The Province of Flemish-Brabant

As a part of the H4.0E project, six affordable small-scale houses with a low CO2 footprint will be built. The location for the Flemish pilot-houses is a former private camping site and area for weekend stays in the rural municipality of Huldenberg in the Province of Flemish-Brabant, with a large percentage of the inhabitants staying permanently in their chalet or caravan. A few years ago, this recreational zone has been reallocated into a zone for small-scale social housing.

The pilot site is now a place in transition where, little by little, the old caravans and chalets are replaced with small-scale newly built homes that are offered for rent in a mix of private and social rent. The (near) zero energy homes (ZEHs/NZEHs) will be semi-detached and terraced. Out of the six dwellings, four will have a total floor surface of 50 m2 and will be composed of one bedroom, and the remaining two will have a total floor surface between 60m2 and 80 m2 and will have two bedrooms.

 

A glimpse into the Flemish H4.0E Pilot

The Flemish pilot in Huldenberg will test and demonstrate small zero-energy & low carbon homes that are within the reach of the growing group of one and two person households. To achieve this, six small housing units will be built using a selection of techniques and building practices that can make these houses zero-energy/low CO2 at a much lower cost than an average house available on the market today. The pilot homes will be rented to people earning low incomes and ser on the waiting list by a social letting agency. Successful upscaling of the Housing 4.0 Energy models through a digital platform will have a substantial impact on the CO2 emissions in the housing sector.

The pilot homes will be monitored for a year, as soon as the unit is occupied, so the theoretical performance can be compared to the real performance. The tenants will give their opinion on how they experience the homes.

The Flemish pilot team is working towards the project goals of  a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 60%. The digital approach, size reduction and the careful selection of technical equipment ensures a 25% reduction in costs on the longer term. As the pilot-team is still selecting the most appropriate building system and applications, techniques and materials, we cannot yet estimate the CO2 reduction the pilot-homes will generate. 

 

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