ESTRAC Final Report – Built Environment
The final report ESTRAC Transforming Regions: Built Environment offers an in-depth overview of practice-oriented research into the regional and local energy transition in the Netherlands. The document was produced within the framework of the ESTRAC program (Energy Transition Centre), a collaboration between TNO, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the University of Groningen, and New Energy Coalition, with financial support from, among others, the Province of Groningen, NAM and Gasunie.
Featured Insights
The report focuses on the built environment – responsible for approximately 28% of national energy demand – and explores how local and regional governments can effectively address the complex challenges of the energy transition. The following themes are covered in detail:
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Technical-economic energy models such as ESSIM and the Integrated Heat Scenario Model (IHS) for simulation and calculation of sustainable scenarios on a district and regional basis.
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Social participatory approaches such as the analytical framework for resident participation and the “social fingerprint” to better understand and integrate resident involvement.
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Interactive intervention methods including Charrettes and the We-Plan-Energy Toolkit to shape citizen participation with tools at neighborhood and village level.
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Integrated area-based approaches such as the Amelander Approach and multidisciplinary decision-making in Zwolle, where technology, policy and social support come together.
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Lessons for policy and practice, with attention to scaling up, coordination between scale levels and the importance of data integration, participation and customization.
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