Circular Criteria for Climate Control Systems: for comprehensive Programs of Requirements with less environmental impact

The Circular Criteria for Climate Installations help clients of (new) construction projects to draw up integrated and consistent Programs of Requirements that reduce the environmental impact of their projects. With the help of the Circular Criteria, clients such as municipalities and housing associations can formulate their level of ambition and arrive at a clear step-by-step plan and request for proposals from suppliers. Manufacturers and installation consultants benefit from clear expectations and a technical basis for their choices. The Circular Criteria were drawn up by CE Delft on behalf of Circonnect.

Download the Circular Criteria for Climate Installations

 

 

You determine the level of ambition

The advantage of working with these criteria is that they match your level of ambition. Clients themselves determine what is appropriate for current tenders and where they want to grow in the future. This provides concrete guidelines for a multi-year plan, but also for stakeholder management and the step-by-step growth of partners.

 

For whom?

  • Clients of (new) construction projects
    Develop a clear and consistent Program of Requirements for climate control systems and reduce the environmental impact of your buildings.

  • installation consultants Develop appropriate circular ambitions for climate installations in (new) construction projects, lead the way with concrete, tailor-made advice, and anticipate customer needs.

The criteria solve two common problems

The Circular Criteria for Climate Systems were developed to address two common problems:

  • Inconsistent Programs of Requirements for climate control systems. Both clients and manufacturers are faced with unclear guidelines for the integrated design and circularity of climate control systems. This leads to confusion and delays. The Circular Criteria provide clarity for all parties involved.
  • Oversized climate control systems and unnecessary environmental impact of buildings. When designing (new) buildings, climate control systems are often not taken into account in an integrated manner, leading to oversizing and unnecessary environmental impact. For example, climate control systems are responsible for no less than 59.8% of the environmental impact of home renovations. By incorporating the principles of circularity when drawing up the Program of Requirements, this impact can be reduced immediately.

 

An integrated approach reduces your environmental impact

As the energy performance of buildings improves and our energy supply becomes more sustainable, the focus of environmental impact is shifting to the use of materials in installations. More complex, heavier systems and frequent replacement mean that we will not achieve climate goals such as 'all homes CO₂-neutral by 2050' if we focus on energy efficiency alone.

Product requirements are primarily focused on individual devices and components, rather than on the indoor climate as a system. As a result, in order to comply with current regulations and requirements, devices and components that are not coordinated and may be oversized are installed. Furthermore, warranties and contracts are based on the performance of individual devices rather than on the desired performance of the system as a whole. This also makes it more difficult to apply circular concepts to life extension, remanufacturing, and reuse, as there is a lack of performance references in this area as well.

The Circular Criteria offer concrete guidelines for improvement on all these points.

For manufacturers and consultants: define your circular strategies

 

A matrix has been developed specifically for manufacturers and consultants that links circular criteria to circular strategies for design choices. All strategies are applicable at both the system level (such as ventilation or heat pump systems) and the product level (e.g., individual components such as heat exchangers or control technology), and are in line with the FODAR principle: Function, Generation, Distribution, Delivery, and Regulation.

Get started with the Circular Criteria today

 

Clients can start working with these criteria today. To this end, we have created a practical checklist that allows you to first determine your level of ambition and your area of application, and then take concrete steps.

Step 1: Download the Circular Criteria

Step 2: Explore the relevant criteria for each topic (chapters 1-5) and determine your level of ambition.

Step 3: Summarize your approach using Chapter 6 and the checklist on p. 23.

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The Circular Criteria enable you to formulate concrete objectives for your project. However, Circonnect has published even more relevant tools that can help you take steps toward circularity and reducing your environmental impact.

  • Consider drawing up aRaw Material & Product Passport (GPP) for your product. The GPP Guidelines will help you with this.
  • Consider requesting an Environmental Impact Assessment or LCA from suppliers. The Environmental Impact Tool helps you quickly take the first steps.
  • Determine the residual value of your installations and work with suppliers to explore options for retaining value and new revenue models.

Need more support? We are happy to help you.

Do you need further guidance or more in-depth information? We are happy to help. In our DIY e-learning course (available from early 2026), we take you step by step through all the criteria. You can also participate in a live workshop where you can work together with other interested parties from the sector. Check the Circonnect agenda for the next do-it-together workshop. Would you like to organize a workshop within your sector or chain? Lilian van Hove will be happy to help you (lilian@circonnect.org).

Updates to criteria following pilot projects

In collaboration with Squarewise and C-creators, the Circular Criteria for fall 2025 and beyond will be validated through two practical pilots, in which the technical frameworks will be tested against concrete design and tendering situations of housing associations De Alliantie and Woonin. The pilot will apply both the Circular Criteria and the PVE, looking at which elements overlap and which complement each other. This will clarify how circularity can actually be integrated into both technical specifications and project processes. The Circular Criteria will be updated based on these insights.

Approach and link with other initiatives

These criteria build on Squarewise's Program of Requirements for Circular Climate Installations for Housing Associations (2025). The criteria further specify the circular indicators under the themes of 'Value retention', 'Adaptive capacity', 'Detachability', 'Life extension' and 'Reuse potential'. The following documents are used for the criteria themselves:

● Measuring detachability methodology version 2.0 (DGBC, 2021).
● Building Adaptive Capacity Methodology version 2.1 (DGBC, 2024).
● Towards a circular chain for climate installations, Barriers and opportunities for central heating boilers and air handling units (LBKs) (Copper8 & Merosch, 2022).

The development of the criteria also fits within the Roadmap for Circular Climate Installations (Circular Manufacturing Industry & Circular Construction Industry, 2025).