Driving decarbonization of the EU building stock by enhancing a consumer centred and locally based circular renovation process

Before telling you all about what we do in Drive 0, we will start by defining ‘circular renovation’. Our definition of circular renovation is: “A circular deep renovation, which contributes to a circular built environment’, is based on 100% life cycle renewable energy, and all materials used within the system boundaries are part of infinite technical or biological cycles with lowest quality loss as possible.”

To come to this deep and circular renovation transition, the market for deep renovation of buildings also needs to be transformed. Both in terms of innovative technical solutions, innovative construction processes, combined with process optimization and digitalization (with BIM as a main carrier) and innovative business models. It should involve multiple complementary innovations which all need to be jointly developed and adopted subsequently.

Approach to improve the circular renovation process

The goal for DRIVE 0 is to speed up the deep and circular process by improving a customer centered circular renovation process. We’re doing this to make the approach of circular renovations better: To make it more attractive for consumers and investors, environmentally friendly and cost effective.

How to Improve the circular renovation process

We want to improve the circular renovation process in 4 main elements and steps:

• Benchmarking
• Concept development
• Attractive & understandable information
• Demonstrations & evidence

Objectives

For a better, sustainable future, we need to change the way we build. Our goal for DRIVE 0 is to speed up the deep and circular process by improving a customer centered circular renovation process. We are doing this to make the approach of circular renovations better: To make it more attractive for consumers and investors, environmentally friendly and cost effective.

DRIVE 0 has the following measurable objectives:

• To make the deep renovation process more attractive, environmentally friendly, faster and cost effective for end-users by combining circularity, product innovation and process innovation;
• To provide consumers and potential investors of deep renovation projects with attractive and understandable information of real total life-cycle performances (energy use, indoor environment and well-being);
• To demonstrate circular renovation solutions in combination with local drivers in live study and demonstration cases;
• To foster new consumer centred business models for circular renovation concepts;
• To roll out the DRIVE 0 concept on a wider European scale by mobilizing European interest groups and umbrella organizations

Partners

As DRIVE 0 is structured around seven pilots in seven countries, for each country industrial partners or concept developers are ‘twinned’ with a technical partner (university, research institute or consultancy) to develop the specific holistic circular renovation products and concepts. For the market uptake and dissemination of the results, the DRIVE 0 consortium is effectively supported by three important European umbrella associations.

• Huygen Installatie Adviseurs
• STICHTING ZUYD HOGESCHOOL
• STICHTING ISSO
• INSTITUTO VALENCIANO DE LA EDIFICACION
• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
• Inovacijsko-razvojni institut Univerze v Ljubljani
• ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINON
• TALLINNA TEHNIKAULIKOOL
• TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY DUBLIN
• TIMMERFABRIEK WEBO BV
• FACTORY ZERO BV
• ALIVA CHIMICA E SISTEMI SRL
• KNAUF INSULATION, D.O.O.
• SALFO AND ASSOCIATES SA - ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
• Timbeco Ehitus OÜ
• PICH-AGUILERA ARQUITECTOS S.L.P
• COADY PARTNERSHIP ARCHITECTS LIMITED
• CONSEIL DES ARCHITECTES D'EUROPE
• COMITE EUROPEEN DE COORDINATION DE L'HABITAT SOCIAL AISBL
• UNION INTERNATIONALE DE LA PROPRIETE IMMOBILIERE

Start date 1 October 2019 - End date 30 September 2023