Energy-neutral buildings use no net energy: over a year they produce as much as they consume. Sustainable renovation brings existing buildings to that level. In the province of Utrecht, the built environment accounts for 1.9 Mton CO₂-eq (2018), 65% of it from homes — a major challenge and opportunity.
What it is
Buildings account for 32% of global energy use and 19% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. A considerable share is lost through inefficient appliances and gaps. Energy-neutral buildings and sustainable renovation therefore combine several measures into one approach, tackling the building envelope first and installations after.
The building blocks
This solution combines five measures, each with its own potential for the province of Utrecht:
- Insulation — the building envelope and most cost-effective first step (up to 250 kton CO₂-eq per year).
- Heat pumps — high-efficiency electric heating that replaces gas and oil boilers (up to 378 kton).
- Smart thermostats — sensor-driven control that lowers heat demand (up to 67 kton).
- Wastewater heat recovery — recovering heat from wastewater (up to 39 kton).
- The recirculating shower — a water-saving shower that is 80% more efficient (up to 38 kton).
Provincial policy
The province of Utrecht aims to build 10,000 homes a year, as sustainably and energy-neutrally as possible, and signed the City Deal ‘Circular and Conceptual Construction’ to that end. Every large new-build or transformation project (50+ homes) is delivered as circularly as possible, focusing on biobased construction, industrialised conceptual building, and valuation and financing models that weigh the entire life cycle.
In practice
Selficient, a startup by students of Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, experiments with energy-saving applications around sustainability, modularity and circularity. HeatCycle works on circular heat by reusing heat lost through the sewer. Het Hof van Cartesius in the Werkspoorkwartier is a circular, green workplace, and Buurman Utrecht gives used building materials a second life.
Frequently asked questions
What is an energy-neutral building?
A building that uses no net energy over a year, because it produces as much energy as it consumes.
Which measures make up this solution?
Insulation, heat pumps, smart thermostats, wastewater heat recovery and the recirculating shower — together a considerable reduction potential in Utrecht’s built environment.
What is the role of sustainable renovation?
Sustainable renovation brings existing buildings to an energy-neutral level, which is crucial because 65% of built-environment emissions come from homes.
Source: Preliminary Climate Solutions Assessment for the province of Utrecht (Drawdown Europe & New Economy, 2021), based on the Project Drawdown methodology. Part of the sector-based climate action plan for the province of Utrecht.