Energiesprong, which originated in Holland, is a revolutionary low energy approach to whole house refurbishment and new build. The mission of Energiesprong UK is to scale this approach in the UK market.
The Energiesprong standard focuses on creating desirable homes that people love to live in. Because an Energiesprong retrofit (or new build) has the very best energy standard available, it uses the money that would normally be paid on energy bills and maintenance to pay for the works. The Energiesprong approach can do this while ensuring the cost of living does not go up, because the standard guarantees real life performance for both indoor comfort and energy use for up to 30 years.
Because desirability is at the forefront of what Energiesprong is about, the retrofits are also quick to install: a complete house makeover should take less than 10 days.
Energiesprong uses the social housing sector in the UK as the launching market for these solutions, with the aim of moving into the private homeowner market later on. The cost of delivering the Energiesprong solution will be driven down by the increasing the number of units within the supply chain. Through the tendering process for our current pilots we asked for a cost for the 1,000th property which demonstrated that the costs would be driven down by the numbers of potential units that are available for the solution providers. Additionally, the NHF have now set up two focus groups, covering both the North and South of the country to engage with housing providers to encourage a ground swell within the market thereby increasing the supply chain and reducing the costs. Energiesprong UK are also working hard to increase the numbers of units that will flow into the potential market.
Additionally, the 2030 Energy efficiency targets - minimum SAP C - and the 2050 targets set by central government, plus the climate emergencies that have been called by a number of London boroughs, will also increase the interest in this approach.
Sutton has secured some significant funding to help get this project moving, from the GLA, BEIS and ECO3i via British Gas. This means that the capital element that the Council will have to fund is only 48 per cent of the overall capital value. The intention is to deliver around 100 net carbon zero properties in the coming year, following the completion of the eight pilot properties. Additionally, 41 of these units will be in Coulsdon where the remaining non-traditional properties are located, thereby resolving two significant asset issues with one project. The extent of the ill performance of the properties can be demonstrated by a recent EPC which gave a unit in Coulsdon a SAP rating of just 8. The net carbon zero objective is achieved by a range of measures being implemented on each property, with the overarching principle that each property generates the energy that it uses. Highly insulated warm wall and roof panels are affixed to the property, essentially “tea cosying” the property; within these panels new triple glazed windows and energy efficient doors are pre-installed. Solar panels are placed on the roof and air source heat pumps and other technologies are installed within the property. These are all controlled via an energy pod which allows for servicing of all the equipment. The intention is that the property has an ambient temperature all year round not requiring the heating to be turned on therefore reducing the carbon generated by the home. These properties have gas removed from them and an electric wet system, utilising the existing infrastructure within the property.
The image below shows the first project in Nottingham where nine units were completed.
The image below shows the project in Chelmsford where two units were completed.
It must be noted that the Sutton project will be the largest in the country and the first in London.
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