Stand F200 Please come and meet us during the Futurebuild event in ExCel London from Tue 5 - Thu 7 March. Here you can learn all about our Energiesprong projects, meet solution providers that are delivering these projects and discuss and share ideas with our experts.  At our dedicated stand F200 in the Energy Hub, the delivery of net zero energy retrofits by Melius and Engie as well as two different integrated energy modules made by Factory Zero will be featured and there will be plenty of room for discussion. The Energiesprong standard focuses on creating desirable homes that people love to live in. Because an Energiesprong retrofit (or new build) has the very best energy standard available, it uses the money that would normally be spent on energy bills and maintenance to pay for the works. Please register herefor the Futurebuild event and come and meet us at our stand!  Special programme 7 March (11.00-12.30) On the morning of 7 March, a special 1.5 hour programme features short presentations by international experts from housing organisations and solution providers sharing their own unique perspectives of delivering an Energiesprong retrofit project. This is the closing event of the E=0 project funded by INTERREG NWE . You will hear about Energiesprong pilots in France and the UK supported by funding from INTERREG NWE’s E=0. This special programme takes place in the central networking area (C140) in the Knowledge Forum area of the conference hall. Programme: Learn all about Energiesprong projects and discuss with experts What is Energiesprong?  First hand experiences from France and the UK                                                  Presentation of French Energiesprong project by housing organisation Vilogia.                Presentation of an Energiesprong project in Nottingham by Energiesprong solution provider Melius.                                                    Presentation of first Energiesprong energy module factory by Factory Zero from the Netherlands.  Moat and ENGIE introduce their first Energiesprong retrofit project  Conclusion and view on scaling including an interview with INTERREG NWE  The last part of this programme will be dedicated to your questions and ideas  Please register here for the special programme Site visit 7 March (13.00-17.00)  After the special programme a bus will leave for a visit to a real Energiesprong retrofit project Moat and ENGIE in that Moat and ENGIE have just started work on in Maldon, Essex. For this site visit a limited number of places are available so sign up quickly to be sure of a spot.  Please register here for the site visit

Green Alliance, the UK’s leading environmental think tank and critical contributor to the shaping of UK environmental policy, has thrown its weight behind the Energiesprong approach to tackle the country’s failing policy in meeting its climate targets. Dubbing the UK as the nation with ‘the least energy efficient housing stock in Europe’, a report published by Green Alliance this month highlighted that despite the UK’s ambition to have all housing stock meet EPC band C standards by 2035, only 29% is currently at this standard: “the UK’s current policy approach is nowhere near ambitious enough to tackle the remaining 71 per cent. In fact, energy efficiency improvements have stalled, measures are expensive, industry is underinvesting and householders still find retrofits a major hassle”. Current UK ambitions not enough Green Alliance attribute this failure to UK policy continuing to target low cost, localised measures such as cavity wall and loft insulation, instead of investing in technologically advanced, ‘whole house’ net zero energy retrofits such as the Energiesprong model. The report sees this piecemeal approach as unnecessarily costly. It states that: “continuing to only target the least cost measures, instead of innovating to reduce the cost of all the energy efficiency measures needed to achieve the EPC Band C goal by 2035, could raise annual public spending on energy efficiency from £640 million to as much as £2.3 billion”. And that furthermore: “if every UK home had cost effective, conventional energy saving measures installed, energy use would fall by 25%. Current UK ambitions are about half this, so would reduce energy use by about 12%.  But, to achieve the 80-100% cut in carbon emissions that the UK has committed to by 2050, much more is needed. Energiesprong as a solution to dramatically cut carbon emissions The Energiesprong approach could, according to Green Alliance, nearly eliminate the carbon emissions of 41% of the UK’s housing stock. And this would be only the tip of the iceberg of the numerous other benefits it could bring. A typical retrofitted home can save the UK Electricity Grid the value of £250 worth of supply annually due to its ability to shift energy loading away from peak times. Retrofitting 11 million homes would reduce the UK’s reliance on gas consumption for heating by 41%. “This would significantly reduce the cost of decarbonising the UK’s heat supply, which the National Infrastructure Commission say could cost anywhere between £120-£300 billion”. Energiesprong retrofits can be installed in as little as one day, removing the ‘hassle’ factor for householders. Energiesprong boost to energy efficient product sector Although the cost of the Energiesprong approach is currently higher than the usual incremental upgrades, the report stresses that: “ because the Energiesprong approach harnesses technology and construction innovation, its upfront cost is more likely to fall rapidly through mass deployment and economies of scale than conventional retrofits, in which case it will become the cheapest deep-house retrofit option available”.  And in addition, the production of its three main technological innovations – offsite construction, mass customisation and integrated components – would likely boost the UK’s energy efficiency product sector (currently flat) by £11 billion a year in the 2030’s. The key to the Energiesprong approach’s success in the UK lies in mass deployment. An area which should be of particular interest and significance to UK policy makers is that of social housing. The report cites that rolling out the approach “across 2.3 million social homes could save construction costs of between £10.5-£31.5 billion”. With the current UK crisis in funding for social housing construction, a saving such as this should be taken very seriously.  Government commitment can drive costs down But even outside of social housing, the UK needs to cut carbon target emissions by 80%, and at present has few cost-effective options to make this happen.  The first small scale trial of the Energiesprong installations in Nottingham, UK cost £75,000 per home. But the report stresses that this cost could be reduced significantly on a larger scale, in the same way that it has been done in the Netherlands.  Over the last three years, the foundations have been laid for Energiesprong to expand across Europe. We saw market development supported by the Horizon 2020 Transition Zero project and INTERREG NWE E=0 funding supporting  Energiesprong pilots in the UK and France. As a result, there are now collective agreements in place for over  6500 Energiesprong retrofits in France  and an Energiesprong rollout is underway to over 150 homes in Nottingham. Two pilot projects have launched in France and the one in Nottingham is shortly to be supplemented by two more  UK pilots .   In the Netherlands we have already seen what can be achieved when innovation and economies of scale come into play; the Netherlands has now almost halved the cost of its Energiesprong retrofits.    For the UK the report says:  “Industry believes that a government commitment to supporting 5,000 retrofits would drive economies of scale, enabling market actors to finance further retrofits towards a £35,000 per retrofit cost goal. At this level, Energiesprong retrofits could be subsidy free”.

