![\"Benthuizen\"](\"https:\/\/energiekalphenaandenrijn.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_7783-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Benthuizen\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Benthuizen<\/p>\n<\/div>
Smarter Together
\nEnergy evenings<\/p><\/h2><\/div>
Smarter Together
\nEnergy evenings<\/p><\/h2><\/div>
This autumn, two \u2018Smarter Energy Together' evenings will be held for residents, businesses and associations\/organisations in Benthuizen. How can you save energy at home and how can you work together in your neighbourhood to keep your future energy bills affordable? We will tackle these questions together.<\/p>\n
The Smarter Energy Evenings are organised by the Benthuizen Village Council in collaboration with Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn. More information will follow here as soon as the dates are known.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Smarter Together Benthuizen<\/h1><\/h1><\/div>What possibilities and opportunities are there for Benthuizen as a village community to save energy, both individually and collectively? Or to generate and share sustainable energy together?<\/p>\n
In collaboration with the Benthuizen village council<\/a> In the autumn of 2024, Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn launched an exploratory study entitled Samen Slimmer Benthuizen (Smarter Together Benthuizen) to find answers to these questions. On 16 October 2024, an information meeting was held for residents. Around sixty residents and representatives of associations, organisations and businesses attended this energy evening. The central question was: what possibilities and opportunities are there for Benthuizen as a village community to save energy, both individually and collectively? Or to generate and share energy together?<\/p>\nFollowing this evening, two working groups were established:<\/p>\n
Working group on alternative heating<\/span> \u2013 about new and sustainable ways of heating. Read on below for updates.<\/p>\nSolar Power Working Group<\/span> \u2013 about the opportunities offered by a smart energy community. Read on below for updates. An important result that has emerged from this working group is the Glanskern Benthuizen pilot project.<\/p>\nUnique approach<\/strong><\/p>\nA distinctive feature of Samen Slimmer Benthuizen was that discussions were first held with residents. This was a unique approach, which, given its success, deserved to be replicated. So-called Samen Slimmer Energy evenings are now also being held in Hazerswoude-Rijndijk, and there is also interest in other areas of Alphen.<\/p>\n<\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/energiekalphenaandenrijn.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Gijs-Pool-Menno-Stijl-en-Rob-van-Daalhoff.jpeg\" "\\"Gijs")
<\/span><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Interview with the initiators<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nEnergy meeting Smarter Together in Benthuizen<\/em><\/p>\nWhat opportunities does a local community offer?
\nfor saving, generating and sharing energy?<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat can you do as a village community to save on energy costs or generate your own sustainable energy? This question will be the focus of the Samen Slimmer (Smarter Together) Energy Meeting on Wednesday evening, 16 October, at Buurtcentrum De Tas in Benthuizen. The meeting is an initiative of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn in collaboration with Dorpsoverleg Benthuizen and De Tas. What do they want to achieve?<\/p>\n
From draught strips to wind turbines. From putting on a warm jumper to your own battery for storing green energy. There are many ways to save energy or generate your own. Meanwhile, you hear news almost every day about all kinds of developments in the energy transition. \u201cThe energy transition is no longer a distant prospect,\u2018 say Gijs Pool and Menno Stijl, energy coach and board member of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn (EA) respectively. They are the organisers of the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore and more people have already started working on this themselves at home, or want to know what they can do to save energy or generate their own. In recent years, the EA coaches have already helped hundreds of homeowners in the municipality with advice and practical support. \u201cWe are organising the evening in Benthuizen because we are now particularly interested in what residents of a local community can do together to be smarter. Within the municipality of Alphen, Benthuizen is a good example of such a small-scale community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opportunities<\/p>\n
Pool en Stijl want to know how the residents of Benthuizen feel about energy developments and explore together what opportunities there are for energy saving and\/or generating and sharing energy. \u201cThe programme for the meeting allows plenty of time for exchanging ideas on this subject. Energy coaches will be present to explain various topics, such as new ways to heat your home and financing and subsidy options. For example, can you purchase insulation measures together and help each other with the implementation and with knowledge? It often turns out that even small measures can make a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rob van Daalhoff, chair of the Benthuizen Village Council, wholeheartedly supports the initiative for the Samen Slimmer meeting. \u201cIt's a topic that everyone thinks about and has questions about: what can I do myself, how do I go about it, what does it cost and who can help me? Energiek Alphen's approach of involving as many residents as possible appeals to us. I expect a high turnout and am also very curious to see what the evening will bring. We want to follow up on that with something good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Energy hub<\/p>\n
