Energy performance integral new construction system insurable under guarantee system SWK

New construction homes with the House Energy Optimum (HEO) system built by SWK participants will be insurable under SWK's Energy Performance Guarantee (EPG) as of July 1, 2019. This gives residents the insured guarantee that their (future) new construction home is actually energy efficient, comfortable and healthy. Moreover, the performance guarantee gives housing corporations, developers and builders the certainty that with the help of HEO they will actually realize their sustainability ambitions.

Insured construction system
The HEO system is an initiative of ATAG Heating, Duco Ventilation & Sun Control, Jaga, Kingspan Insulation, Kingspan Unidek and Ubbink. The principle is to achieve an optimal balance between affordability and performance of the home by seamlessly coordinating structural and installation measures. By using HEO, housing corporations, developers and builders know already in the design phase that their houses for sale or rent are guaranteed to be energy efficient, comfortable and healthy. The participants of SWK can now also use the HEO system to offer the insured guarantee that the intended energy performance will be achieved in practice for the duration of at least 10 years.

Jourdain Martens (Develop inc., also developer and spokesperson for HEO) is excited about the link with SWK's EPG. "We started developing HEO three years ago. During prior market exploration, we received requests from several developers and contractors to offer performance guarantees. It is therefore good to see that the HEO system fits within the terms of SWK's EPG and the parties that enable this insured guarantee."

Natalie Versnel (SWK): "Because the HEO systems are assessed in advance, our participants already have the certainty during development that the link to SWK's Energy Performance Guarantee is possible and they can provide the Guarantee to their buyers."

Energy Performance Guarantee
The EPG is an additional insured warranty to the regular SWK warranty products. This additional guarantee is provided for building-related energy use for heating, cooling, ventilation and the preparation of hot tap water. Energy bundles are provided for household energy use, including the energy consumption of cooking appliances, television, (game) computer and washing machine. The amount of this bundle depends on the size of the house and the family composition.

Independent performance assurance
To ensure home performance, SWK requires independent verification of design, construction and delivery quality. HEO, however, goes one step further. Martens: "HEO is pre-engineered. This means that we have prepared over 85 percent of the technical detailing including the performance requirements and conditions. The remaining 15 percent is filled in project-specifically based on the customer's wishes. We had this pre-engineering tested by PlanGarant's quality assurance experts. Based on this pre-engineering and verification system, it is possible to make HEO insurable under the EPG conditions. This allows a customer to know at an early stage that performance can be guaranteed."

Extra mortgage space
The energy performance guarantee enables banks to offer a higher mortgage. For an energy-efficient new home (EPC ≤ 0.6), an additional mortgage margin of up to €9,000 is possible. For an energy-neutral home, this is €15,000. Residents who want to buy a NOM home can get up to € 25,000 additional mortgage space. A condition is that an energy performance guarantee is presented. SWK issues the guarantee certificate with EPG on a house with the HEO concept before the house is sold. This ensures that banks can provide extra mortgage space and enable buyers to invest in a sustainable and energy-efficient home.