EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

Framework climate and energy goals. As the most industrialized region in NWE, the private housing sector also accounts for almost one-third of all C02 emissions. The EU 2030 Framework goals are to cut C02 emissions by 40%, increase the use of renewable energy by 27% and to provide at least 27% energy savings across Europe.

Interreg North-West Europe project Housing 4.0 Energy (H4.0E) is a group of companies and individuals around NWE, working together to solve their housing and energy crisis. H4.0E is funded by € 2.5 Million in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (perspective: the ERDF total budget is € 4.2 Million) and looks to develop low-energy, low-carbon, near-zero energy affordable housing that is easily repeatable using digitization.

H4.0E is focused on a Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) approach using digital design and self-building to simplify the building process. The 48 near zero energy/zero energy pilot homes will be built within the first 18 months of the three-and-a-half-year long project. Below are the project areas and goals for each area:

• Almere, Netherlands
  • Goals: Demonstrate digital design and self-building in urban areas
• Flemish Brabant, Belgium
  • Goals: Social good model - NZEH/ZEH units in rural areas will be rented to people on the waiting list of Belgium’s local social renting agency
• Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
  • Goals: Multiple NZEH/ZEH buildings will be built for student housing
• Carlow, Kilkenny & Wexford, Ireland
  • Goals: Build NZEH/ZEH units for low-income groups in rural areas while monitoring user behavior

The data from each of the pilot projects will be collected for analysis and parallel testing will be conducted for big picture comparisons and educational purposes, however, each project area will stay focused on their specific goals. Learn more about this project and tell us how you think it could influence energy solutions in the U.S.