Sustainable renovation and insulation: where to start?

Sustainable renovation almost always starts with insulation. Energy you do not lose, you do not have to generate either. So tackle the roof, the facade, the floor and the glazing first, and make sure there is good ventilation. Only then do you choose installations such as a heat pump. Combine it with a renovation you are planning anyway, and the extra investment often stays limited. The choice of materials counts too: sustainable, recyclable and reusable materials make the whole future-proof.

Where do you start with sustainable renovation?

Many advisers work with the Trias Energetica: first reduce the demand for energy, then use sustainable sources, and only then use fossil energy as efficiently as possible. In a home, step one means: insulate and seal gaps.

An energy label or tailored energy advice shows where your home loses the most heat. In older homes that is often the roof, followed by the floor, the facade and the windows.

• Step 1: insulate and seal gaps
• Step 2: arrange good ventilation
• Step 3: sustainable installations such as a heat pump
• Step 4: generate your own energy

Which insulation pays off most?

The roof is usually the first and best step, because heat rises. How to tackle that is explained in attic insulation. Then comes floor insulation, often via the crawl space, and cavity wall insulation if the home has a cavity.

Replacing old single or double glazing with HR++ or triple glazing makes a big difference in comfort. If the frames have been there a long time, you can renew them in one go; see window and door frames.

• Roof or attic: often the biggest gain
• Floor: fewer cold feet, via the crawl space
• Cavity wall: quick and relatively affordable
• Glazing and frames: more comfort, fewer draughts

Why is ventilation important when insulating?

The better a house is insulated, the less it ventilates by itself. Without good ventilation, moisture and stale air linger, leading to condensation and mould. Insulation and ventilation therefore go hand in hand.

Think of trickle vents in the frames, mechanical extraction in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, or a system with heat recovery. Which solution fits depends on the home and on how well it is insulated.

Which materials are sustainable in a renovation?

Sustainable renovation is also about what you use. Wherever possible we work with high-quality insulation materials, durable and recyclable materials from responsibly managed sources, and prefabricated elements that create less waste on site.

Circular thinking is part of it: reusing what is still good, limiting waste and building so that parts can be dismantled later. Read more about our approach under sustainable building.

• Timber from responsibly managed sources
• Bio-based insulation such as wood fibre
• Prefabricated elements for less construction waste
• Reuse of materials that are still good

What does sustainable renovation cost and which schemes exist?

The costs depend heavily on the measures. Insulating during a renovation you are doing anyway is often the most economical, because walls and ceilings are open then. With a new extension you include the insulation straight away in the design; see insulating an extension.

There are schemes for insulation such as the ISDE subsidy, and the labour for insulating homes more than two years old is usually subject to 9% VAT; see renovation and VAT. Check the current conditions on the RVO website and with the Belastingdienst.

Frequently asked questions