As part of the Interreg project E=0 , and for the last 3 years, MRDH (Metropolitan Region Rotterdam – The Hague) has been working to get net zero energy retrofits available for private homeowners in the Netherlands. One of the obstacles for homeowners in choosing net zero energy was that there were no financing solutions. Up until now it was impossible for homeowner associations to secure loans with a national guarantee for a period of 30 years. Such long term loans enable apartments to be retrofitted without greatly increasing the cost of living for homeowners. The hard work of MRDH and other organisations such as Platform31 and Stroomversnelling has finally paid off.  Homeowner associations can now take out long term loans of 30 years at the Dutch National Energy Saving Fund. In addition, individuals can also apply for an Energy Savings Loan to make a newly built house free of natural gas, which is urgent because of the goal to make the Netherlands free of gas before 2050. Moving forward The loans available at the National Energy Saving Fund help enormously to get (near) net zero energy retrofits started for private homeowners. For homeowner associations, the loans will only be available to those that have the ambition to retrofit to high energy efficiency standards. Because of the long period of the loans, monthly costs will be lower, which make the investments more attractive. In the Netherlands 1.2 million out of the total 7 million homeowners are members of a homeowner association. Energy use in these homes account for 20% of national CO2 emissions. Retrofitting these homes to (nearly) net zero energy will contribute significantly to climate objectives whilst simultaneously boosting and revitalising the urban environment. The Minister for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ollongren, agrees with this. "Making all homes more sustainable and removing natural gas is a big job. A fifth of the housing stock comes under a homeowner association, so large steps can be taken. With the change in the conditions, it will become much more attractive for homeowner associations to invest in sustainability. The homeowner gets a lower energy bill and more comfort in return.” MRDH E=0 programma In the southern Randstad (the urban agglomeration of Western Holland), 23 local authorities join their forces in the Metropolitan region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH). The local authorities work together to improve accessibility and strengthen the economic business climate. With financial support from Interreg , the MRDH E=0 programme focused on highly energy efficient housing for homeowner associations. As part of this project they supported large homeowner associations with an investment decision for net zero energy retrofits / net zero energy ready measures. Thirteen homeowner associations within the MRDH joined the programme and explored the possibilities. Mark Bal, programme coordinator for MRDH says: “The homeowner associations within the project will function as a trigger for others. With the news that this loan is now available, homeowners will understand that making your home a real sustainable place is an attractive choice. With a growing demand from homeowners for these kinds of retrofits, the market will hopefully speed up to deliver net zero energy products for his sector.”

