Expertise for governments
Sustainability from building to district
The Dutch government is facing a gigantic challenge, we are moving away from Groningen’s natural gas and our built environment is becoming energy-neutral. Historical districts, villages and areas are also part of this energy transition. The monument sector has committed itself to a CO2 reduction of 40% in 2030 and 60% in 2040 by means of a “Roadmap to make monuments more sustainable”. Municipalities and other government bodies are indispensable in achieving this objective.
Collaborate on sustainable heritage
We offer solutions at various levels, from inspiring information for homeowners to a district approach to sustainable energy generation. We are happy to help you think about which approach suits your ambitions & goals.
Curious about the possibilities?
Sustainable inspiration for monument owners
The Green Menu
With more than 70 measures, The Green Menu is the inspiration platform for homeowners of historical buildings. Municipalities, regions and provinces can get their own version of the website with local laws and regulations, example stories, subsidies and financing.
Advice & guidance
Quickscan
Encourage the seeking of advice and the involvement of experts, so that sustainability is achieved in a responsible manner. Homeowners often need a Quickscan of their home. We examine the technical possibilities, but also the financing possibilities and important legal aspects. The end result is an advisory report with the possibilities and a plan for the next steps. Municipalities can purchase a package of Quickscans and offer it to a group of residents.
Tailored Advice
Tailored Advice takes things a bit further than an Quickscan. Here, too, we look at the technical, legal and financial feasibility of measures, but we elaborate the plans in detail. For example, we make an energy model of the building in which we calculate everything. Municipalities can purchase a package of Tailored Advice and offer it to a group of residents. Municipalities also regularly request customised advice for monuments that are part of (municipal) real estate, such as the town hall, museum or theatre.
Implementation guidance
Many building owners, both business and private, look for help with follow-up steps, such as finding a suitable contractor or making a quotation comparison. We can offer this independent guidance as a ‘trusted advisor’ because we are not bound to contractors. Depending on the requirements, we can also assist in applying for permits and subsidies.
Area-specific approach
From district to region
Since the adoption of the Regional Energy Strategies and Heat Transition Visions, sustainability measures are being considered at a larger scale. We also see that large heritage sites are increasingly seeking advice for the property in conjunction with the grounds and outbuildings. Projects in which we examine the opportunities in an area and draw up an action plan for this, are what we call area approaches. We offer customised solutions for this that fit the specific context of a building or area.
Knowledge sharing
Sustainability& spatial quality toolbox
The sustainability ambitions of municipalities are often extensive. In translating these ambitions into policy for the historical built environment, municipalities can learn from each other. The Toolbox is intended to share good examples of policy tools and to exchange knowledge between them. The Sustainability & Spatial Quality Toolbox was developed in collaboration with Duurzaam Bouwloket, MOOI Noord-Holland and the municipality of Waterland and made possible in part by the Association of Dutch Municipalities and the Province of Noord-Holland. We offer training to get started with the Toolbox.
Training sessions and workshops
Would you like to increase the knowledge about making heritage more sustainable within your organisation or municipality? Are you looking for an inspiring story at your event? Or do you want to train colleagues so that they can better help monument owners? Our colleagues regularly share knowledge and experience in presentations and workshops. By means of inspiring examples or practical exercises, we explain how sustainability can be implemented in a responsible manner with an eye for historical values. We also organise walk-in consultations in various municipalities, in which we help initiators get started through specific discussions of issues.
Sustainable leaders
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“Every building and environment has its own (historical) characteristics and challenges. Finding solutions for making this type of property more sustainable requires customisation. It's not impossible, and we show that in cooperation with De Groene Grachten.”
Former alderman Municipality of Waterland
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“The advisors at De Groene Grachten analysed our energy consumption and identified new opportunities for energy savings, which we immediately implemented. Thanks in part to the help of De Groene Grachten, KIT is able to take important steps to realise its sustainable ambitions for the building. The next step we will take together is a sustainable heat grid and even more energy savings.”
CEO of KIT
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"Our installations were in need of replacement and our energy bill was sky-high. Thanks to this conversion, our gas consumption has gone from 36,000 m3 of gas to zero and we are heating the three buildings with outside air and beer cooling. And this is just the beginning, now it’s time for all the student houses!"
Student association L.A.N.X.
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"De Groene Grachten represents the first step towards sustainable historical buildings in the Netherlands. Precisely these buildings - which are already very ‘sustainable’ in a sense, because they have often existed for centuries - must also keep up with the times."
Director of Utrecht Sustainability Institute (USI)
Contact
Would you also like to work on making your building more sustainable?
Mail or call us at +31 (0)20 210 14 46
