The Netherlands
Coordinated by: Energie van Rotterdam B.V.
The Netherlands
Coordinated by: Energie van Rotterdam B.V.
Description:
Located in the highly urbanised city of Rotterdam, the Energie van Rotterdam pilot addresses a mixed housing stock consisting of approximately 75% multi-dwelling buildings and 25% single-family homes. The initiative is closely connected to the region’s industrial context, particularly the Port of Rotterdam.
Key stakeholders involved in the pilot include Energie van Rotterdam, seven local energy cooperatives, the Municipality of Rotterdam, the Province of Zuid-Holland, and specialised district heating providers such as NetVerder and Buurtwarmte.
Objective:
Energie van Rotterdam is launching an intensive neighbourhood-level process to develop a citizen-owned district heating network. The initiative will target a selected neighbourhood with the goal of contacting at least 80% of dwellings and achieving a participation rate of 40%. Energie van Rotterdam will apply the SCCALE methodology developed by Energy Samen and aims to reach the first four milestones of the approach, meaning: (1) developing a general technical plan, (2) organising a community around the project, (3) creating a project plan and securing commitment from citizens and stakeholders, and (4) designing a detailed community energy plan, including a business case.
The RenoVisor tools will support the development of the district heating network by linking individual renovation decisions with collective heating investments. They will also leverage improved research outputs (such as enhanced indicators for energy poverty) to enable more targeted investments while reducing the workload for volunteers and significantly shortening project timelines.
Engagement plans:
Energie van Rotterdam plans to engage users in 500–2,500 Single-Family Homes and 25–100 Multi-Family Homes, depending on the neighbourhood selected. Engagement will be supported by Energie van Rotterdam’s access to the Energie Samen online open knowledge platform, which often includes workshops and communities of practice. The collaborating cooperatives also organise regular community meetings. Additional outreach will take place through websites, social media, newsletters, and community events.
Regional partners will continue providing training for energy coaches, while volunteer working groups focused on topics such as project development, community building, and heating strategies will meet regularly. These groups form key building blocks for shaping the neighbourhood process.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.