From a gas-fired, uninsulated and heat-losing former school building to a sustainable building with a heat pump and solar panels. Residents of Hooghalen have worked hard in recent months to make d’Aole School future-proof in the village.
The building houses youth club All Skin, among others, but it is also used by Repro Hooghalen, the Historical Association Hooghalen, Kinderwerk, de Boerhoorn and Welzijn Hooghalen.
The school was built in 1911 and met the requirements of the time. Harry Buiter of Stichting Huisvesting Jongeren Hooghalen: “That means single brick walls, no cavity, no insulation and above all single glass. The energy price got out of hand, the foundation behind d’Aole School was almost bankrupt. Energy became such a major cost item, it couldn’t go on like this.”
In 2017, the first plans for sustainability were put on the table. “That first plan consisted of replacing the central heating system,” says Buiter. “But of course much more had to be done. So we also started insulating the building, installing better glass. Then we also came to the heat pumps, which had to be installed. And now the very last phase is also finished : solar panels on the roof.”
All kinds of funds have been written to pay for all this. Money was released from eleven funds. And during the work, the costs were reduced by the efforts of volunteers. Harry Buiter is proud of this: “This would not have been possible without all the people. Then you would have had to have everything done, there was not that much money. The complete plan comes from the village, many people have contributed to it. many volunteer hours in this project.”
In addition to the inside of the building, the outside has also been refurbished. And yesterday the last solar panels were placed on the roof. “So if the sun shines this weekend, the money will pour in,” says Buiter with a wink.