Sustainable renovation pays off with a green statement

Do you want to renovate sustainably and save money on financing? For a number of years now, it has been possible to request a green statement from a number of banks. A green statement entitles you to an interest discount on the part that is financed green. Are you planning a large-scale renovation? Then this would be a good time to find out if you are eligible for a green statement.

Improvement of EPC rate being the most important condition

The most important condition for a green statement is that the energy-saving measures must lead to an improvement of the EPC based on the EPC rate achieved. The amount of the discount is determined at three levels:

• EPC rate improvement of at least 0.6
• EPC rate improvement of at least 1.2
• EPC rate improvement of at least 1.8

“Various projects that we supervise have shown that – in practice – this condition can be easily achieved.“

– Ilmar Bouwer, Consultant at CFP Green Buildings

An example

To put this into perspective, we use an uninsulated office building with an EPC G (EPC rate >1.75) as an example. The moment the building is insulated with a minimum RC value (insulation value) of 3.5, this will in most cases result in an immediate EPC rate improvement of 0.6. This means you are eligible for a green statement. If the roof is also insulated, this can lead to an improvement of 0.9. If the property is also lit by conventional lighting, it is in most cases possible to achieve the EPC rate improvement of 1.2.

These are just a few examples of the possible energy-saving measures. Sustainable heat generation is not yet included, but is possible in most cases.

Other conditions for a green statement

In addition to improving the EPC rate, there are a number of other conditions that need to be met. For example, existing structures must be used to the full, with the underlying idea that as much material as possible is reused. Consideration also needs to be given to how sustainably produced wood is used. Subsequently, the renovation plan must meet a number of conditions for a flexible design. All this means that the renovation plan must focus on the assessment criteria for a green statement.

Beware of pitfalls

A frequent pitfall is that renovation plans are made without being aware of the possibilities of applying for a green statement. If the plans have already been made, the design often has to be remodified if you want to meet the conditions for a green statement. That is why it is important to bring all parties together in good time, preferably from the start of the project. This makes it possible to consider at an early stage about how the conditions can be met.

“Especially when the thermal shell of a building is being renovated, it is important to consider in good time how to meet the requirements for a green statement. For this purpose, many different materials are used and materials are extracted from the building.”

– Ilmar Bouwer, Consultant at CFP

Practical examples

CFP is currently supervising two special buildings that are being renovated on a large scale. The first is a monumental building of Maasstede Vastgoed Ontwikkeling along the Lange Voorhout in The Hague.

This building will be completely renovated in a sustainable manner, with an EPC A being achieved. The second building is an old warehouse that Vondelsbeer is transforming into a special office location in the heart of Amsterdam. This type of building is extremely suitable for applying for a green statement because enormous EPC improvements can be made.

CFP helped to determine in advance what the impact of the planned measures would be. In addition, CFP gave advice on what additional steps had to be taken in order to qualify for a green statement. On the basis of this advice, the business case for each measure has also been worked out and the process will be further supervised in order to eventually obtain a “green light” from the bank.