Gouda:
Making energy saving programmes work
Gouda:
| |
| Country: | a) Western Europe | ,b) Netherlands |
| Language: | |
| Type: | Project, Policy, 1 |
| Area: | City/Town, 20,000-100,000 |
| Actors: | Local government, Economic sector |
| Funding: | Local government |
| Topics: | Air-quality |
| Energy | |
| Environmental education | |
| Housing (and new settlements) | |
| Information and public participation | |
| Renewable resources | |
| Objectives: | Improve access to information |
| Increase use of renewable resources | |
| Reduce energy consumption | |
| Instruments: | Integrated planning approach |
The City of Gouda has commited itself to a 50% reduction in CO2 emission by the year 2010 as it has become a member of the Climate Alliance. In order to get broad consent on this goal the City Council has adopted a policy that is aiming to involve as many public and private actors as possible in the planning and implementation of energy saving measures. As a result the dimension of energy saving is not only present in many areas of technical installations but also in the daily handling of equipment and environmentally compatible behaviour. This practice of setting a good example has stimulated the following achievements in energy savings:
The Dutch National Environment Policy Plan aims to achieve a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2000. In the matte of energy saving measures by the year 2000, the Netherlands has stipulated the targets of achieving nation-wide energy reductions in houses and households by 23%, in traffic and transport by 10%, in industry by 19% and in industrial building by 23%. These goals should be mainly reached by the use of combined heat and power and advanced conversion technologies.
At local urban level municipal authorities have various instruments at their disposal to achieve this, such as legislative regulation, licensing systems, subsidisation programmes, while also fulfilling a role model function. Although energy production is not controlled at the local level, the cities can seek the co-operation with the regional energy distribution authorities in order to push environmentally friendly energy technology. For these reasons, the City of Gouda and the regional energy distribution company have signed an intention agreement, which can be characterised as a commitment to foster intensive co-operation in energy saving projects in every way possible.
The energy consumption of Gouda amounts to a collective natural gas consumption of some 110 million cubic metres annually, while its electricity consumption lies around 200 million kWh per year. There are no accurate data available on the amount of energy consumed by traffic and transport. The demand in municipal buildings is only 1.7% for natural gas, and 3.7% for electricity of the total energy consumption. Nonetheless, the City Council has recognised that it has to play a model role by stimulating energy economy in its own buildings. Such a policy is not only setting a positive example, but is also cutting the energy bills.
However, the real challenge is to formulate an energy saving policy for the community as a whole. In Gouda, in the first place a so-called framework approach has been adopted. The basic declaration of the intended future for energy states the general policy direction and the range of operations. On the basis of this concept a more detailed plan was drafted which specified the targets of a number of sub- programmes. This plan works out the single measures and the combination of measures which have to be implemented systematically. In Gouda several areas of energy savings have been given particular attention:
In Gouda the priority of energy savings has been put on the agenda while designing the second large scale housing insulation project. In the early 1980s, the Dutch government in conjunction with national housing associations had already successfully planned and executed a housing reinsulation programme. The attention at the time focused mainly on the application of provisions such as double glazing at groundfloor level and cavity wall insulation. The second large-scale housing insulation project goes a step further and aims to provide double glazing throughout existing complexes, installation of floor insulation, high-performance heating systems, etc. But this time round, the programme will include private home owners as well.
In 1991, the Gouda energy advice task force, the so-called E-Team, was set up in order to achieve two basic goals. In the first place, it aims to reduce the energy consumption of low-income earners through information provision and the implementation of simple, but effective energy saving measures (eg. installation of draught excludes and piping insulation). Secondly, the programme should help to create new employment chances for a group of long-term unemployed.
In the mean time the E-team has become a permanent organisation which continues to deal with people on a personal basis, but which now fulfils a consultative rather then an executive role. In each district neighbourhood, residents are personally advised about the potential for energy saving at home. An energy saving report is provided to residents as part of this consultation.
With the planning and construction of new housing estates, careful attention is paid to all aspects related to energy saving. Low energy consumption inside the houses, as well as convenient access to public transport and adequate cycle pathways are important preconditions.
An eco-team structure functions at the grassroots level. An eco-team consists of around six households, which, under an appointed guide, are encouraged to practise responsible eco- management at home. Energy saving is of course a vital element in all this. The first Eco-teams are already operational.
So far energy savings in the Cityown buildings have led to a reduction of 29% per cent for natural gas and 6% for electricity consumption. This change had mainly been achieved by implementing measures like floor insulation, high-economy lighting, and pumping rotation control systems. This policy has been extended in the wake of the second insulation programme and some additional measures have come into effect. These include the planning of motivation programmes, the institution of a central co- ordinating programme for energy budgeting in school buildings, and the establishment of a transport plan for municipal administration in order to reduce the movement of cars. The City Council is maintaining monthly registrations of the energy consumption in municipal buildings, and with the support of a building management system it is possible to conduct remote analyses and adjustments. The close monitoring of the energy consumption pattern proved to be an essential tool to stimulate the personal involvement of the staff as the obtained information is passed on to the users of the buildings. Where deviations are recorded, countermeasures are taken in order to restore the energy consumption to the most economic level. The municipalityinvolvement in combined heat and power has also been investigated. As a result the possibility to installing such technology has been regarded as most promising at swimming pools.
