Frequently Asked Questions

Sustainable Ameland is a partnership of governments, companies and institutions that support Ameland in making the island more sustainable in any form.

In Sustainable Ameland, the municipality of Ameland collaborates with GasTerra, NAM, Liander, TNO, EnTranCe Hanzehogeschool Groningen) and the Amelander Energy Cooperative (AEC). Other companies, institutions and organizations are also involved in the projects of the agreement and cooperate constructively. In addition, in the field of sustainable energy, there is cooperation with the Wadden Campus, with Amelander entrepreneurs and with, for example, village interests.

Sustainable Ameland started in 2007 with a number of interesting experiments. The projects have now become increasingly larger. In this way, Ameland shows that the energy transition is feasible.

The national government has determined that the Netherlands must be able to do without natural gas by 2050. For Ameland that date is 2035.

The sooner we make the transition to natural gas-free, the more government resources will be available. The government is already thinking along quite a bit. As a leader, we benefit from this. A disadvantage is that you have to figure out more yourself. By figuring it out yourself, you also have concrete answers for the Ameland area with all its special features. In addition, we want to reduce global influences to a minimum as quickly as possible. With the 2022 price increase for natural gas and electricity, we were at the mercy of the global market.

That freedom is there. Every resident will soon decide for themselves when to switch to a sustainable alternative to natural gas. For certain collective systems, the more people participate, the cheaper / more attractive it becomes.

Does it make financial sense to insulate your roof? Do you earn back an investment in solar panels? Many people find it difficult to properly weigh the costs and benefits of energy-saving measures and underestimate the long-term financial benefits. That may be a reason not to take an energy-saving measure. Milieu Centraal has developed a Standard Calculation Method for Returns that helps to make an estimate.

An open door: use as little energy as possible. And indeed, it is not that simple. But by taking simple (and often cheap) energy-saving measures (simple insulation, taking shorter showers, turning off equipment you are not using, choosing economical electrical appliances) you can try to reduce your energy costs in the short term. In the longer term, you can think about further insulation of your house, solar panels and solar collectors. You can obtain advice from the Sustainable Construction Desk, your installer or the municipality.

We do not know yet. We are busy making this clear for the different scenarios. If we are co-owners ourselves, you can make pricing very transparent.

You pay based on your measured consumption, just like with gas and electricity. This use is measured via a so-called delivery set. Now the amount of gas is measured, with a heat network the amount of heat.

That cannot be said with certainty. If you have a (very) well insulated house with underfloor heating and suitable radiators, then choosing a heat pump is certainly not a wise choice. If your house is not automatically suitable, it is wise to first tackle the insulation further. In the meantime, more is becoming known about the feasibility of heating networks and green gas or hydrogen, the alternatives to a heat pump.

The choice of a specific type of heat pump depends entirely on your own wishes and the situation in your home. The heat demand is decisive, but also the quality of the insulation of your home. It is best to make a good choice together with an energy advisor, who will first carefully map out your home and your energy use.

Unfortunately, that cannot be said yet. A heating network could be interesting, but we do not yet know whether it is feasible on Ameland. The municipality is now having the advantages and disadvantages of heating networks thoroughly investigated. Afterwards, it will be discussed in detail with the Amelanders.

Ask an installer for advice. If your boiler cannot be repaired, you can choose between a new (gas-fired) boiler, a hybrid heat pump or an all-electric heat pump. What makes the most sense depends on your situation. If your home is (very) well insulated and has underfloor heating and suitable radiators, then an all-electric heat pump might be interesting. If your home is not yet optimally insulated, a hybrid heat pump is the more obvious choice. If you want to wait until you know more about the heating options in your area, investigate whether you can rent or lease a new boiler.

That is possible, but it is usually not wise. With an electric heater or an electric boiler you do not use natural gas, but you will receive a hefty electricity bill in return. In addition, the electricity grid in your area is under heavy strain. An electric infrared panel can be a wise choice if you want to heat a specific place in your home. If you want to heat several rooms or your entire house, a heat pump seems to be a better choice. It uses much less electricity for the same amount of heat. Your home must be suitable for this.

With solar panels you can generate a (large) part of your current electricity consumption yourself. But for heating and hot water, an average household uses three to five times as much energy. This means that many more solar panels are needed for heating than fit on an average roof. In addition, the solar panels supply energy when there is little heat demand and vice versa. The electricity grid must absorb all of this.

Make sure that your building is optimally oriented towards the sun. With a smart design, a building can make maximum use of the free heat from the sun in the winter, while that heat is retained in the summer. You can also consider the best possible insulation, sufficient space for the future heating system and for energy storage (with batteries or hot water buffers). You can also consider a gray water circuit and you can build the new building as circularly as possible (demountable and reusable).

A renovation is often the best time to make your home more sustainable. Insulation measures are relatively cheap if the home is being renovated. Do not only look at the new part (such as an extension), but also at the part that is not being renovated. This way you prevent major insulation differences within your renovated home.

You can find a lot of information about making your home or business more sustainable at Duurzaam Bouwloket. You will also find reliable information and good ideas on the MilieuCentraal site. Do you live on Ameland and do you have specific technical questions? You can send this by email to Erwin de Boer of the municipality of Ameland.

Making monuments more sustainable is always tailor-made. The municipality of Ameland helps owners of monuments get started. For specific questions, please contact Erwin de Boer, energy advisor of the municipality of Ameland, or for general information visit Duurzaam Bouwloket .

This depends on the type of home and how well it is already insulated. If you are thinking about making adjustments or renovating your home, it is certainly not unwise to take insulating measures that save energy. You could consider the following aspects when renovating with a view to the energy transition: Installing underfloor heating, installing suitable radiators for a heat pump, perhaps installing solar panels that generate sufficient energy for your energy use.

The climate agreement stipulates a 95% CO² reduction in energy demand by 2050. For Ameland, this reduction can only be achieved if Ameland no longer uses natural gas. This applies to the entire island, including holiday homes. Ameland has the ambition to be natural gas-free by 2035, at which time the homes will have to be heated via a different energy system.

No, unfortunately not at the moment.

Information about sustainability can be found on this website, via the Sustainable Construction Desk and Milieu Centraal. It is also possible to send your questions by email toduurameland@ameland.nl. Ask technical questions to our energy advisor Erwin de Boer via edeboer@ameland.nl.