Many countries have introduced carbon reduction targets as part of the global effort to tackle climate change. Old buildings use a lot of energy, making them a major source of carbon emissions, as well as being uncomfortable and expensive to live in. However, refurbishment works and improvements (often called retrofitting) aimed at greater energy efficiency are costly and time-consuming. For non-profit social landlords that often have several hundred homes to tackle, the problem seems unsolvable.
Faced with this challenge, a group of Dutch housing associations decided to come together to find a faster and cheaper way to retrofit their homes at scale. They asked manufacturers to come up with new solutions, on the promise that they would implement the best one.The winning idea was ‘Energiesprong’ – a system that uses prefabricated insulated wall and roof panels and a range of smart green technologies. The pre-made panels are attached directly to the existing building, speeding up the construction process and minimising disruption for residents.
Energiesprong retrofits take a very short amount of time (usually between seven and 10 days) and achieve a 70-80% reduction in the building’s energy use. Since its introduction in 2011, more than 10,000 projects have been completed in seven countries across Europe and North America, and thousands more are planned.
