INDU-ZERO - designing a factory for energy renovations

Special renovation packages are helping more than 22 million homes in north-western Europe to quickly become energy neutral and future-proof. Fourteen organisations from six countries are working together to design a factory that can produce these renovation packages at an industrial scale. The European Union has approved the plan and has made available a subsidy of over €2 million. The aim is to develop a blueprint for a fully automated factory within three years. In addition, sites are to be selected and businesses sought that will build and operate the factory.

“The project will provide opportunities to renovate older properties into modern energy standards at a lower cost and quicker than what is possible today. The ambition of Johanneberg Science Park is to provide our stakeholders in the construction and real estate sector with useful results and also an opportunity to contribute with input on requirements specifications,” says Björn Westling, project manager at Johanneberg Science Park.

“Our expectations of the results are high,” says Per Andersson, project manager at Building Future Institute. “Delivering cost effective solutions for deep refurbishment focusing on zero energy and circular economy is crucial if the industry is to succeed with its tough goals. Both in terms of environmental aspects and social challenges.”

Complete packages for half the price
The aim of the design is to produce standard renovation packages at an industrial scale (at least 15,000 per year). The packages will contain various components that are necessary to make homes sustainable, such as insulation material for walls and roofs, heat pumps, solar panels, energy converters and ventilation systems. The components will be put together in a way that is as circular and bio-based as possible. The aim is to be able to offer the total package of measures for half the current price.

For this approach, a European Interreg subsidy has been obtained worth over €2 million. The participating parties jointly match this amountthroughcompulsory co-financing. This brings the total project budget to almost €4.4 million. The project will take three years and organisations from The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden are partners.

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