Seven companies have joined forces to develop new technologies for high quality, swift to install zero energy products with long term guaranteed performance. The project is called ES'OPE and is inspired by the Energiesprong approach, which helped to change renovation practices in the Netherlands. ES’OPE is an abbreviation of ‘Energiesprong by Operene’. The ES'OPE research and development project is supported by the Program of Investments for the Future (PIA) operated by ADEME and has officially started this month! The project is led by a consortium of companies: Chanel (project coordinator), Enertech, Eolya, IRFTS, Lorillard, Operene, Rosaz and the Liten laboratory CEA Tech (see also this pdf). Each company brings a unique specialism such as insulated facades, windows, low carbon heating solutions or ventilation. The ES'OPE project aims to jointly develop high quality solutions to accelerate the renovation of individual and collective housing in France. Inspired by Energiesprong The idea to start the ES’OPE project first came because duplicating a Netherlands style Energiesprong retrofit alone would not have been acceptable for the French market. Hugo Vigneron, General Manager of Operene, says, “When we saw Energiesprong retrofits in the Netherlands we immediately saw that these would need to be adapted for France. For example, building regulations would not allow polyurethane foam insulation around windows in France. Anticipating higher environmental standards, the embodied energy in materials was also a concern we felt should be taken into account.” Proud Developed at Operene's initiative, and officially launched in May 2018, the project will be spread over 5 years on a budget of € 10.9 million (including € 4.4 million financed by ADEME). Hugo Vigneron is excited that the network of SMEs has secured government support. He says “We’re really proud to show that despite the common beliefs, it is possible for SMEs to develop Research & Development (R&D) projects and have access to specific funding.”  New technologies lead to a complete high quality renovation offer The heart of the project lies in the development of new technologies that will respond to objectives of: zero consumption after use, a guarantee of long energy performance (20 to 30 years) and fast installation (one week for an individual house). The project will start with a technology development stage, followed by a trialling and testing phase carried out in CEA laboratories. Demonstrators will then be effected after this, on buildings representative of the target market. The plan is to retrofit a mix of individual homes and apartment blocks using the solutions most suitable for rollout across France. Architectural integration, a social approach to renovation, as well as the models , will all be integrated into the project in order to achieve a complete net zero energy renovation offer. For a short description of the joined companies download this PDF

“Many governments in the rich world want to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from constructing and using buildings,” stated ‘The Economist’ in its January 5 th 2019 edition. “With some wonderful exceptions, they are failing”. The Scale of the Problem The article states that: “The International Energy Agency (IEA), a research group, estimates that putting up and running buildings consumes 36% of the world’s energy and produces some 40% of energy-related carbon emissions. More than 5bn tonnes of cement—the raw material for concrete and mortar—is produced each year, adding a further 6% of emissions. The steel industry, half of whose production goes into construction, accounts for another 8%”. And yet despite pledges by world leaders in 2015 to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, progress remains painfully slow. The failure of carbon taxation and subsidy/loan initiatives Governments have, by and large, avoided the obvious but politically unpopular route of imposing carbon taxation on households. “One problem is that the poor feel the hit from green taxes especially hard,” explains ‘The Economist’. And neither have more pro-active incentives succeeded. The third way – zero energy Instead, rich-world governments are increasingly focussing their attention on forcing their construction industries to comply with ‘net zero energy’ or ‘nearly zero energy’ standards. The EU has already legislated that from January 2019 all new public sector buildings must be built to ‘nearly zero energy’ standards. “Regulations and standards are less efficient than taxes”, continues ‘The Economist’, “but they are a politically palatable way of reducing emissions caused by the construction of buildings and their operation. They bury the costs of environmental action in house prices and office rents, where consumers cannot see them as readily as in monthly heating bills”. Energiesprong as an example Energiesprong, along with ‘The Powerhouse’ project in Trondheim, Norway, are both cited as examples where the technology to retrofit or build to net zero energy already exists: “The technology to build and retrofit buildings to cover their carbon footprint already exists. One such system is Energiesprong from the Netherlands, which clads entire apartment blocks and terraces in insulation and solar panels to the point where they can generate all the energy they need themselves. Some buildings can now produce more renewable electricity than they use, which helps to offset the emissions used in their construction. Norway is a pioneer. The Powerhouse in central Trondheim produces 49 kWh per square metre of floor space per year from solar panels and consumes just 21—an impressive achievement for a building just 350km from the Arctic Circle.” Read the full article of ‘The Economist’  Longueau, France. Photographer Fabrice Singevin

