The 2022 Dutch Monitor on Residential Building Energy Transition is out!
The 2022 Energy Transition & Housing Construction Monitor from Stroomversnelling presents a mixed picture for the Netherlands. On the one hand, there appears to be a decrease in the use of the energy performance fee (EPV) in retrofitting, after years of increased use. On the other hand, respondents to the questionnaire reported that they are increasingly switching from project-based to programmatic working in retrofitting as well. The latter is an important precondition for scaling up and achieving the goals for 2030 and 2050.
Every year Stroomversnelling gauges the market for energy-efficient retrofits and new construction. Whereas in previous editions of the market monitor the emphasis was on the number of completed Net Zero Energy homes (known as “NOM” in Dutch), the focus has now shifted to more substantive themes related to planning and implementing the energy transition.
For the 2022 Energy Transition & Housing Construction Monitor, housing associations and builders in the Stroomversnelling network were approached, including both members and non-members. This means that the respondents were often part of the leading group in terms of sustainability. Therefore, the results are not representative of the entire housing association and construction sector. However, the monitor does give an indication of the direction the leading group is moving in. A total of 10 housing corporations and 11 construction bodies completed the questionnaire. In addition, three interviews were conducted based on the results of the survey.
The main insights are as follows:
- The most common strategy from now until 2030 is to gradually retrofit homes, with a focus on reducing the demand for heat. Installations will be addressed later.
- As a result of the performance agreements between the State, Aedes (Association of housing organisations) and the Woonbond from 2022, the emphasis is now on an accelerated phasing out of the E, F and G labels in housing association properties. Retrofitting homes without natural gas and ensuring that homes comply with the Standard is a lower priority.
- Setting up long-term retrofit programmes with permanent partners will become a more important part of the strategy. While half of the corporations indicated in the 2021 market monitor that they did not intend to implement a retrofit programme, in 2022 everyone indicated that they had either set up, requested or prepared such a programme.
- All respondents indicated that, technically, there is sufficient suitable supply but that, from an economic point of view, 60% indicate that it is not affordable. This is the biggest hurdle standing in the way of scaling up.
- With regard to industrially produced components, coalition formation is emerging, both between supply and demand and between suppliers themselves. All respondents are in the process of setting up an industrial chain with permanent partners or have already implemented this.
- Based on the responses received, use of the energy performance fee (EPV) for retrofit appears to have decreased in 2022, after several years of increased use. This legitimises the introduction of the new EPV 2.0 legislation.
Reflection on the results
The Director of Stroomversnelling, Ivo Opstelten, responded to the results: “I think the results from this monitor show a mixed picture. On the one hand, it is good to see that respondents are increasingly making the switch from project-based working to programmatic working in retrofitting as well. It is also good that EPV-worthy new construction is increasingly seen as the standard. On the other hand, it is worrying that the number of renovations at EPV-worthy level has decreased. Based on the many contacts we have had with our supporters in recent years in part, the main 3 reasons for this seem to be: the organisational challenge for corporations, price development of supply, and government policy development.”
“In order to still achieve the goals for 2030 and 2050, a significant upscaling in numbers and ambition is required, but above all a shift from a project-based approach to a programmatic approach is vital. An approach in which all available instruments are used to the full, obstacles from national and/or local policy are removed, and strategic partnerships between supply and demand and within the supply chain with industrial production partners are set up and supported with their new challenges… this is the task that Stroomversnelling, together with its members and partners, is facing.”
Click here to download the Monitor (in Dutch)