Gijs Pool and Menno Stijl are already considering this. \u201cIn consultation with residents, associations and social partners, we want to discuss how we can turn ideas into concrete plans and \u2013 in the long term \u2013 perhaps put them into practice. There is currently a debate about the overloaded energy network. Perhaps we can tackle this locally with a local energy hub. Users within a small, defined area could then exchange their surplus electricity with each other. This would relieve the national grid and mean that consumers would not have to be asked to switch off their solar panels from time to time, as is currently being suggested. We can tell you more about this at the Energy Meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Energetic Alphen aan den Rijn considers Samen Slimmer in Benthuizen to be a pilot project. \u201cIf our approach works and many residents participate, we can also set this up in other centres and neighbourhoods in the municipality,\u201d say Pool and Stijl. EA started a few years ago with a few volunteers and has since grown into an energy community with over seventy members who are selflessly committed to making Alphen aan den Rijn more sustainable.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Report and presentations Energy meeting Samen Slimmer Benthuizen<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nSuccessful meeting at Samen Slimmer Benthuizen<\/strong><\/p>\nA lot is changing in the field of energy. Energy prices are fluctuating. Our energy grid is reaching its limits. To become natural gas-free, there are new ways to heat your home. Where is it all heading? What opportunities are there for us as a village community?<\/p>\n
On 16 October 2024, around sixty interested parties attended the Samen Slimmer Benthuizen Energy Meeting to discuss these issues. The meeting at De Tas Community Centre was organised by Energiek Alphen in collaboration with the Benthuizen Village Council.<\/p>\n
Both in terms of attendance and content, the event was a success, not least due to the active and enthusiastic involvement of all residents present. A number of fascinating presentations, lively conversations and discussions led by energy experts covered a wide range of relevant topics. These included small-scale energy-saving measures, subsidy options, heating challenges, insulation and ventilation solutions.<\/p>\n
Concrete results were also achieved during the sessions:<\/p>\n
Residents can book a consultation with an Energy Coach. Would you also like to request a consultation? Then click here<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe session on heating will be followed by a follow-up meeting with approximately ten people who are interested in a (hybrid) heat pump.<\/p>\n
During the ventilation session, participants heard many new tips and tricks. Moisture is a particular concern.<\/p>\n
The indoor climate session highlighted the importance of a healthy indoor climate (and how complex it can sometimes be).<\/p>\n
The session on isolation addressed many practical issues that encourage the adoption of measures.<\/p>\n
During the session on solar panels and L4L (Local for Local), it became apparent that at least twelve residents and sports clubs are interested in setting up their own energy community to generate and share electricity together.<\/p>\n
Did you miss a presentation or would you like to read it again? You can do so here:
\nBlock 0 Programme Smarter Together<\/a>
\nBlock 1 Active Rijnwoude<\/a>
\nBlock 2 Subsidies and financing options<\/a>
\nBlock 3 New forms of heating<\/a>
\nBlock 4 Insulation<\/a>
\nBlock 5 Indoor climate and ventilation<\/a>
\nBlock 6 Solar panels, what next?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Working group Different heating \u2013 New and sustainable ways of heating<\/strong><\/h3>\nFollowing the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen (16 October 2024), the Alternative Heating Working Group was formed. Led by Energy Coaches Henny Gloudemans and Bert van der Hoorn, the members met on 20 November 2024 for an open, informative exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n
It was established here that the participants (there were eight residents present) initially saw no need to take steps TOGETHER. It should be noted that one participant had already implemented far-reaching sustainability measures and that another participant had recently had a hybrid heat pump installed. After this meeting, a number of participants requested an energy consultation.<\/p>\n
Solar Power Working Group \u2013 Towards a smart energy community<\/strong><\/h3>\nFollowing the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen (16 October 2024), the Solar Power Working Group was formed. The members met on 13 November 2024 to exchange ideas about Benthuizen as a local energy community. Are we going to solve the energy problem with billions of pounds of investment in the electricity grid, or are we going to opt for a good balance between local, sustainable generation and use? In other words: the smart energy community.<\/p>\n
Board member Menno Stijl of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn presented his vision for Samen Slimmer Benthuizen (Smarter Together Benthuizen): how residents, businesses and the local council can work together to create a smart energy community. This has since grown into the Glanskern Benthuizen pilot project. In this project, owners of various types of buildings (residential properties, commercial premises, a church and a clubhouse) are investigating how they can share energy smartly as a local energy community. Read here<\/a> more about the Glanskern Benthuizen concept and its implementation in practice.<\/p>\nGlanskern Benthuizen is one of the pilot projects in Local4Local's so-called upscaling programme. The aim of this programme is to create even more places in the Netherlands where locally owned sustainable energy is shared within the community.<\/p>\n
