Tender innovative energy solution
By-products of energy saving are greater than expected
Do not wait for enforcement, but seize your opportunities for better real estate, more productivity and comfort.
On Wednesday 10 June 2015, the ESCoNetwerk.nl practical seminar took place with the central theme: Tendering of Energy Performance Contracts. Experts from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), ESCoNetwerk.nl, Boot Advocaten and Factor4 spoke about determining and seizing ESCo-opportunities.
Selina Roskam (knowledge broker, RVO.nl) was the first to speak about the multiple benefits that arise from sustainability: “Not only are (energy) costs saved, the quality of buildings improves, healthier living/learning and working environments are created (with better learning/working performance) and the property value rises. 'By-catches', therefore, which can be of inestimable value. Increasing sustainability with energy performance contracts (ECP) does of course have its challenges. As a client, you must know what you are getting into and ensure a long-term real estate strategy.”
“Two tips I would like to give clients: use the natural moments of real estate for energetic adjustments (renovation, new tenant, etc.) and take the professionalism of your own real estate organization as a starting point, and not de ESCo an itself. As a client you no longer buy a product, but you purchase a service and you have to be a full partner in that collaboration. A ESCo construct means enumerate first. How high is the current energy bill? What is the status of the building? What are the budgets for energy, maintenance and management? Is your own organization ready? And the environment? And don't forget to use the tools (such as the Quickscan and the Tendering Guide) that are made available to you by RVO en ESCoNetwerk.nl.”
A substantive explanation of the Guideline for Tendering Energy Performance Contracts – introduced last spring – was given by Alexandra Boot (Boat Lawyers): “The guideline has been developed in collaboration with public and private parties, based on the principle that we must learn from each other. We have included all available knowledge and issues. The guideline helps to promote professional commissioning and is a route planner for an effective integrated procurement process for complex projects. Working with a EPC means to think in advance about the technology, finances, tax and legal aspects. By integrating these aspects (and not looking at them one by one as usual) they connect better with each other. It is also important that you, as a client, no longer want to make the specifications yourself. You can't buy energy savings in the same way as a set of pens. Let the market shape the solution for your question. As a client, you should only care about the end result. Because in the end it is about improving real estate for the benefit of the user and owner. What form the solution takes in detail is less important. ”
Johan Coolen, working at the Belgian factor4, concluded the morning: “Even though there is a lot of talk about EPC in the Netherlands, the Netherlands is behind the pack in terms of actual projects. Where are the projects then? There are great opportunities and investing in energy efficiency is a fairly risk-free investment (low risk with high return) compared to other types of investments. Don't make the story too difficult and write things down as simply as possible. Everyone has to get it. Energy performance contracts are not as complex as many people think. It is different and that may make it complex, but contractually a EPC contract is much simpler than a classic contract. So don't let supposed complexity stop you.”
arry Sterk (ESCoNetwerk.nl) adds: “72 percent of traditionally executed projects go 'wrong' and have to deal with additional work and ultimately higher costs. De ESCo is a new model with a new mindset. The contractor can no longer cut corners, because agreements are made about availability during the contract and residual value at the end of it. Clients can count on the non-commitment surrounding sustainability measures disappearing. There will be enforcement and enforcement is a negative reason to work on this. So don't wait for enforcement and remember that it's not just about energy; it is about much more, because it benefits the building, but especially the end users.”