Energy in the built environment

Generating additional energy with energy-positive buildings

The heating, hot water and systems in a building generate building-related energy consumption. To be energy-neutral, this consumption must be offset by renewably generated energy. This makes it CO2 neutral.

We go for energy-positive buildings. These are sustainable buildings that produce energy to offset building-related energy consumption. Also, these buildings generate enough energy for all their own use. Think of electrical equipment, computers and lighting. And they generate additional energy for use in other sectors, such as industry and transportation.

Realising sustainable buildings from 4 areas of innovation

For energy-positive buildings, we look at energy from 4 angles:

• For energy generation, for example, we work on solar panels and alternatives to fossil fuels.
• For energy transport, it is about making sure that the place where energy is extracted (or generated) is as close as possible to the place where the energy is used.
• For energy storage, we focus on thermal batteries that store solar or wind energy.
• For energy use, we develop concepts to generate or reuse heat. We also devise means to help users use energy more efficiently. And we work on solutions that keep homes and business premises not only energy efficient, but also pleasant, livable and healthy.

Natural gas-free neighborhoods

Making municipalities gas-free requires much more than technological solutions. We contribute in various ways to the realization of natural gas-free neighborhoods and a future without CO2 emissions:

• technology for energy-positive buildings and renovation concepts
• sustainable energy generation
• smart energy systems
• policy support