Essent and partners start pilot small-scale energy technology

's-Hertogenbosch, 30 June 2008 - Essent, housing corporation Zayaz and the local council of 's-Hertogenbosch have kicked off a unique project in a section of the Maaspoort district in 's-Hertogenbosch. The project involves the application of modern small-scale technology to enable the generation of energy at home. 

Rising energy costs are leading to an increased need to save energy in existing residential buildings. However, the resources required to achieve this are often limitedly available or very expensive. Essent, the Zayaz housing corporation and the local council of 's-Hertogenbosch demonstrate and investigate the latest possibilities in terms of decentralised energy generation in existing residential buildings, in combination with the latest innovations in terms of efficient and sustainable energy supply. In the coming years, the consortium will demonstrate how effectively and efficiently energy can be saved in the built environment. 

The collaboration between these parties and the application of a cluster of innovative decentralised energy generation within an existing residential area of 's-Hertogenbosch is unique within the Netherlands. The North Brabant Province has supported the feasibility study of this project within the scope of the 'Energy-Saving Plan Brabant'. 

In addition to energy supply, the practical feasibility of sustainable total concepts will be developed further for the customer, with, for example, insulation measures and (green) funding opportunities. This total approach enables far-reaching energy savings.

Within the residential area, the following technology will be installed in the various houses: Solar Panels (electricity), Solar Collectors (heating), Heat Pumps with geothermal source (for total heating of the home), Heat Pumps with air source (as supplementary heating of homes), special high yield boilers (CH boilers which generate both heat and electricity) and Micro Wind Turbines (electricity).

Over the course of two heating seasons, investigations will be carried out into the performance of the various units, the effect on energy consumption of each home, the environmental effects, the comfort experienced by the residents, the savings shown on the electricity bill and the effect on the electricity grid. This must result in an additional and improved understanding of which combinations of the various options are most suited to specific (saving) objectives and different types of homes.