Renovate twice as many homes with the same budget

No-regret measures

Housing corporations often renovate homes in large numbers at the same time. This involves a substantial package of measures, often in the context of sustainability. The question quickly arises: "What is smarter? Do we go for the best available measures all at once? Or do we wait and see, follow the market closely and renovate in phases?

This question also played a role for housing corporation Ressort Wonen when it was about to renovate eight homes in Rozenburg. It did not opt for a tender, where the contract goes to the lowest bidder, but for the Result-oriented Cooperation Method / 'RGS methodology' of Spit Projects. Together they formulated the goal and the target group and then looked for the most favorable way to achieve this goal. After implementation of the renovation project, Spit Projects remains responsible for the maintenance of the homes. 

Goal inventory

In a starter document, the goals were inventoried and written out. "Energy goals are currently playing the leading role," Wouter van Iterson, co-director of Spit Projects, knows from experience. "Now it easily costs €130,000 to make an average home energy neutral. In addition, the maintenance of the home must be done in such a way that it is ready for another 25 to 50 years. We support clients to use their budget as smartly as possible." 

NOM versus LEV

In Rozenburg, after consultation, the choice was not made for NOM (Zero-Meter) homes but for LEV (Low Energy Consumption) homes. Energy bills will not remain low after the renovation. A decision that Van Iterson says certainly offers advantages. "The call to stop the use of fossil fuels is fierce at the moment, which means that developments in this area are gaining momentum. Those who make final decisions now therefore run the risk of ruling themselves out of innovations that are sure to come. Better to opt for no regret measures in that context, decisions you won't regret."

Infrared floor heating

Among the no regret measures, Spit Projects counts insulating the outer shell and deploying low-energy installations and infrared floor heating. "In Rozenburg, these measures reduced the preservation amount to €75,000 per home, allowing Ressort Wonen to renovate twice as many homes with the same budget." The use of infrared floor heating is still relatively unknown. With this favorably priced form of heating by radiation, it is not the air that is heated, but the people and objects. The radiant elements are installed under the floor covering, which hides them from view. Electricity consumption is offset by the installation of solar panels. "Taking on serial projects requires specific knowledge. Within Spit Projects we have the professionals who are at home with the combination of renovation and maintenance combined with energy improvements. They come up with well-considered solutions."