dinner Nottingham City Homes has already informed their tenants about the plan. “They are really eager to know more about it”, says Emily. “Once we have sorted out the energy plan, we will invite the tenants for dinner. A special guest will inform them about the project, the designer Hemingway. He is famous for his clothing label, Red or Dead, but his company is now focussing on housing as well. Hemingway will be one of the panel members judging the concepts of the contractors.” So, what will the tendering process be like? “At the moment already three or four contractors are interested in the project, but there will be more”, says Braham. “The first step will be that we select three to five contractors with relevant experience. In the second stage these contractors will customise their concepts to the property. A panel consisting of Nottingham City Houses, Hemingway, academics, a representative of Energiesprong and probably even a representative of the tenants will eventually choose the best concept.” Work in progress Much is already happening with regard to the renovation. “Working groups, which meet every two weeks, are now finalising some of the more challenging concepts, such as the specification which is required for the UK and the Energy Plan”, Emily explains. “We are developing the procurement documents. The design brief will contain some practical issues. Also, tenants who will be able to stay at home during the renovation should be part of the concept. And we set the budget: £65.000.” “Another challenge in contracting is the Performance Guarantee, which includes a maintenance clause”, Emily continues. “Who will be responsible for this? Will it be our responsibility, or the suppliers’? A possible solution could be to take shared responsibility for maintenance, for instance split into 10-year time frames. We have our own direct labour team, so it is ideal for us if they can continue to maintain all of our homes – but we need to understand the impact of this on the guarantee.” Spread the word: Will you be next? Word about the renovation is already spreading. “The tenants of the nine chosen houses are very enthusiastic”, says Emily. “We are already facing other tenants in the neighbourhood asking why their houses do not get refurbished. It is our job to explain to them that they will be next, if all goes well and if enough funding is available.” Emily adds: “The future of funding is not clear for housing providers in the UK, but Nottingham sees this as a way of doing more with the same money. Luckily our organisation is very keen, as well as the Head of Energy at the City Council. People are so keen and think this is such as great idea, that my challenge at the moment is making sure we can deliver these pilots at a pace which results in the best outcomes and allows us to learn from them.”

At the end of September, the E=0 project kick-started with a two-day meeting for partners This kick-off event offered plenty of time for the partners to get to know each other and begin work on the first challenges ahead. Site visit Our first stop after meeting each other at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands was Heerhugowaard, the small town where the first successful Net Zero Energy make-overs took place. During a site visit on the first day, all partners had the opportunity to see the renovated houses, ask questions about the project and meet with one of the tenants, who explained a bit about his experiences living in a Net Zero Energy house. After this site visit we boarded a bus to Amsterdam together for the rest of the two-day programme. Content sessions Back in Amsterdam the programme focussed on content and the challenges that lay ahead. The E=0 project focuses on making Net Zero Energy refurbishments possible by supporting the development of 11.200 houses in the UK, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. This support consists of co-funding the Net Zero Energy make-overs, expanding the movement in general and supporting the development of better solutions over time. To ensure success, it is important to understand the full scope of the playing field and to work on all challenges at the same time. In several working sessions partners began working together to address the most important issues and formulate the first actions. The following content sessions were organised over the two day period: Work session: Demonstrators Work session: Performance specs and guarantees Work session: Tenant engagement Work session: E=0 Refurbishments technologies and the North-West Europe construction sector organisation Work session: Regulatory and planning environments for E=0 refurbishments The afternoon of the second day was dedicated to understanding the 'rules' and project information as specified by Interreg, and of course everybody went home with the project poster and roll-up banner in their possession. As we look back over these intense two days, we feel confident that the project is off to a good start.