“The underlying needs of residents are essential to the effectiveness of the energy transition,” states Thomas Hoppe, professor at the University of Twente. “We cannot accelerate the transition with technology alone.”
Together with Roel Loonen, associate professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology, he has worked on the NWO JUST PREPARE project, an initiative that is redefining how the energy transition can succeed in practice.
Just Prepare: Where Real Impact Begins
While many energy transition initiatives remain technology driven, Just Prepare starts somewhere else: with people.
By applying a bottom-up approach, the project connects technical solutions to the real needs of residents, ensuring that sustainability measures are not only effective, but also meaningful.
“An example of the bottom-up approach is the renovation of flats in the Rotterdam neighborhood Bospolder Tussendijken,” explains Thomas. “The residents were engaged on a personal level by an intermediary social agent (“De Verbindingskamer”) not only addressing energy or heat but also social issues the residents greatly valued. This approach greatly helped to reach social acceptance of the renovation plans and achieve significant energy savings while taking actual living comfort of the residents into account.”
Aerial photo of Bospolder Tussendijken in Rotterdam (Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0)
This approach goes beyond implementation; it builds acceptance.
For Roel, the success of the project lies equally in communication: “By framing the renovation through an appealing narrative, residents are more open to participate in the transition.” He continues: "The language and narrative structure is just as important as the technical calculation. Collaboration between different fields of research is therefore vital for creating the conditions that enable these projects to succeed.”
The result? A proven approach that delivers both measurable impact and social support, and one that is now attracting interest from municipalities across the Netherlands.
From Proven Pilot to Scalable Approach
With its effectiveness demonstrated, Just Prepare has evolved from a pilot into a scalable model. The next challenge is clear: how do you translate local success into national impact?
Scaling impact through 4TU Built Environment Domain Acceleration Team Energy Transition (4TU.BE DAT ET)
This is where the 4TU Built Environment Domain Acceleration Team Energy Transition comes in. Rather than operating as a standalone initiative, the DAT builds on proven projects like Just Prepare, connecting them to a broader, nationwide ecosystem. By bringing together researchers from the four technical universities and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the network combines expertise across technology, social sciences, and design.
“The interdisciplinary collaboration makes us truly complementary,” says Roel. “Drawing on this diverse expertise, we are able to achieve more impactful results.”
What sets this approach apart is not just collaboration, but how early and strategically it takes shape. The DAT enables researchers to align before opportunities arise, for example in funding calls such as NWO Calls for proposals.
“Through the DAT ET, we are able to form an interdisciplinary consortium ahead of matchmaking events,” Thomas explains. “This proactive approach gives us a clear head start.”
Connecting Insight to Implementation
In a landscape where many initiatives focus on innovation, the real challenge lies in implementation. By linking socially grounded projects like Just Prepare to a strong national network, the DAT ensures that innovation does not remain fragmented, but can be scaled, applied, and embedded in practice.
Looking Ahead
The energy transition requires more than technological advancement. It requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches that are socially grounded, widely supported and scalable. By combining local insight with national collaboration, the 4TU.BE DAT Energy Transition assists to turn proven ideas and research output into lasting impact. Because real acceleration starts with understanding the people it is meant to serve and having the network to scale that understanding.