Nottingham City Council has secured over £5million through the European Regional Development Fund (2014-20) to roll out its Energiesprong, ultra-low energy homes pilot, which will include improvements to over 150 Nottingham City Homes’ (NCH) properties. The scheme will tackle some of NCH’s older housing stock that is hard to heat, lifting residents out of fuel poverty. As well as being warmer, the environmental performance of the homes will be greatly improved reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. Energiesprong model further developed The Energiesprong model, a ground-breaking whole-house renovation approach, pioneered in the Netherlands, has been further developed and this rollout in the UK includes energy efficiency improvements to a city school and a number of homes in Derby managed by Derby Homes. Melius Homes, who were the successful contractor for the Nottingham pilot and the rollout tender, will be continuing in their role as principal contractor. “I’m so happy living here now, I’m no longer thinking of moving” An NCH tenant from the initial pilot, Ms Esther Lutzuver, said: “These homes were really cold before and I dreaded winters. Before the energy efficiency works I was planning on moving as the cold was just getting too much. I really can’t believe the difference the refurb has made. Last winter was so much better, me and my family found the house to be really warm and my energy bills have not got more expensive in fact I’m paying less. I’m so happy living here now, I’m no longer thinking of moving, I’ve recently redecorated the whole house and I’m saving up for a new carpet.” Another tenant, Miss Joan Warbuton, said: “As soon as the new walls were put in place, it felt warmer straight away. My home was really cold before and expensive to heat but now I’ve even had to stop wearing my winter slippers and get my summer ones back out.” See the E=0 film  Transforming Homes into the Future  for feedback from tenants in Nottingham and from professionals explaining how Energiesprong provides a solution, not only in the UK, but also elsewhere in Europe. Nottingham is at the forefront of this revolutionary approach in the UK Councillor Sally Longford, the City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment, said: “As the city’s largest landlord it’s right that we that we tackle energy inefficient homes as all that wasted energy impacts on our climate change ambitions as well as being expensive for our residents. We have already achieved a lot through our Greener HousiNG programme and we are determined to do more. We’re very excited that Nottingham is at the forefront of this revolutionary approach, we’re not only improving people’s homes locally, but also helping to shape a new direction for tackling the UK’s coldest homes.” Great start of 2019 Nottingham City Homes Chief Executive, Nick Murphy, said: “It’s important that we insulate our homes and make them more energy efficient for the future. As well as helping fight climate change this will tackle fuel poverty, making our homes warmer and cheaper to run. “It’s a great start to 2019 to be rolling out the Energiesprong approach to so many homes. The first pilot homes look fantastic and have really lifted the local area; this rollout will really add to the regeneration of neighborhoods across the city.” Melius Homes Managing Director, Rob Lambe, added “Nottingham City Homes is leading the way in the UK in adopting this transformational approach to whole house retrofit and we’re delighted to be delivering this ground-breaking project.” Roll out in two phases This rollout will be in two phases; Interreg NWE programme E=0 is supporting the first seventeen retrofits and a European Regional Development Funded project, Deep Retrofit Energy Model (DREeM) which aims to improve the efficiency of homes & public buildings in Nottingham is supporting the bulk of the rollout. The rollout follows a successful UK first pilot which was funded by European Union funding stream Horizon 2020, through a project called REMOURBAN . To read more see also this article in The Guardian and the publication at the Nottingham City Council’s website .

“It was really cold but now when you come home there is no need to turn on the heater,”  says resident Amélie Goblas from Longueau, France. “They are in and out all the time, but eventually when it´s all done it´s well worth it. I´d recommend it to anybody,”  says resident Joan Warburton from Nottingham, UK. Some quotes from tenants whose homes the film crew visited. E=0: Transforming Homes into the Future, is a documentary film project, funded by Interreg North West , that chronicles the efforts being made in the past 3 years, to establish a net zero energy housing ecosystem across Europe. It showcases various projects in France, the UK & the Netherlands and features both the passionate professionals involved and the residents who kindly granted the film crew access to their homes. https://vimeo.com/308049821 A growing movement For the past 3 years, Energiesprong Market Development Teams across Europe have been working on the E=0 project. The unique retrofit & funding approach conceived in the Netherlands has proven itself successful. However, it has shown to be challenging to apply this to other EU countries, who have their own set of rules and barriers. Fortunately both France and the UK have managed to get the first demonstrators finished or work on-site is about to get started. Further rollout of the solution is agreed on in both countries. More homes will be retrofitted to E=0 standards in 2019 so the solution can be further developed. The first energy module made by the Dutch Factory Zero has been developed and further developed within the E=0 programme to a smaller product that can easily be delivered by trucks on site and installed on rooftops. Melius Homes, one of the UK solution providers is further developing their prefabricated panels. In the Netherlands net zero energy retrofits are now  almost financeable for private homeowners  as well and research has been done on multi-storey buildings. The E=0 movement is growing in all countries, the industry is developing and tenants are happy! Now it´s time to upscale the solutions to the next level.

