In Stenloese South, the project is reliant on involvement of clients and building professionals on ordinary
terms of supply and demand. This project is hence path breaking in the sense that ordinary clients have
taken up the challenge of building low-energy buildings. This study reports some of the experiences from
the process from the perspective of the residents.
There have been constructed quite a few low-energy dwellings in Denmark over the past few decades, but
most of them have been built as experimental projects using straw, clay and recycled materials. This "deep-
green" approach to low-energy housing has not, and probably will not, have any large appeal in the larger
population, due to among other things, the huge dedication it takes to build your own house. Since the
Stenloese Syd project is targeting `ordinary people', rather than a deep-green segment, it is especially
interesting to learn about why these people chose to get involved in the project, and how they have tackled
are responded to the energy performance requirements in the area.
Hence, the aim of the study carried out by DTU Management Engineering was to "Report on the
preferences of the buyers/tenants of the demonstration project, including aspects of hampering and
promoting low energy dwellings"
The report covers:
Demographics and profiles
Motivations
The environmental profile
Regulation, production system and industry structure
Information, involvement and satisfaction
The conclusions of this report are stated below:
The project in Stenloese Syd has been path breaking for Danish low energy building projects. Though
hampered by the financial crisis, the project has shown that it is possible for a municipality to promote low
energy building on market terms. The project has importance as a showcase of low energy buildings in
more ways. Firstly, it is an example of proactive municipal involvement in environmental issues; secondly, it
is an example of how low energy dwellings do not have to compromise when it comes to comfort; and
thirdly, it has given important experiences with user preferences and the role of the building industry.
Finally, it has contributed to develop the competences of the building industry.
The project is to be viewed as a success as it has proven it possible to promote low energy dwellings for
ordinary people on market terms.
The newcomers, clients as well as tenants, seems to be perfectly ordinary inhabitants in those types of
dwellings. Their main motivations for moving to the area, was the price and location and the possibility to
live in a newly built home. It is also worth to mention that a great deal of the newcomers have moved
primarily because they were forced, for example by divorce, or because of dissatisfaction of some kind with
their former dwelling.