Cities4PEDs Atlas_November 2021.pdf

eing paid by Ecopower and he can act more
independently from the city and from political
changes. This allows to set up strategies that
go beyond multiple election cycles and offers
true long-term engagement a company can
offer a small local municipality. It stands in
sharp contrast to companies who come in with
a building application and a once-a-yearmaintenance.
Up to now, the consultant’s three
main projects have been: helping out setting
up a new legal structure for district heating
network, for the installation of PV modules on
all suitable roofs in the city and for a new energy
poverty project which was recently approved by
the European Commission.
Communication strategy
Before project developers were invited to the
first call, the city presented the plan of the
wind turbines to residents. Fortunately, in 1999,
inhabitants were sceptical but undecided and
there was no fixed opinion on wind energy with
the advantage of politicians not being polarized
yet.
Thanks to direct participation and constant
campaigning of the energy consultant, an
ideological discussion was avoided and energy
projects are supported by the public up to now.
Key in this new narrative is to consider energy
as more than just CO2 but as a local product
with local added value. To bring people on
board, different formats and narratives were
used: Energy became part of the communities’
identity, even city marketing in a holistic
narrative. As such, all stakeholders are able
to identify themselves in advocating for local
energy. Furthermore, one single point of contact,
facilitated by the energy consultant, was a
crucial element for a high acceptance among
the citizens.
Efficiency and energy supply concept
All 14 wind turbines are producing more All 14
wind turbines are producing more electricity
than Eeklo’s total use of electricity over one
year, adding up to a 130% coverage rate (133 MW
consummption, 170.5 MW production).
Currently, mainly centralised gas is used
for heat supply in Eeklo. This it is the case in
most Belgian municipalities, as the network is
provided by a public company with a monopoly,
whereas the supplier is a private company.
A waste incinerator in the North of Eeklo is
already in operation but currently just 30% of its
heat of the is recovered through cogeneration.
There was no legal framework on national or
provincial level so until now, district heating
was exclusively implemented in newly built
areas with private ownership. To make use
of the other 70% the city had to write its own
legal framework in order to make use of all the
waste heat. Many networks of the city are now
being renovated and put back into place with
implementing a district heating network.
For the new district heating network, the city
opted again for the known formula of the
public tender. Ecopower joined forces with
the multinational utility provider Veolia to
set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the
call. The SPV, consisting of Ecopower and
Veolia is unique in the world: The business
models of a cooperative and a multinational
differ fundamentally but this special purpose
vehicle succeeded due to their common goal.
Both business models offer benefits. Veolia
provides clustered capital and knowhow and
Ecopower provides a high level of trust to the
local community. This is vigorous to convince
homeowners to switch from gas to district
heating, a relatively new and rarely adopted
technology in Belgium. In their concept,
customers would not pay more than for gas
supply and inhabitants are not obliged to
connect to the district heating network. But
there will be a gas network and a district heating
network “in parallel” as the EU regulations of
freedom to choose have to be complied with.
Because of the regulations, residents can choose
to connect to the district heating network or
to invest e.g. in their own on-site heat pump
as well. When residents choose to connect to
In the case of the new district’s heating network in the
existing parts, the city opted for a public tender instead
of a direct contract.
Working document
38