Built environment

Around 30% of all Dutch energy consumption takes place in buildings and dwellings. The energy used in buildings is steadily increasing, while on the other hand a significant potential for saving energy exists.

Dutch and European energy policies aim to enforce and stimulate energy savings and renewable energy in the built environment. The built environment is characterized by various segments and actors and therefore diverse, which should be taken into account when designing policy measures. >>

Role for ECN Policy Studies

ECN Policy Studies supports policy making by conducting research in the following areas: 

• Policy Studies has a large knowledge base of saving measures and renewable options and their costs and benefits. By combining this knowledge with long term projections, energy potentials, costs and benefits of energy saving measures and renewable techniques can be established in coherence with each other. 
• Policy Studies monitors historic energy consumption in the built environment and determines realised energy savings. The built environment is included in integral analyses of the Dutch energy system.
• Policy Studies carries out ex ante and ex post evaluations of policy in the built environment. Examples of ex ante studies are the Reference projections of 2010 in which the built environment is described. Ex post studies have been conducted for example on the effects of the energy performance standard for new dwellings (EPC Evaluatieonderzoek ) on energy use, behaviour and buildings concepts and costs.
• As energy use in the built environment is significantly determined by consumer behaviour, social scientific research is also conducted. See for instance the IDEAL EPBD project and the Changing Behaviour project.
• An important barrier to realise energy savings and renewable energy are additional investment costs and available options to finance these. ECN researches the benefits, costs and potentials of available financing options.

Next to policy research, ECN also conducts technical research of energy in the built environment. This research is not conducted by Policy Studies but by the section Energy in the Built Environment of the unit Efficiency and Infrastructure. 

Projects

• IDEAL EPBD
  European project on consumer response to energy labels in buildings.
• Changebest
  European project on energy efficiency service companies.
• RES-H/C Policy
  European project on policies for renewable heat and cooling, including the built environment.
• Figures for energy saving measures in existing dwellings
  National project setting up energy saving figures for existing dwellings based on actual gas consumption.
• Energy use of newly built dwellings
  National project comparing the theoretical (by EPC) and actual energy use of newly built dwellings.
• Local energy and climate policy
  National project evaluating good practices of local energy and climate policy
• Variance between households in living expenses
  National project researching the variance in living expenses of Dutch households under several future energy saving policy scenarios.

Publications

Dutch publications

• EPC-evaluatieonderzoek, 2010
  Nationaal project over de effecten van de energieprestatienorm voor nieuwbouwwoningen.
• EnergiebesparingsMonitor Wet Milieubeheer, 2010
  Rekentool voor het monitoren van energiebesparing bij utiliteitsgebouwen ten behoeve van handhaving van de Wet milieubeheer.
• Referentieraming energie en emissies 2010-2020 Gebouwde Omgeving, 2010
• Achtergrond bij referentieraming bevindingen en data specifiek voor de sector Gebouwde omgeving. 
• Besparingskentallen voor besparing in de bestaande woningbouw, 2009
  Evaluatie van de databronnen en methoden voor het vaststellen van cijfers voor energiebesparing in bestaande woningen. 
• Duurzame warmte en koude in Nederland, 2009
  Overzicht van de huidige stand van zaken ten aanzien van de markt voor warmte en koude in Nederland.
• Een blik op de toekomst met SAWEC
  Beschrijving van het gebruik en de resultaten van SAWEC, een model dat gebruikt wordt voor de analyse van gasgebruik in Nederlandse woningen.
• Lokaal energie- en klimaatbeleid
  Nationaal project dat goede praktijken van lokaal energie- en klimaatbeleid evalueert.
• Financiering van energiebesparingsmaatregelen voor huiseigenaren, 2009
  Onderzoek naar beschikbare financieringsopties voor huiseigenaren.

English publications

• Renewable heating and cooling in the Netherlands, 2009
  Overview of current state of the market for heating and cooling in the Netherlands.

Tools

Policy Studies has various models and gathers information for the activities mentioned, which are used to make detailed projections up to 2040.

• SAWEC is used for projections of gas consumption in houses. The effects of specific policy measures can be established, among other things.
• EVA is used for projections of residential electrictity consumption for appliances and lighting.
• SAVE-Services for projections of energy use in utility buildings.
• The HOME research provides detailed information on domestic energy use.

More information

For more information please contact Marijke Menkveld.