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Weekly UpdatesThe energy performance of an estate is taken into account when deciding upon its strategy, albeit that it is never as decisive as economical considerations are. However, energy performance plays a more important role in determining the maintenance and project planning: an estate with a low energy performance is likely to be advanced in the planning.
Staedion
Staedion is a housing association that is active in the city of The Hague, in the western part of the Netherlands. It has an asset of 32.472 dwellings. Staedion employs a staff that equals 396 full time equivalents (Staedion, 2007a).
Staedion mentions sustainability among its corporate objectives and this objective is elaborated in its environmental policy (Staedion, 2007b). The central objective of this environmental policy is to "achieve sustainable goals through an as clean as possible management of the housing stock". In its environmental policy, Staedion distinguishes three main themes: sustainability, liveability and health. While sustainability aims at goals for the long term, the other two themes focus on the "here and now". In order to realise the three main themes within a timeframe of 5 years, 10 priorities have been appointed, addressing amongst others sustainable building and maintenance, reduction of C[O.sub.2] emissions, energy and water saving, tenant participation and indoor climate. Each of the 10 priorities is described in terms of targets, measures, monitoring and evaluation. Regarding the priority that addresses the reduction of C[O.sub.2] emissions and energy conservation, Staedion follows the sector agreement that aims at a reduction of gas use of 20% from 2008 to 2018. Additionally, Staedion studies the implementation of renewable energy sources, in specific geothermal installations, and undertakes feasibility studies for wind energy and the use of photovoltaic panels in forthcoming renovation projects.
Staedion develops its strategies on the level of the neighbourhood, taking into account the local and regional housing market, local (health) care and related services, the social situation in the neighbourhood, financial possibilities, the activities and plans of other housing associations in that neighbourhood and the local political context. Despite Staedion's elaborate environmental policy and guidelines for its implementation in practice, the energy performance of the stock is not considered in Staedion's strategy development on neighbourhood level.
In general, when deciding upon the future of its existing housing stock, Staedion employs 5 different labels in its exploitation strategy (see Table 4), and the additional labels new construction and sale. Each of the 5 exploitation labels pairs with a specific exploitation period and a so called ambition level: a detailed description of the appropriate maintenance level and possible improvements.
The exploitation period takes a central position in the strategic asset management of Staedion. On the one hand, the administrative remaining exploitation period based on an economical lifespan of 50 years, can be used to determine the appropriate ambition level. On the other hand, a specific exploitation period can be assigned to a housing estate, overruling the remaining exploitation period. This last option is most likely to be used with the strategies extend exploitation and restructure.
Although energy conservation does not play an important role in the middle steps of the strategic asset management (strategy development) of Staedion, it does play a significant role in the last steps of its strategic asset management. In these last steps, the strategy is translated into projects and maintenance activities. Staedion's program for the existing stock plays an important role in this translation (Staedion, 2005). In this program, for each of the 5 ambition levels, detailed measures, materials and activities concerning maintenance and possible improvements are listed. The higher the ambition level, the more emphasis is placed on extending the exploitation period by improving the quality and the more energy conservation measures, sustainable materials and renewable energy concepts can be taken into account, because their payback time is secured. For example, repair of broken glass in the facade of a housing estate with a remaining exploitation period of 5 years (ambition level 1) will not result in an improvement, while in this situation in a housing estate with an exploitation period of 15+ years (ambition level 3), high insulating HR+ glass will be installed, regardless of the replaced type of glazing (Staedion, 2005).
Oost Flevoland Woondiensten
Oost Flevoland Woondiensten (OFW) is a housing association that has an asset of 4.011 dwellings in and around the city of Dronten, in the province of Flevoland in the central part of the Netherlands. OFW employs a number of staff that equals 51 full time equivalents (OFW, 2007a)
In its corporate presentation as well as in many of its activities, OFW emphasises sustainable development and its responsibility for energy conservation and decreasing living costs, which has resulted in a more or less 'green' image. As from 2006, OFW has EPBD energy labels available for each of their dwellings, making OFW the first housing association in the Netherlands to have labelled its stock by employing EPBD energy labels.
Sustainability and energy conservation are included in the mission/vision and corporate objectives of OFW. In its policy plan (OFW, 2007b), OFW presents targets for its housing stock regarding the use of sustainable material, energy conservation and stimulating awareness at the side of the tenants, such as:
--In 2012 no dwelling has an EPBD label below label 'D'.
--In 2012 a reduction of 30% in gas use will be achieved compared to the year 2000.
--The trend in gas use will be made visible for each dwelling.
--Existing dwellings have at least EPBD label 'B' after renovation.
In renovation or new construction projects, OFW aims at an optimal energy performance within its financial possibilities. An improvement in energy performance generally results in a decrease of total livings costs, which is an important aim for OFW. Therefore, when determining which housing estates are to be renovated, OFW gives priority to those housing estates that have a low energy performance, in order to be able to decrease living costs for the tenants in concern. In this respect, OFW uses EPBD labels as a basis for its analysis and strategy development. Additionally, the rent policy of OFW prescribes that the yearly rent increase of dwellings with a low energy performance (EPBD label 'E', 'F' or 'G') is reduced with 0,5%.
OFW uses EPBD energy labels in the advertisements of vacant dwellings. At turnover, the new tenant is presented the EPBD energy label for the dwelling concerned. The EPBD energy label is accompanied by an estimation of the gas use (and costs) based on the average use of the dwelling, giving the tenant a clear insight in the average net living costs for that dwelling. Additionally, OFW informs its tenants about the possibilities they have to save energy by changing their energy related behaviour in their dwellings and by buying energy efficient equipment and appliances. OFW considers informing its tenants as good a means to save energy as physical measures in dwellings.
Regarding its organisation, OFW has a strong focus on creating commitment among the staff for the sustainable mission of OFW. This results from the notion that without commitment and dedication from its own staff, OFW won't be able to achieve its sustainable ambitions.
7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Professional landlords can significantly contribute to governmental environmental policies by improving the energy performance of their housing stock. In order to effectively and efficiently improve the energy performance of the stock without sacrificing other objectives, energy conservation should be integrated in all phases of the strategic asset management process. With professional landlords facing tightening energy performance requirements, the EPBD legislation could be considered as an opportunity and, at the same time, a means for professional landlords to incorporate energy conservation in their strategic asset management. Implementing the EPBD energy labelling in asset management of professional landlords implies the use of EPBD energy labels. In the Netherlands, the use of this type of labels has just started, but experience in the social rented sector with other types of labels has proven to be a great help in portfolio development and the management of housing estates.
In this paper, we have presented a method to integrate energy conservation in the asset management of professional landlords. This method uses EPBD energy labels as a means to establish integration of energy conservation in the individual steps of the asset management process.
From the case studies, we learn that the housing associations WonenBreburg, Staedion and Oost Flevoland Wonen (OFW) each show a distinct approach towards energy conservation. WonenBreburg takes an economical perspective towards energy conservation, Staedion has an elaborated policy and program for the actual realisation through concrete measures in its existing stock and OFW has tightly integrated energy conservation in many of its organisational processes and focuses on lowering living costs and offering clear information for its tenants.
From 2008 onwards, Dutch housing associations are obliged to provide an EPBD energy performance label at transaction moments and, as a result, their database with energy performance data of their housing stock will grow in the years following. There are signals from the Dutch social housing sector that, currently, the housing associations tend to show a pragmatic attitude and shift the formulation of energy conservation targets based on EPBD energy labels forward until they have sufficient insight in the energy performance of their housing stock. Consequently, the implementation of the EPBD energy labels in their asset management is likely to gradually increase after the energy performance data has come available.
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