The planning of solar projects started in 1988 as a co-operation between the council and the energy company. In 1989 the contract for the extension of the Goverwelle housing estate was signed with the building companies. At the same time, the local energy company had set up a lease programme for solar heaters. It was obvious that occupants moving into a new housing estate often face considerable costs anyway (removal costs, new fittings and furnishings, etc.) and solar energy - as an additional cost factor - was not an economically viable investment at the end of the 1980s. A financial compensation, extended by the national government, was therefore considered of vital importance. However, the available funding appeared insufficient to cover the full cost of the project. The solar energy system required another 60 Dutch guilders per year in subsidisation. The City of Gouda therefore helped with one-off financial backing. The municipal contribution, on top of the funding from the Dutch government, amounted to a once-only subsidy of 520 Dutch guilders per unit, enough to cover the installation costs for a standard solar heating system. Although the subsidies had been substantial , the project had a slow start as all parties had expressed certain reservations. The first step forword was taken when one of the housing associations decided to opt for collective installation of sunlight accumulator panels.
However, it was not until 1992 that solar energy systems were more often installed on both rented and privately owned houses. Due to the compulsory regulation for new houses the number of solar heating systems increased. Nowadays solar energy is utilised in Gouda for houses with a favourable directional orientation, between south-east and south-west. The solar energy provision is stipulated between the builder and the occupant by private contract. This contractual liaison appeared not always watertight from the legal perspective, but it has been and remains an excellent incentive for the application of solar heating systems. In fact, the situation today is that the burden of proof now rests with the other side at least for hot water solar energy systems (shower/bath). Exceptions to the rule are accepted only on submission of adequately convincing grounds.
With the systems that are available today, savings of up to 50% on the average energy requirement are possible (equals about 200 cubic metres of gas per household per year). This is a remarkable development, not just because of the application of a new technique, but also because it entails a form of energy use which is long-lasting by its very nature. The municipality has committed itself to the installation of solar heating systems in two public swimming pools, a sports complex and a gymnasium. In 1995 the City of Gouda was presented with the first Dutch Solar Heating City award as it has the largest urban concentration of solar heating systems (some 350).
Although the great commitment of qualified staff in the municipal administration and the energy supply companies proved to be an important factor for success, it has to be mentioned that the City of Gouda has participated in a national pilot project, in which the energy performance standard for the building industry was tested in the practical situation. Therefore, it has been in a favourable position to get national funding.
Jaap Warners from the Gouda City Council stresses the importance of the creation of networks between political, professional and private actors: it is clear that with a concerted and systematic approach, very substantial results can be attained in many different areas. An important aspect, in my own experience, is to ensure that, as a municipal authority, one maintains a clear overview and a critical eye for the energy aspects associated with all the individual activities undertaken within one's area of purview. This process begins with the municipal body itself. From there, it must spread to other groups in the community. In addition to our ties with the energy company, we need also to secure similar agreements with other interest groups, so as to anchor the issue firmly within a structured framework. When dealing with housing construction and maintenance projects, we're primarily talking about investors, building societies, architects, housing corporations/rental agencies, but also with the residents. (Warners, Jaap 1996: p. 147)
Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment, (ed.) 1994: The Greenhouse Effect. Preventive Urban Actions in the Netherlands, Study by the International Institute for the Urban Environment, Delft, Den Haag
Warners, Jaap 1996: Energy Saving as a way of (Public) life in Gouda. Energy saving in urbanised areas (residential and industrial buildings), with the emphasis on the application of solar heating systems in housing estates, in: in: EA.UE, (ed.), Facing the Challenge. Successful Climate Policies in European Cities, Berlin, pp. 145-149
| Name | : | Warners |
| Firstname | : | Jaap |
| Telefon | : | ++31 / 18 / 208 81 16 |
| Telefax | : | ++31 / 18 / 208 84 64 |
| Address | : | Jaap Warners |
| City Council Gouda | ||
| Agnietenstraet 24 | ||
| Postbus 1086 | ||
| NL - 2800 Gouda |
Gouda is built as a compact township on an area of some 16 square kilometres. The city is situated in the mostly rural "Green Heart of Holland" between the four major cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. Gouda has historic architecture to offer as well as new districts in the expanding areas of urban settlements. Industry is concentrated on a single industrial enterprise, a chemicals producer by the name of Unichema Chemie BV.
Project was added at 21.06.1996
Project was changed at 27.06.1996