Want to know more?<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor more information on the subject of alternative heating, please contact Bert van der Hoorn (bert.van.der.hoorn@energiekalphen.nl<\/a>). For more information about the Solar Power Working Group, please contact Gijs Pool (gijs.pool@energiekalphen.nl<\/a>).<\/p>\nWould you like to stay informed about our activities? Then register as a member of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn. Click here<\/a>. Membership is free of charge. You will then automatically receive the EA newsletter with news about our projects.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
What possibilities and opportunities are there for Benthuizen as a village community to save energy, both individually and collectively? Or to generate and share sustainable energy together?<\/p>\n
In collaboration with the Benthuizen village council<\/a> In the autumn of 2024, Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn launched an exploratory study entitled Samen Slimmer Benthuizen (Smarter Together Benthuizen) to find answers to these questions. On 16 October 2024, an information meeting was held for residents. Around sixty residents and representatives of associations, organisations and businesses attended this energy evening. The central question was: what possibilities and opportunities are there for Benthuizen as a village community to save energy, both individually and collectively? Or to generate and share energy together?<\/p>\n Following this evening, two working groups were established:<\/p>\n Working group on alternative heating<\/span> \u2013 about new and sustainable ways of heating. Read on below for updates.<\/p>\n Solar Power Working Group<\/span> \u2013 about the opportunities offered by a smart energy community. Read on below for updates. An important result that has emerged from this working group is the Glanskern Benthuizen pilot project.<\/p>\n Unique approach<\/strong><\/p>\n A distinctive feature of Samen Slimmer Benthuizen was that discussions were first held with residents. This was a unique approach, which, given its success, deserved to be replicated. So-called Samen Slimmer Energy evenings are now also being held in Hazerswoude-Rijndijk, and there is also interest in other areas of Alphen.<\/p>\n<\/div> Energy meeting Smarter Together in Benthuizen<\/em><\/p>\n What opportunities does a local community offer? What can you do as a village community to save on energy costs or generate your own sustainable energy? This question will be the focus of the Samen Slimmer (Smarter Together) Energy Meeting on Wednesday evening, 16 October, at Buurtcentrum De Tas in Benthuizen. The meeting is an initiative of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn in collaboration with Dorpsoverleg Benthuizen and De Tas. What do they want to achieve?<\/p>\n From draught strips to wind turbines. From putting on a warm jumper to your own battery for storing green energy. There are many ways to save energy or generate your own. Meanwhile, you hear news almost every day about all kinds of developments in the energy transition. \u201cThe energy transition is no longer a distant prospect,\u2018 say Gijs Pool and Menno Stijl, energy coach and board member of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn (EA) respectively. They are the organisers of the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen.<\/p>\n \u201cMore and more people have already started working on this themselves at home, or want to know what they can do to save energy or generate their own. In recent years, the EA coaches have already helped hundreds of homeowners in the municipality with advice and practical support. \u201cWe are organising the evening in Benthuizen because we are now particularly interested in what residents of a local community can do together to be smarter. Within the municipality of Alphen, Benthuizen is a good example of such a small-scale community.\u201d<\/p>\n Opportunities<\/p>\n Pool en Stijl want to know how the residents of Benthuizen feel about energy developments and explore together what opportunities there are for energy saving and\/or generating and sharing energy. \u201cThe programme for the meeting allows plenty of time for exchanging ideas on this subject. Energy coaches will be present to explain various topics, such as new ways to heat your home and financing and subsidy options. For example, can you purchase insulation measures together and help each other with the implementation and with knowledge? It often turns out that even small measures can make a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Rob van Daalhoff, chair of the Benthuizen Village Council, wholeheartedly supports the initiative for the Samen Slimmer meeting. \u201cIt's a topic that everyone thinks about and has questions about: what can I do myself, how do I go about it, what does it cost and who can help me? Energiek Alphen's approach of involving as many residents as possible appeals to us. I expect a high turnout and am also very curious to see what the evening will bring. We want to follow up on that with something good.\u201d<\/p>\n Energy hub<\/p>\n Gijs Pool and Menno Stijl are already considering this. \u201cIn consultation with residents, associations and social partners, we want to discuss how we can turn ideas into concrete plans and \u2013 in the long term \u2013 perhaps put them into practice. There is currently a debate about the overloaded energy network. Perhaps we can tackle this locally with a local energy hub. Users within a small, defined area could then exchange their surplus electricity with each other. This would relieve the national grid and mean that consumers would not have to be asked to switch off their solar panels from time to time, as is currently being suggested. We can tell you more about this at the Energy Meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n Energetic Alphen aan den Rijn considers Samen Slimmer in Benthuizen to be a pilot project. \u201cIf our approach works and many residents participate, we can also set this up in other centres and neighbourhoods in the municipality,\u201d say Pool and Stijl. EA started a few years ago with a few volunteers and has since grown into an energy community with over seventy members who are selflessly committed to making Alphen aan den Rijn more sustainable.