Buyers increasingly paying attention to sustainability options

The Dutch government has made it clear that we are in the transition to a more sustainable country. There is, for instance, speculation in politics to partially mandate sustainability and encourage people to become more sustainable. Hugo de Jonge said he would like to see homes with a low energy label no longer allowed to be rented out by 2030.

These are all measures the government may want to introduce to ensure that homes in our country become more sustainable. Whether these rules will actually be implemented is, of course, the question. But it is clear that homeowners will have to make homes more sustainable in the future.

Precisely for this reason, we increasingly receive questions from buyers regarding the sustainability of the home. But also what opportunities the home offers to make it more sustainable in the future.

Houses with a low energy label and little opportunity to improve sustainability

Homes with a low energy label are not very popular at the moment. Buyers are mainly focused on buying a home with a decent energy label. With rising energy prices, energy costs run high for homes with poor insulation and a lack of sustainable solutions such as solar panels, heat pumps and air conditioners. In addition, buyers are already taking into account future investments to improve sustainability. This investment is of course significantly higher for a house with a low energy label than for one where much of the work has already been done.

Then there are the homes that offer few additional opportunities for sustainability. Often, the underlying reason is that the roof is not suitable for solar panels, so the foundation for sustainability cannot be laid properly. The roof is then too small, does not have the right degrees or has the wrong orientation (e.g. to the north), so little sun falls on the roof. Fortunately, for this latter group of homes, there are practical solutions to still make them more sustainable.

Porch with solar panels offers a solution for homes unsuitable for solar panels

The new veranda with solar panels is a combination of existing products. Of course, we already knew solar panels and veranda separately. But now you can have a veranda installed where the solar panels are already incorporated in the roof.

This offers a solution for houses that are less sustainable. For example, for homes that have a roof that is less suitable for solar panels. Without sufficient power, there is insufficient energy for sustainable solutions. A (hybrid) heat pump, for example, needs quite a lot of electricity to heat the house.

If the roof then has room for 8 solar panels, it is enough to meet the electricity consumption for a regular house. But if you also have an all-electric heat pump or (hybrid) heat pump installed, there will be a power shortage.

With a veranda with solar panels, you can add extra solar panels to your home. Which will allow more green power to be generated to make it more sustainable. But then you need enough space outside to place the veranda.

Veranda with solar panels vs ground-mounted solar panels

If you buy a property with enough land, you can also install solar panels in a ground arrangement. If the space is there, you can opt for this option. But keep in mind that from then on, the piece of land will also become unusable. The ground can no longer be set up for use to enjoy sitting in the garden.

However, if you have a veranda with solar panels installed, the space becomes practical. Instead of the land becoming unusable and reserved for solar panels, you get the best of both worlds.

The land can still be used for relaxing in the garden. The space under the veranda can be laid out completely as you wish, while the solar panels on the roof generate green electricity. We call this practicality of space.

So if you don't want to sacrifice living space for solar panels, the solar panel veranda offers the right solution. A ground arrangement practically requires an open field. On the veranda, the solar panels are placed higher, which means there is less likely to be shadow on the panels. At the same time, the solar panels are better protected at height because people and animals cannot reach them.

Why not just build a veranda and put solar panels on the roof?

When you have a veranda built, you often have the roof waterproofed with bitumen. Bitumen are bad for the environment and often pricey. Roofers are busy and this involves long waiting times.

In verandas with solar panels, the panels are integrated into the roof. In a circular aluminium frame, the solar panels are seamlessly connected. This makes the roof completely waterproof.

This means you do not have to incur double costs. Costs for the bitumen roof and then for the solar panels. At the same time, the veranda roof does not need additional reinforcement to bear the weight of the solar panels. The veranda with solar panels incorporated in the roof has all this already taken into account.