The Netherlands has among the lowest share of renewables in its total energy use in Europe: this transition will mean a complete overhaul of its heating system. The nation is among many starting a drastic shift to low or zero-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels for heating homes. Houses right on top of the gas field going gas-free seems like a clear sign the heat transition has arrived in the Netherlands. On the plus side, this gives them the opportunity to go aardgasvrij, or free of natural gas. "They can wake you up at night, and you have to check for new cracks in the walls." In Groningen, reinforcing homes to be building earthquake-resistant is expensive, and it is cheaper to build new resilient homes from scratch. "We have three earthquakes in a day sometimes," says Fanny Flikkema, 41, a long-time resident. As a result, earthquakes have increased in force and frequency across the north in the last few decades, damaging many of the homes. But eventually the extraction caused the ground beneath the province to sink. ![]() The giant reservoir stretches under almost the entire province of Groningen and has fed the country's gas boilers, electricity plants and heavy industries since the 1960s. The village sits atop the largest deposit of methane, or natural gas, in Europe. The effort to disconnect from fossil fuels in Loppersum is noteworthy, given its location. ![]() "I have nothing to do with gas anymore," he says. Biert is especially proud that the rebuild has allowed him to come off the natural gas network. "And completely off-grid."Ī housing company tore down then rebuilt his home last year as part of a larger project on several streets in the village of Loppersum in Groningen, a northern province in the Netherlands. "It's wonderful," he says of his low-carbon underfloor heating, a recent addition in his rented house. ![]() Leaning out of his doorway to point out new gas-free construction in his village, he keeps them planted inside. Gerrit Biert's feet have never been so warm.
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