Located in the heart of Denmark, around 90 km west of Aarhus, Herning is part of the Midtjylland region. The municipality covers an area of 1,323 km² and is home to over 50,000 residents.
As part of the OpenBEP4EU project, the local social housing company FællesBo has designated a Living Open Energy Neighbourhood (LoEn) for validation purposes and will provide all related data. The selected case includes 50 dwellings, each averaging 80 m², across four large apartment blocks originally constructed in the 1950s. These blocks accommodate nearly 700 residents in total.
In line with Herning Municipality’s ambition to become CO₂-neutral by 2030 and fully powered by renewable energy sources, these buildings are scheduled for deep renovation between 2023 and 2025. Planned upgrades include:
- Improved insulation
- Upgrades to domestic hot water, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
- Modernisation of electrical installations.
- Installation of smart energy systems.
- Deployment of local renewable energy generation (e.g. solar PV).
FællesBo has actively involved residents in the renovation planning process through an inclusive and participatory approach. The expected benefits include:
- Significant reductions in energy use (space heating and electricity)
- Lower water consumption
- Substantial improvements in indoor comfort and living quality.
Currently, the apartment blocks have 3D digital building registrations but no existing EPCs. Average annual energy consumption per apartment is estimated at 13.3 MWh for heating and 4.8 MWh for electricity, with an average CO₂ footprint of 2.4 tonnes per household.
Electricity and heating data is available through the CHRONICLE project. Following the renovation, the installation of solar PV systems is planned, averaging 3 m² per dwelling.