These residential neighborhoods get only one electricity connection; they themselves are power plants

'ELSO Energy is a consortium of high-tech specialists,' says initiator Hielke Zingstra. 'For us, the human being is number one; we want to offer them affordable housing and at the same time contribute to the energy transition.' To that end, ELSO is looking for pieces of land on which to build a neighborhood. All behind one connection to the energy network.

Just below Berlin, ELSO (which stands for Energy Supply Systems and Storage) now has their eye on a 50,000-square-meter plot of land where they want to build a residential village. 'We already have the permits,' says Zingstra, 'only now it turns out that a high-pressure gas pipeline runs across the plot. If we can build much less because of that, it's over and we'll look further.'

Kraftwerk

There should be 600 housing units in 3- to 4-story apartments. But above all, the concept of the self-sufficient district must take shape. The district will have only one connection to the energy network and as much energy as possible will be generated everywhere. The neighborhood must be able to support itself," says Zingstra. They are looking at all possibilities. First of all, solar roofs and solar walls. But geothermal energy is also an option, energy from excrement, wind energy and even energy from sound waves. Anything can be pulled out if it produces something in that particular spot. 'If there is a hair dryer in a certain place, then we can put small wind turbines on the eaves at that spot, for example, or a windwheel. Whatever is best there.' Because they manage the entire district, ELSO can provide customized solutions, Zingstra emphasizes. Thus, the entire district becomes a power plant. 'A Kraftwerk, as they say so nicely in Germany.'

That energy is then also stored in batteries, or in the electric cars that are on site charging. But it doesn't stop at energy. At the neighborhood level, for example, you can also be very economical with water. That is purified and reused. That's why the consortium includes a water purifier.

Efficiently built

ELSO is looking for locations not only in Germany, but also in the Netherlands and Belgium. 'The commitment is that we will build starting next year, even if it is only 25 homes somewhere,' Zingstra points out Unfortunately, regulations often get in the way. 'Almost nothing is allowed! And in this respect there is also a lot of ignorance, especially in smaller city centers.' Yet Zingstra believes that as a society we really need this concept. 'We have a staff shortage, high construction costs, high energy costs. For a house you pay at least 300,000 euros, of which 100,000 euros are expenses. We build a residential area without contractors. We put a temporary factory hall to it, where everything is prefabricated. The houses are made of wooden blocks with hemp insulation. Solar walls go against that. Bathrooms are modular and delivered exactly when they need to be installed. That's how we build very efficiently.'

Low housing costs

Important to the concept is that it involves rental housing. 'That's the whole idea. When you buy a house, you also buy a power plant. Only you're not allowed to deliver to your neighbors, so you have to use or store your energy all by yourself. Because our houses all have one owner, they can be behind one connection. As a result, the energy from one house can be used throughout the neighborhood or stored in shared batteries.' Because of this, and efficient construction methods, housing costs are kept low. 'We therefore build for starters, families and seniors looking for a future-proof home. But we are also building for the planet, because every neighborhood we build is a step toward a cleaner future.'

Want to know more? Come to Bouwbeurs 2025

Are you curious and want to know more about this project? Hielke Zingstra explains it in detail in a presentation at BouwBeurs 2025, to be held from February 3 to 7 in Jaarbeurs Utrecht.