Energy-efficient neighbourhood development in Apeldoorn (NL) and Hillerød (DK), implementation and results

Panel: 3. Local action and national examples

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Rudy A. Rooth, DNV GL, The Netherlands
Peter Weitzmann, COWI A/S, Denmark
Yvonne Boerakker, DNV KEMA, The Netherlands
J. UItzinger , NAM, The Netherlands

Abstract

As of 31 December 2020 new buildings in the EU will have to consume 'nearly zero' energy and the energy consumed will be 'to a very large extent' from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. With the energy produced nearby, the overall performance will depend on both the performance of the building itself and of the performance of the installations in the neighborhood (e.g. district heating based on renewable energy, PV fields, wind turbines) and the efficiency in distributing the generated energy to the dwellings. In Apeldoorn (the Netherlands) and Hillerød (Denmark) new neighborhoods have been realized with dwellings consuming up to 80% less fossil fuels than national reference practice, based on both dwelling shell and system performance. In Apeldoorn dwellings are connected to a district heating system, running on biogas from a waste water treatment plant, with wood chip boilers to cover peak demand. In Hillerød the dwellings are connected to a low temperature district heating system, with biomass boiler, gasifier (CHP) and solar thermal as heat sources. Whereas many studies on energy performance of efficient buildings are mostly based on small samples, 1000 buildings have been monitored in Apeldoorn. Besides monitoring of the performance of the dwellings itself, the performance of the nearby installations have been monitored to determine the overall performance for each of the locations. Besides monitoring of energy performance, satisfaction has been monitored, as well as potential changes in energy related behavior and attitude. This paper describes the monitoring approach, the challenges faced, the solutions applied to get around it, and includes results from surveys on customers satisfaction. Recommendations will be given for realization of future energy efficient neighborhoods and the monitoring of its energy performance.