Triple-A is an Interreg 2 Seas project under the programme priority “Low carbon technologies”. It aims to increase the adoption of low-carbon technologies by individual home-owners through rising awareness and securing easy access to the technologies that fit their needs. Triple-A brings together partners from 4 European countries: TU Delft (NL) as project coordinator, City of Antwerp (BE), Kent County Council (UK), City of Mechelen (BE), Public Service of energy Efficiency in Picardië (FR), City of Rotterdam (NL), Autonomous Municipal Company – Energy Saving Oostende (BE), Ghent University (BE) and Eandis (BE). Triple-A runs from 01/01/2017 until 31/12/2020.

Description of the project

The building sector accounts for approximately 35% of CO2 emissions in the 2 Seas region. About 50% of the dwellings in the partner regions consists of single-family housing in the owner-occupied sector. Although there is an enormous potential to reduce CO2 emissions by stimulating home-owners to adopt low-carbon technologies, the current average renovation rate is just around 1%.

Triple-A unites 7 local authorities pioneering in renovation policies, with a clear ambition to accelerate the energy-efficient renovation market in this part of the building sector, resulting in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.  To achieve this, the Triple-A method will be used. This method will increase Awareness by making home-owners more conscious about the different low-carbon technologies that are available on the market and by convincing them about the related benefits. Simultaneously it will secure easy Access by bringing low-carbon technologies closer to citizens in an attractive way, by which they can opt for the technologies that fit their own needs and financial means. The awareness and easy access shall result in increased Adoption with more use of low-carbon technologies in existing houses.

The main outputs of the project are:
- The development of new business models
- The establishment of ICT platforms for efficient communication
- Testing and dissemination of home energy management systems
- Designing of pop-up renovation centres to advise property owners
- The realisation of demonstration projects, showing renovated houses with a wide range of energy saving technologies as an exemplar for future renovation candidates

Triple-A is cofinanced by the European Fund for Regional Development (ERFD) under grant agreement No 2S02-029. Also the Belgian Province of West-Flanders and the Dutch Province of South Holland offering financial support. Triple-A targets other local and regional authorities, home-owners, SMEs, energy consultants and energy service companies.

Objectives

These are the general objectives of Triple-A:

• To enable easy access to low-carbon technologies for home-owners
• Increase awareness and implementation of low-carbon technologies among home-owners

Role of Ghent University

Within the Triple-A project, 3 different groups of Ghent University are involved: Building Physics, Center for Persuasive Communication (CEPEC) and Power-Link.
Building Physics will develop a cost and energy saving estimation method for the most common low-carbon technologies for space heating, using precalculated energy use figures of larger variations of building properties, user profiles and housing typologies present in the localities.

CEPEC will bring in their expertise on persuasive marketing and communication, since these topics recur throughout all the different work packages.
Furthermore Power-Link will be responsible for the communication and dissemination of the project results.

Contact

Prof. Lieven Vandevelde
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation
Phone number: T +32 59 24 27 40 (Campus Oostende), T +32 9 264 34 22 (Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde)
E-mail: Lieven.Vandevelde@UGent.be