“Nearly Zero energy Neighbourhoods”

Programme: 7^th Framework Programme

Duration: 1.03.2013 – 31.10.2017

The ZenN project aims to reduce energy use in existing buildings and neighbourhoods. A number of specific measures will be implemented in the four residential areas that are participating in the project. The main challenges for energy renovation processes that the ZenN project is addressing are the following:

• Technical challenges: Providing cost effective technical solutions that substantially improve building energy performance while allowing for reasonable return of investment periods, and are accepted by users.
• Financial challenges: Providing an adequate financial scheme to facilitate involvement from population sectors with limited resources, through consideration, study and application of a wide array of financial instruments.
• Property Structure: Complex property structures in the neighbourhood scale, which lead to actions often tending to require broad and complex agreements.
• Social Challenges: Challenges related to maintenance of architectural qualities of buildings, user acceptance issues related to certain technologies, etc.

The project’s goals are to:

• demonstrate the feasibility of innovative low energy renovation building processes at the neighbourhood scale;
• identify, optimize and disseminate the most promising management and funding methods to facilitate large-scale implementation;
• develop, improve and launch ambitious replication plans at several scales (local, regional etc.).

ASM has several key responsibilities in the ZENN project:

• Socio-economic analysis: ASM is responsible for investigating social aspects of energy-efficient renovation processes, socio-economic impact assessment.
• Dissemination and Communication: ASM is leading the dissemination and communication activities, including visual identity, managing public relations, design of communication materials, creation and management of the project’s website, presentations to share project outcomes with key stakeholders and the broader public establishing frameworks for future replications and enhancing stakeholder awareness.
• Market analysis and Business Models: ASM is responsible for examination of the market potential for new project results, development of business models, their effectiveness and financial incentives used in the demonstrators, ensuring cost-effective solutions tailored to different ownership structures. ASM also explores alternative methods for reducing investment costs, such as end-user participation in renovation planning and performance-based services. Additionally, ASM contributes to the creation of the Exploitation Plan.