Circular Energy renovations

Background

In recent decades, much attention has been devoted to making the built environment more sustainable. The focus has primarily been on energy-related improvements: insulation, renewable energy generation, energy storage, and the smart exchange and use of sustainable energy sources. And in the coming years, we will continue to improve the energy performance of existing buildings.

The aim of these energy renovations is to reduce the CO₂ emissions associated with the use of buildings in the Netherlands. At the same time, the construction activities and materials required for these renovations also have a significant environmental impact.

To meet our climate goals, it is important to minimize the total environmental footprint of energy renovations — not only the CO₂ emissions during the use phase. This can be achieved by applying circularity principles in energy renovations.

A broad consortium from the construction sector, commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, is mapping out potential solutions for Circular Energy Renovations.*

*Copper8 is the lead partner of the consortium, which consists of: Stichting W/E adviseurs, Metabolic, TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, NIBE, Constructief, Nieman, Alba Concepts, LBP | SIGHT, SGS Search, Circular Catalyst & DGBC.

Research question

Which energy renovation measures offer the greatest potential to further reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, as well as of building use and construction activities, when approached through a circular lens?

Approach

To accelerate circular energy renovations, the research is divided into four steps:

• Work Package 1: Circular opportunity map
• Work Package 2: Circular renovation products and CO₂ payback system
• Work Package 3: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the installation sector
• Work Package 4: Covenant (and action plan) based on the results

Status

Completed. The final report was published in March 2024. However, work is still underway to find a way to translate the insights into concrete action.

The result

• A circular opportunity map for energy renovations showing
  • Which subsectors of the construction industry have the greatest potential to accelerate the development and implementation of circular energy renovation concepts;
  • Which types of energy renovation offer opportunities to reduce the overall environmental impact when approached circularly;
  • Which regional opportunities exist for circular material use;
• A circular analysis of renovation products for the residential sector and the development of a CO₂ payback system;
• A feasibility study and proposal for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for building installations;
• A covenant that puts circular energy renovations on the agenda within the identified subsectors of the construction industry.