Getting started with implementation

The right consultant will give insight into the technical feasibility of different measures, while keeping in might the legal and financial scope. Applying for permits is likely to be necessary for a number of measures that will lead to visible changes of your (monumental) building. It is advisable to include the municipality at an early stage of the process, in order for your plans to succeed. We suggest sending the tailored advisory report to the municipality in advance, so they are aware of aspects that have already been taken into account. The municipality will be able to inform you about documents necessary to apply for a permit.

It is advisable to compare different contractors by requesting a few quotations. An overview of contractors in your area can be found on the website of the "Energy Service Desk" of your municipality. 

The contractor will want to assess your home, in order to make a quotation. It is advisable to share the advisory report with a possible contractor, as it contains a lot of useful information such an overview of measures that have been implemented in the past and possible focus areas, such as moisture problems.

Not every company is suitable for renovating historical or monumental buildings. Some contractors might lack expertise on how to handle and restore archaeological features. If you hired a contractor for maintenance or restoration work in the past, you could ask them for a recommendation for another contractor that is specialized in sustainability measures. Your energy consultant might also be able to recommend a contractor.

It might be difficult to determine which company best suits your needs only based on a quotation. It can be helpful to ask the contractor for references from other similar projects they have carried out.

Not all quotations are the same, so it can be difficult to compare them properly. In any case, you want the following to be included on the quotation:

• Details on what is included in the price and potential additional costs. Avoid being surprised afterwards, with large bills for extra work. Make sure that prior to the work clear agreements are made.
• A clear indication of planned work needs to be made, from start to finish. Also include things you need to prepare in advance and the disposal of debris and old materials and cleaning when the work is finished.
• Pay attention to the certification and/or quality mark of the contractor. For example, insulation companies may be affiliated with SKG-IKOB certificate and solar panel installers may work in accordance with the NEN1010 standard.
• Obtain information about the service and warranties you will receive after the implementation.
• An indication of expected results. Make clear agreements on performance levels. For example, which insulation value is expected, expressed in Rc value. Or what power yield are your solar panels supposed to have? Also, what guarantees do you get that this performance will actually be achieved?
• Some subsidies and loans are applied for before the implementation, and you must include the company's quotation. Please check in advance that all the information requested from the subsidy grantor is clearly indicated in the quotation.

How can I best prepare my property for implementation?

• Discuss specific areas that need to be accessible for the contractor in order to fulfil the work. Protect furniture and any other vulnerable parts by covering them or move them temporarily.
• Contractors often work with sub-contractors. Make sure that you know who to contact and who is ultimately responsible for the work to be carried out and any warranties on products.
• It is possible that unforeseen events occur during implementation that can lead to additional work costs. Make sure that you make clear agreements beforehand on how to deal with these situations.
   

• Walk through the building together with the contractor and go through the work as agreed in the quotation. Make sure everything has been executed as agreed.
• Ask for an explanation about the new installations, to make sure it is clear how they can be used and maintained.
• Ask how your property is ventilated after insulation measures have been implemented.
• Make clear agreements on unfinished work, when will it be finalised.
   

When determining the performance requirements, monitoring measures will also be agreed on. With measures such as solar panels, information can often easily be obtained through a dashboard. Though with insulation, results are harder to monitor. Results could be derived from your energy bill. Please note that if you have taken several energy-reducing measures, the effect of individual measures is more difficult to determine.