Hoogeland, Naaldwijk, The Netherlands

Scheme showing the different energy flows and storage at the Hoogeland district © Vestia Westland

In the residential district of Hoogeland in Naaldwijk, 800 homes were built that use residual heat from tomato greenhouses. The CO2 emissions from these homes are 40% lower than the emissions from comparable buildings. The project includes homes in every price range, for each desired group and there is a high level of facilities available.

In the nearby greenhouses the summer heat surplus is stored underground. To retain the heat created in the summer, the greenhouses are not cooled in the summer by opening the windows but are kept closed. This also makes the extra CO2 that is brought into the greenhouses available for the plants.

In the winter the stored heat is used to heat the greenhouses and the homes. All homes have floor heating and cooling. The cool air stored in the winter is used to cool both the greenhouses and the homes in the summer.

What is special about this system is that the homes have individual heat pumps. These water pumps draw heat from the lukewarm water network (16°C) that was installed in the district. This also produces warm tap water. The homes have no natural gas.

The motivation of the housing corporations is twofold: on the one hand to provide affordable housing for low-income families through lower living costs and on the other hand to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Agentschap NL, 2011 Vestia, 2010

Scheme showing the different energy flows and storage at the Hoogeland district © Vestia Westland

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