SchoonSchip
Europe's smartest floating neighbourhood
The vision
Sustainable living on the water
Schoonschip is a floating residential development of 46 households in Amsterdam-North. Its ambitious sustainability goals make it a daring attempt to re-imagine how cities function today. Through close cooperation within the community, Schoonschip has developed into a groundbreaking concept for urban living that pushes many of the current boundaries of community governance, technology, architecture, and construction.
This is just one of several ideas the inhabitants of SchoonSchip have to reduce their impact on the environment. Other ideas include local food production and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle.
In the center of the neighbourhood, one houseboat functions as the community centre. This houseboat is the ‘GewoonBoot’, a prototype sustainable houseboat that acts as a knowledge centre for visitors, while also hosting a space for meetings, events and activities.
In the spring of 2020 floating gardens were created at several locations within the project, using natural materials as much as possible. The floating gardens and the garden rafts are slightly different from each other, so in the years they will find out which method works best. In any case, the neighbourhood grebes, swans, ducks and coots seem to like the gardens as they started nesting and breeding as soon as the gardens were laid.
What did it take?
Developed by inhabitants
It took over 10 years to realise SchoonSchip. Beginning as a foundation, it soon turned into a cooperative of all the households, run by individual inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Different working groups were formed to research and implement themes such as mobility, communication, and building material selection.
Smart grid
The smart grid at SchoonSchip belongs to the most advanced of its kind globally, thanks to a complex algorithm with electricity market integration.
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Li-ion battery
A battery system stores excess electricity production, so that it can be used a t a later time, thereby maximising the self-consumption of power.
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Grid connection
Instead of multiple small connections for each household, SchoonSchip has a single grid connection to the main grid, resulting in lower costs.
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Unique aspects
Floating on technology
An emphasis on state-of-the-art energy technology characterises SchoonSchip, resulting in one of the most efficient, resilient and sustainable energy systems of its kind.
Heat pumps
Special 'smart-grid ready' heat pumps provide both space heating and domestic hot water production. Excess heat is stored in a buffer tank for use later on.
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EV parking lot
A nearby shared parking lot charges EV's with local power. The goal is to create a fleet of shared vehicles, instead of everyone owning their own.
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Solar PV panels
Each houseboat on SchoonSchip has enough solar panels to supply more than half of all its energy demands. Excess power flows to the neighbours.
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Unique aspects
An energy system with a brain
The smart grid at SchoonSchip signals the future of decentralised energy systems. An algorithm makes sure that locally produced power is also consumed locally. For instance, by storing excess electricity production in the battery, or by giving it to a neighbour. Moreover, integration with the electricity markets allows energy to be traded like stocks, which lowers the general price. The Smart Power Block, housing the battery, functions as the brains of this system.
grid connection
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batteries
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heat pumps
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solar heating panels
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solar PV panels
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Inside the neighbourhood
A thriving community
Part of the magic of schoonSchip is the sense of community they achieved to establish. It is the result of everyone’s participation and effort to contribute over the years. By creating space for everyone to personalise their house and surroundings, a unique atmosphere is created inside the neighbourhood.
How is SmartHoods involved?
Circularity through technology
SmartHoods (in former positions) worked on the water and energy systems of SchoonSchip. We gained valuable insights into both its water and energy system by helping to design, model and analyse it. This showed us the potential of using next-generation vacuum sanitation and smart grid technology to take circularity to the next level.
Project
Techno-economic Analysis of 2 Energy System Scenario's
Did you know that
Curious to find out more?
Check it out yourself
Address: Johan van Hasseltkade 225B
Website: www.schoonschipamsterdam.org
E-mail: info@schoonschipamsterdam.org
Involved parties:
