Social housing company Zonnige Kempen strives for sustainability
The social housing company “Zonnige Kempen” is the youngest social housing
company in the Flemish part of Belgium. The working area with about 150,000
inhabitants encloses the following 11 communities: Berlaar, Grobben-donk,
Heist-op-den-Berg, Herselt, Herenthout, Hulshout, Laakdal, Nijlen, Vorselaar,
Westerlo en Zandhoven. The shareholders of this company are mainly the Flemish
district, the province of Antwerp and the enclosed communities.
The aim of the social housing company is to let and sell dwellings to poor people. At this moment the social housing company has built 1,849 dwellings of which 322 are sold.
Because of the extensive waiting list of more than 1,764 candidates new projects (new buildings and renovation of existing buildings) are necessary. In all projects both new building and renovation the social housing company strives for sustainability in material use, water and energy.
All projects are if possible provided with extra insulation (walls, floor, roofs, and glazing) compared to the standards imposed by the Flemish Government. In some projects mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is installed in order to reduce the ventilation losses. For heating a condensing natural gas boiler is standard chosen. In a project in Herenthout a micro CHP of 5.5 kW is used to provide 12 dwelling with heat and electricity. A heat pump is used in several projects. A special project in Westerlo is the project with a asphalt solar collector in combination with a borehole energy storage and a heat pump.
Solar collectors are installed in several projects for the production of hot tap water. A total of 3 projects were subsidised by the Flemish Government. Some projects (e.g. 23 social dwellings in Hulshout) were integrated in a larger project funded by the European Commission (European Green Cities program).
The aim of the social housing company is to let and sell dwellings to poor people. At this moment the social housing company has built 1,849 dwellings of which 322 are sold.
Because of the extensive waiting list of more than 1,764 candidates new projects (new buildings and renovation of existing buildings) are necessary. In all projects both new building and renovation the social housing company strives for sustainability in material use, water and energy.
All projects are if possible provided with extra insulation (walls, floor, roofs, and glazing) compared to the standards imposed by the Flemish Government. In some projects mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is installed in order to reduce the ventilation losses. For heating a condensing natural gas boiler is standard chosen. In a project in Herenthout a micro CHP of 5.5 kW is used to provide 12 dwelling with heat and electricity. A heat pump is used in several projects. A special project in Westerlo is the project with a asphalt solar collector in combination with a borehole energy storage and a heat pump.
Solar collectors are installed in several projects for the production of hot tap water. A total of 3 projects were subsidised by the Flemish Government. Some projects (e.g. 23 social dwellings in Hulshout) were integrated in a larger project funded by the European Commission (European Green Cities program).