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Successful meeting at Samen Slimmer Benthuizen<\/strong><\/p>\n A lot is changing in the field of energy. Energy prices are fluctuating. Our energy grid is reaching its limits. To become natural gas-free, there are new ways to heat your home. Where is it all heading? What opportunities are there for us as a village community?<\/p>\n On 16 October 2024, around sixty interested parties attended the Samen Slimmer Benthuizen Energy Meeting to discuss these issues. The meeting at De Tas Community Centre was organised by Energiek Alphen in collaboration with the Benthuizen Village Council.<\/p>\n Both in terms of attendance and content, the event was a success, not least due to the active and enthusiastic involvement of all residents present. A number of fascinating presentations, lively conversations and discussions led by energy experts covered a wide range of relevant topics. These included small-scale energy-saving measures, subsidy options, heating challenges, insulation and ventilation solutions.<\/p>\n Concrete results were also achieved during the sessions:<\/p>\n Residents can book a consultation with an Energy Coach. Would you also like to request a consultation? Then click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The session on heating will be followed by a follow-up meeting with approximately ten people who are interested in a (hybrid) heat pump.<\/p>\n During the ventilation session, participants heard many new tips and tricks. Moisture is a particular concern.<\/p>\n The indoor climate session highlighted the importance of a healthy indoor climate (and how complex it can sometimes be).<\/p>\n The session on isolation addressed many practical issues that encourage the adoption of measures.<\/p>\n During the session on solar panels and L4L (Local for Local), it became apparent that at least twelve residents and sports clubs are interested in setting up their own energy community to generate and share electricity together.<\/p>\n Did you miss a presentation or would you like to read it again? You can do so here: Following the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen (16 October 2024), the Alternative Heating Working Group was formed. Led by Energy Coaches Henny Gloudemans and Bert van der Hoorn, the members met on 20 November 2024 for an open, informative exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n It was established here that the participants (there were eight residents present) initially saw no need to take steps TOGETHER. It should be noted that one participant had already implemented far-reaching sustainability measures and that another participant had recently had a hybrid heat pump installed. After this meeting, a number of participants requested an energy consultation.<\/p>\n Following the Energy Meeting in Benthuizen (16 October 2024), the Solar Power Working Group was formed. The members met on 13 November 2024 to exchange ideas about Benthuizen as a local energy community. Are we going to solve the energy problem with billions of pounds of investment in the electricity grid, or are we going to opt for a good balance between local, sustainable generation and use? In other words: the smart energy community.<\/p>\n Board member Menno Stijl of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn presented his vision for Samen Slimmer Benthuizen (Smarter Together Benthuizen): how residents, businesses and the local council can work together to create a smart energy community. This has since grown into the Glanskern Benthuizen pilot project. In this project, owners of various types of buildings (residential properties, commercial premises, a church and a clubhouse) are investigating how they can share energy smartly as a local energy community. Read here<\/a> more about the Glanskern Benthuizen concept and its implementation in practice.<\/p>\n Glanskern Benthuizen is one of the pilot projects in Local4Local's so-called upscaling programme. The aim of this programme is to create even more places in the Netherlands where locally owned sustainable energy is shared within the community.<\/p>\n For more information on the subject of alternative heating, please contact Bert van der Hoorn (bert.van.der.hoorn@energiekalphen.nl<\/a>). For more information about the Solar Power Working Group, please contact Gijs Pool (gijs.pool@energiekalphen.nl<\/a>).<\/p>\n Would you like to stay informed about our activities? Then register as a member of Energiek Alphen aan den Rijn. Click here<\/a>. Membership is free of charge. You will then automatically receive the EA newsletter with news about our projects.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Interview with the initiators<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\nfor saving, generating and sharing energy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/i><\/i><\/span>Report and presentations Energy meeting Samen Slimmer Benthuizen<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\nBlock 0 Programme Smarter Together<\/a>
\nBlock 1 Active Rijnwoude<\/a>
\nBlock 2 Subsidies and financing options<\/a>
\nBlock 3 New forms of heating<\/a>
\nBlock 4 Insulation<\/a>
\nBlock 5 Indoor climate and ventilation<\/a>
\nBlock 6 Solar panels, what next?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Working group Different heating \u2013 New and sustainable ways of heating<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Solar Power Working Group \u2013 Towards a smart energy community<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Want to know more?<\/strong><\/h3>\n