Interim results

• Setting up structural collaboration between lender and renovation adviser
• Encouraging energy efficient renovation when purchasing
• Encouraging lenders’ existing mortgage clients to make energy efficient renovation
• Encouraging co-owners of apartment buildings to carry out energy efficient renovations
• Setting up innovative cooperation between the renovation adviser and construction professionals
• Creating impact in the long term

 

Setting up structural collaboration between lender and renovation adviser

As lender Onesto and renovation adviser Dubolimburg are both partners of the C-REAL consortium, a cooperation was immediately established, and the first pilots were already launched in June 2021 (with even some pre-pilots before that). As the C-REAL project and its consortium partners are conducting a very agile way of working, the structural collaboration constantly is improved and strengthened. After having tested it with now more than 100 pilots it seems we have found a smooth way to collaborate. But still, we are learning every day and from every new pilot.

The customer journey and the related service design is designed in a way that Onesto customers are always put in touch with renovation advisor Dubolimburg who will contact the customer within 4 days to start-up the support and the guidance procedure. For the target group of the buyers the renovation advice has even become a condition for obtaining a loan, not only in the Province of Limbourg but also in the other Flemish Provinces, were Onesto is active.

For the target group of ACO’s the structural collaboration is situated more on the level of creating a clear overview of financial possibilities for the syndic and the ACO. That puzzle has become a bit easier since the Flemish Government has launched the ACO-loan for implementing energetic measures. That loan can be spread over no less than 25 years, has a low interest rate (2,25%) and an ACO can lend 60 000 euros + 25 000 euros per individual dwelling from it.
In the meantime, the consultation rounds have been started (Limburg Renoveert, platform for consultation with the partners of Energy House Limbourg all involved) for implementing the results of C-REAL on a structural basis in the Energy House of Limbourg.

Encouraging energy efficient renovation when purchasing

By linking the implementation of energy-saving measures to obtaining a loan for purchasing a home Onesto provided a very strong incentive for this group.

As to date, 55 buyers were encouraged by the lender to make energy-efficient renovations to their homes before moving in. On average 3,21 energy-saving measures were (planned to be) implemented, good for an average estimated investment of 34.207 euros. 

Of these 55 pilots, so far only 9 have already completed their renovation. So, again, numbers are still premature, and we have to be careful to draw any hasty conclusions from it. However, the figures still look very promising, with an average decrease in EPC value of 45% and an average of 3,0 measures taken. The average cost of renovation now is about 28 444 euros.

Encouraging lenders’ existing mortgage clients to make energy efficient renovation

53 pilots have started the renovation advice and guidance now and already 4 of them have finished their renovation. The strong increase in pilots within this group is a positive effect of the negative factors for the target group of buyers. We were able to focus more on reaching the existing mortgage clients of Onesto, on the basis of proactive mailings.

Also very premature, but worth mentioning:

• Average decrease in EPC value of 23%
• 2,0 measures taken on average
• Average cost of renovation 17 150 euros

Encouraging co-owners of apartment buildings to carry out energy efficient renovations

The efforts to sensitize and convince the co-owners to take energy-saving measures, in consultation with the Limburg municipalities, have certainly paid off.

Thus, sufficient pilots for both phases were easily found. Currently, 21 residencies have entered a C-REAL renovation guidance trajectory.

Setting up innovative cooperation between the renovation adviser and construction professionals

‘Aandag’, a new annual networking event for the construction sector, was created in 2022. A successful 2023 edition saw an attendance of 240 people, including 100 contractors, 100 architects and 40 other C-REAL stakeholders.

The collective of contractors currently has 42 members, spread across 9 types of energy saving and other works.

A collective of architects for ACO’s, for supervising licensed works and help improve relations between renovators, was set up in collaboration with NAV, the Flanders umbrella organization for architects, and counts 6 members.

Creating impact in the long term

By integrating the project results of target groups ‘buyer’s and ‘clients into one-stop-shop Energy House Limburg, by exploiting the results of the ACOs in Dubolimburg’s day-to-day advisory services for apartments, and by feeding back important findings to Flemish policy makers and other stakeholders on a regular basis; C-REAL can present long-term impact.