To develop the supply side in Germany for Energiesprong solutions, including solution providers, and tier two supply chain, and to support suppliers to understand Energiesprong, create solutions, and reduce costs. The core elements of this role will include: Working with front runner aspiring “Energiesprong” suppliers and building companies to help them understand the energy plan, offsite manufacture, performance specification, performance guarantees, monitoring options, and to ensure effective delivery of all of these in pilot and scale up projects Establishing a network of tier two suppliers / consultants who could fill gaps in larger organisations or form collaborations to become solution providers (architects, engineers, energy modelling specialists, M & E suppliers or installers, system integrators, component manufacturers) Engaging new potential solution providers – understanding the gaps in their organisations, and their triggers and barriers for engagement (scale, long term commitment, pace) resulting in a supplier engagement plan, linked to the Energiesprong project pipeline Match making new providers with external consultants or tier two suppliers when projects require. Supporting solution providers and suppliers to develop their business models, plan for cost reduction, helping suppliers to think creatively and to understand risk Running supply chain engagement events and presenting at relevant events Working with solution providers to develop their next tier supply chain, including understanding and testing opportunities for cost reduction through sharing solutions or products (e.g. is procurement for monitoring equipment across all Solution Providers going to save money and if so can we agree a specification?) Energiesprong Deutschland is taking a market transformation approach to make performance-assured retrofits commercially financeable and scalable. To achieve this a number of market conditions will need to be changed so that housing providers can invest and industry is incentivised to innovate. This is the main role and purpose of the Energiesprong Market Development Teams (MDTs). Energiesprong is focusing on “to create what is needed” instead of focusing on “to do what is possible”. To learn more and apply download the whole vacancy

At the Energiesprong Innovation Day in Berlin on 16th November more than 80 front runners from German, French and Dutch construction and supply companies met to promote cross-border Energiesprong renovation solutions for the rental housing market. During the event construction companies and suppliers familiar with delivering Energiesprong retrofits helped others to understand their products and services. Participants exchanged ideas and business cards during a matchmaking session. As a result German-French market development for Net Zero Energy refurbishment is now underway and the first regional construction teams are joining forces. After the opening by German and French organizers dena, Ademe and Greenflex, the day kicked off with a series of inspiring insights from construction and supply companies. Maxime Hugonnet from the French construction company Bouygues Construction presented one of the first French pilots and provided an outlook on planned follow-up projects. Afterwards there were insights into the production approaches of two startups: Jan Willem Sloof of Renolution presented their prefabricated façades and Jasper van den Munckhof of Factory Zero revealed more on the production and installation of energy modules. Matchmaking at the innovation market The centrepiece of the event was the innovation marketplace that took place after the presentations. In several short pitch rounds, participants presented their products as part of an Energiesprong solution. Then there was matchmaking with people networking and exploring possible cooperation. The first general contractors and suppliers have subsequently joined together to form regional construction teams and more teams are to follow. The event concluded with several German and French workshops on detailed questions about the warranty, the building envelope and energy modules. The Energiesprong Innovation Day was organized as part of the Franco-German Energy Platform in cooperation with the Energiesprong France Initiative, which is coordinated by the French energy agency Ademe and the sustainability consultancy Greenflex. For further information about the Franco-German Energy Platform see www.d-f-plattform.de Energiesprong Innovation Day was funded by DENA ,  ADEME and INTERREG NWE.

