Four real-life plus-energy demo neighbourhood projects tailored to four different climatic zones – Mediterranean, Marine, Continental and Subarctic – are being developed, analysed, and monitored, demonstrating the functionality of the plus-energy neighbourhood concept for the rest of Europe. If you want to learn more on the definition of SPEN, you can find here the latest paper published by the syn.ikia partners. Let us dive into the whole process.
Last spring, all the project partners gathered in Uden, the Netherlands, to see for themselves what the Loopkanstraat SPEN looks like. The state-of-the-art demo, representing the Marine climate, includes technologies such as radiant floor heating, ground source heat pumps, or designing a predictive twin. But sustainability is also about social inclusion. This is why Area Wonen, the Dutch social housing provider, created a programme called: tenants-ambassadors. The future tenants answered a call for applications, which would give them a few extra responsibilities within the community. Once selected, they would take on the tasks of raising awareness of what it means to live in such an environment, as well as providing some support for the residents with special needs, to help them integrate and become independent. Housing Europe interviewed both the housing provider and the tenants before the works were finished, but we also recorded a podcast after the building started to be used.
The second syn.ikia social housing demo neighbourhood that opened its doors to the new tenants was the Continental one, the Gneis District in Salzburg. The project consisted of the retrofits of several apartment buildings from the 1970s, but also the construction of new apartments. Salzburg Institute for Regional Planning and Housing (SIR) was the organisation that coordinated the work. The people living there were involved in the project by conducting user surveys, organising information evenings and one-on-one talks, and employing a liaison officer within SIR. Tenants were guaranteed the opportunity to return after project completion (and to engage in the planning) or were helped to find a new apartment.
On top of the sustainable standards included in the buildings, there was also a focus on improving the mobility of the neighbourhood. “Mobility Point”, a technical room available to all residents, was designed to host shared mobility modules: bicycle basket trailers, bicycle child trailers, e-scooters and e-bikes, an e-cargo pedelec and an e-car, including charging stations. The number of parking spots was in turn reduced. The aim was to reduce the use of private cars to a minimum through alternative means of transportation.
While the initial feedback was positive, as part of the syn.ikia project, monitoring residents’ satisfaction and use of the innovative solutions will continue for another two years. It is also important to mention that the Austrian Climate Protection Ministry recognised the value of the results of the transformation of the Gneis neighbourhood. The cooperative planning process, a comprehensive urban plan, the implementation of the klimaaktiv standard, are a few elements that contribute to this acknowledgement. You can see why the project was worthy to appear on TV here. The partners will meet again in April, this time in Salzburg, and more updates will be shared then. But in the meantime, you can listen to the interview with the housing provider.
Fondo, from Santa Coloma de Gramenet in Spain, is also progressing steadily in achieving a sustainable plus energy neighbourhood for public rental housing. The Mediterranean climate demo project will be composed of larger multi-family buildings. The developer of the project, the public housing provider INCÀSOL, works closely with the Housing Agency of Catalonia to ensure, on top of the construction phase, that there is good communication with the future residents, and that they are accompanied and effectively engaged. There will also be an energy manager, who will oversee the monitoring and optimising of the energy balance of the buildings, as well as issuing the energy bills or advising the tenants. The demo is still under construction, and it will include facilities such as a library or kindergarden. An interesting aspect to mention is that building installations have been designed to make possible the connection to a future district heating. The future tenants will be able to move in at the end of the year.
The latest member to join the syn.ikia project family is the Subarctic climate demo. Verket Panorama and Atrium are part of the new urban development project Verksbyen in Fredrikstad, Norway. The land area of Verksbyen took its shape in the second half of the 19th century as an important industrial area along the Glomma River. The project and associated land areas are fully owned by the developer Arca Nova Bolig AS.
The demo project consists more specifically of two apartment buildings, part of a wider neighbourhood. From a technical point of view, all apartments will be connected to a shared central heating system. Each apartment is individually connected to the grid. Solar energy production from roofs and facades surfaces will be shared virtually at the neighbourhood level, conditioned on a new scheme proposed by the Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority (RME) for energy sharing at neighbourhood levels, including multi-family homes, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings.
Other common facilities for residents include: park and outdoor areas prepared for different activities and age groups, inside and outside car and bike parking spaces, EV charging, storage rooms, bike sheds, community house, foot and bike paths with connection to shopping areas, primary and schools, local kindergarten, and public transportation infrastructure.
While a lot of work was being done in all the demo projects, syn.ikia took the opportunity to be present at some interesting public events. Last June, during the International Social Housing Festival in Helsinki, the ‘People-centred energy transitions in neighbourhoods’ workshop was organised by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), which is the syn.ikia project coordinator. The intention was to highlight the challenges of including low-income households and vulnerable sections of society in the sustainable transition. Later on, the project was present at the New European Bauhaus Festival in June and the European Sustainable Energy week in September, both in Brussels. The project took part in the Energy Fair to raise awareness on what are the benefits of Sustainable Plus Energy.
This year promises to be a busy and productive one for syn.ikia. It is time to talk about reaching wider scales and encourage the market uptake of plus energy neighbourhoods and energy communities. An in-person workshop will take place in Brussels on March 13th on the topic of developing business models, bringing together experts in the field to showcase the latest research and developments on Sustainable Plus Energy Neighborhoods/Positive Energy Neighborhoods in this area. But many other results will be released throughout the year, such as: detailed dynamic models for the plus energy buildings of syn.ikia neighbourhoods; policy recommendations at the EU-level; or the syn.ikia cloud hub, a tool for exchanging, processing weather and energy-related data.
If you are looking to know more about syn.ikia, keep an eye on the International Social Housing Festival 2023 programme. And of course do not forget about subscribing to the bi-annual newsletter, and following the news on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Article originally written by Housing Europe.