Energiesprong France has written a detailed guide for French social housing providers. This will help housing associations interested in the Energiesprong approach with the implementation of zero energy long term guaranteed retrofits. Energiesprong in France The Energiesprong approach adapted in France is based on the following demanding specifications: Guaranteed zero energy level over 30 years, thanks to improved energy efficiency and local production of renewable energy; An investment paid back by energy savings and maintenance over 30 years, with no financial impact on the tenants; Work done in a week without tenants having to leave their homes thanks to the use of high quality prefabricated elements and 3D scanning; Attractive, comfortable and future-proofed housing, with remodelled kitchens and / or bathrooms integrated into the programme of works. Keys steps of an Energiesprong retrofit Given the ambitious specifications, the way of working is quite different from a regular retrofit. This document explains through the key steps of an Energiesprong retrofit; from understanding the approach and the feasibility study to the completion of the renovation and management of housing once renovated. The guide aims to: help housing associations looking to renovate their housing stock to the Energiesprong standard; provide manufacturers and solution providers with the necessary data so that they can prepare tailored responses to Energiesprong tenders; reveal the key success factors for an Energiesprong retrofit to any stakeholder interested in the approach. If you are interested in reading the guide (in French) go to the French website , submit your details and you will be able to download it.

On November 13 th  REALIZE, a collaborative effort led by Rocky Mountain Institute, will be hosting a webinar  for mechanical system manufacturers. The webinar  will engage manufacturers in exploring partnerships for creating a set of net zero energy retrofit mechanical systems. Directly after the webinar, a request for proposals (RFP) will be issued to select a supplier(s), partner(s), and collaborator(s) to provide the mechanical system solution for a US Department of Energy award pilot building. The system solution should include heating, cooling, ventilation, dehumidification, and domestic hot water heating capabilities (full requirements will be listed in the RFP). REALIZE REALIZE is an effort inspired by Energiesprong, developed to catalyze mass-scale, net-zero-energy retrofits. This model employs a process that combines aggregation of demand and a coordinated supply chain to deploy prefabricated mass-scale retrofits. The REALIZE team anticipates great volumes of demand in the United States, opening a completely untapped market of solutions for existing buildings. Pilot REALIZE has received a US Department of Energy award to design, engineer, manufacture and monitor an integrated envelope and mechanical system on a pilot building. The pilot will be a 20-40 unit multifamily building in a major metro area and will be strategically selected to represent a much larger building stock to allow for replicability of the solution at scale, including applicability to the State of New York’s RetrofitNY  program. Innovative and forward-thinking stakeholders in this effort are invited to register for the webinar here . Feel free to contact the REALIZE team ( realize@rmi.org ) directly with any questions. Date: November 13th, 2018 Time: 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time Link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1260236432810808066 Net zero energy multifamily building in Utrecht, the Netherlands

Betsy Agar writes in the Huffington Post that action in British Columbia (Canada) is needed to make homes and buildings energy efficient and names Energiesprong as an exciting solution. Agar in the Huffington Post: “The good news is the benefits of healthier, less polluting homes and workplaces can be realized in both new and old buildings. There's no time to waste: making our homes and buildings energy-efficient, healthy, safe, and affordable should be the next megaproject for B.C.” Betsy Agar, Huffington Post October 10 th. The idea is catching on “One exciting solution is the Energiesprong model. Originated in the Netherlands, Energiesprong takes an aggregated approach to housing upgrades and turns the problem of inefficient buildings on its head. The combination of drafty old buildings and the responsibility to meet climate targets is core to the market opportunity targeted by Energiesprong, and the idea is catching on.” Betsy Agar, Huffington Post October 10 th. We also learn from her article that “North American buildings are designed with 50-year lifespans in mind, and many of their components need to be replaced every 20 years. To make good on its climate goals, B.C. must reduce carbon pollution from buildings by  50 to 60 per cent  below 2007 levels by 2030. Layer on concerns about seismic resilience, affordable housing, and community character, and it's evident a market-scale overhaul of the existing building stock should be at the top of B.C.'s priority list.” Betsy Agar, Huffington Post October 10 th. Energiesprong stimulates innovation Betsy Agar concludes her article to say that the Energiesprong approach offers a opportunity to do so: “Capable of delivering rapid market transformation, the Energiesprong approach to retrofits offers a key opportunity to get B.C. back on track to its climate targets while reaping the benefits of healthier homes and green jobs. Energiesprong stimulates innovation, scales up implementation, and incubates local supplier and labour markets. We can lower our energy consumption while diversifying our economy and cornering an emerging market. This is a prime example of the bold action we need to see in this fall's B.C. clean growth strategy. Making our homes and buildings resilient is a megaproject all British Columbians can get behind.” Betsy Agar, Huffington Post October 10 th Reed the whole article at HuffingtonPost.ca