DGV_241204_publicatie-EN-online

A Guide to Accelerating
the Energy Transition
in Urban Districts
and Village Centres
FIVE
BREAKTHROUGH
PROJECTS
FOR
ENERGY
DISTRICTS

INTRODUCTION
FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PROJECTS
2
8
NARRATIVES
A
Public buildings as anchor points of a neighbourhood strategy
1 INTERACTIVE MAP, Limerick
2 SPACE FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD INITIATIVES, Barcelona
3 NEIGHBOURHOOD DYNAMICS AS A BASE, Vilvoorde
4 SHARED SOLAR ROOF, Rotterdam
5 FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY SHARING, Brussels
14
B
Everyone on board for sustainable apartment buildings
6 BUILDING TRUST, Rotterdam
7 WORKING TOWARDS CO-OWNERSHIP, Brussels
8 RENOVATION COACHES, Antwerp
9 TEMPORARY HEAT PUMPS, Antwerp
24
C
Emissions-free city block
10 HERITAGE RENOVATION, Bruges
11 BTES FIELD IN THE CITY BLOCK, Ghent
12 SHARED HEAT INFRASTRUCTURE, Vienna
13 ROLLING FUND, Ghent
34
D
Speeding things up in the subdivision district
14 RENOVATION SUPPORT, Genk
15 NEIGHBOURHOOD BATTERY, Oud-Heverlee
16 DISTRICT HUB, Rotterdam
17 SHARED INVESTMENT, Genk
18 BROAD RENOVATION STRATEGY, Leuven
42
E
Exchanges in the multifunctional district
19 MAPPING THE DISTRICT POTENTIAL, Ghent
20 COOPERATIVE APPROACH, Ghent
21 COMBINING HEAT SOURCES, Leuven
22 BUURTKRACHT, Bruges
23 RESIDUAL HEAT NETWORK, Mortsel
24 CASCADING HEAT, Antwerp
52
LIVING LABS & EXPERIMENTS
64

INTRODUCTION
and consumption patterns; improving the energy performance of
all houses and other buildings; connecting them to 100-per-cent
renewable heat sources; and maximizing local electricity production
(solar, wind). Today we are almost halfway through the 2020s. The
number of local experiments focused on these four spheres of action
is growing rapidly. The community of enterprising local authorities,
energy companies, cooperatives and citizen initiatives is growing
at the same pace. And the policy framework that will require every
municipality to develop a concrete, step-by-step energy transition
plan for the built environment is currently being finalized in the
European Parliament (EU Energy Efficiency Directive). Today, we are
at a tipping point. The future starts here!
The year is 2050 and our urban districts and village centres run on
green and renewable energy sources and all homes are well insulated.
In these healthy living environments, streets have been depaved and
transformed into lushly planted communal spaces that help to regulate
the temperature in the city. Cars and cargo bikes are gathered in
the mobility hub, where charging and sharing have been made easy.
In the mid-2020s, there was a breakthrough in the energy transition
as cities embraced a district-by-district approach and made shared
energy infrastructure an absolute priority. The potential of rooftops
(for electricity generation) and of soil, sewage, rivers and canals (as
heat sources) was activated in district energy projects. Investments
in local social dynamics and community centres enabled residents
and officials to share tips and tricks and to work together on energy
measures, renovation packages and future plans for the districts.
This marked a next phase in unburdening and active participation
in the energy transition. Over the past twenty-five years, all households
– including those with limited financial resources – were able
to connect to a cost-efficient and flexible energy system and saw
the quality of life in their district take a big leap forward.
This may sound like a distant dream at the moment. But our built
environment is the driving force and key to making this energy and
climate vision a reality. The built environment is responsible for 35
per cent of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. We need to
reduce these by 40 per cent over the next twenty-five years. This will
require simultaneous action on four fronts: changing our behaviour
2
GROWING AWARENESS, BUT SLOW PROGRESS
The changes required for the energy transition affect the daily lives of
a wide range of residents and lifestyles. The importance of energy in
people’s lives is clearer than ever. Take, for example, the energy crisis
and exploding energy bills that mobilized people across generations
to take to the streets and demand support. Today, people are more
and more concerned about the Energy Performance Certificates
(EPCs) that affect the value of their homes. But the fact that awareness
and impact are increasing does not mean people have a clear
idea of how to act. What solutions are best suited to their specific
situation? How far should they go in renovating their home? Whose
advice and proposals should they accept and follow? Many homeowners
also lack the financial resources to carry out energy efficiency
measures. Not every building has the right physical characteristics
to generate its own energy, such as space for geothermal drilling or
an ideal roof orientation for solar panels. The energy transition of our
existing districts and village centres is indeed complex and multidimensional.
And social and financial capacity as well as knowledge
and opportunities are unevenly distributed.
To make the transition from today’s situation to the 2050 vision, we
need to address and overcome these obstacles – preferably as soon as
possible! Today, the built environment is lagging behind in the energy
transition. To be free of fossil fuels by 2050, we need to renovate 95,000
homes a year, that is, 11 homes an hour! How do we accelerate and begin
implementing the necessary transition wave? How do we mobilize and
cultivate enough capacity in our villages and cities to take the lead in
the energy transition? What concrete measures, projects and support
mechanisms should we prioritize to drive the transformation of our
built environment and leave no one behind? We are going to need our
collective creative capacity to move from major challenges to
a wave of concrete, workable actions.
3

UNBURDENING, HOUSE BY HOUSE …
Flanders today is focused on unburdening and encouraging a houseby-house
energy transition, consisting of renovation measures and
the installation of solar panels and heat pumps. Regulation, one-stop
shops and support measures promote individual action by homeowners.
This is leading to a first wave of energy-efficiency measures
and private electricity and heat production. Today, we can see in
almost every street that several households have taken steps in
the energy transition. But we also see neighbours who have neither
replaced their single-glazed windows nor insulated their roof or
façades. The smoking chimney shows that the house is still heated
with fossil fuels. Current incentives only reach households that are
already able to pay for the investments upfront. After all, significant
investments are required to bring a house or flat to a level of energy
efficiency that makes it possible to replace the oil or gas boiler with
a (more expensive) heat pump. The current support mechanism does
not sufficiently succeed in helping those who cannot afford it, or
those who are renting a house or are facing other challenges, such
as socio-economic ones.
LIVING LABS & EXPERIMENTS
1. Georgian Quarter,
Limerick, IE
2. Citizens Asset Programme,
Barcelona, ES
3. Zennelab,
Vilvoorde, BE
4. Delfshaven Energie Coöperatie,
Bospolder-Tussendijken, Rotterdam, NL
5. Nos Bambins, Ganshoren,
Brussels, BE
6. De Verbindingkamer, Gijsingflats,
Rotterdam, NL
7. SunSud,
Brussels, BE
8. Linkeroever,
Antwerp, BE
9. Temporary heat pumps,
Linkeroever, Antwerp, BE
10. De Schipjes,
Bruges, BE
11. Standaard Muide,
Muide-Meulestede, Ghent, BE
12. Smart Block Geblergasse,
Vienna, AT
13. Dampoort KnapT OP!,
10
Ghent, BE
22
14. Stebo,
Genk, BE
15. Neighbourhood battery,
Oud-Heverlee, BE
16. District Hub,
Rotterdam, NL
17. oPEN Lab,
Genk, BE
18. Garden City Ter Elst,
Leuven, BE
19. Muide-Meulestede,
Ghent, BE
20. De Nieuwe Dokken,
Ghent, BE
21. Vaartwarmte Marie Thumas,
Leuven, BE
22. Buurtkracht, Sint-Gillis,
Bruges, BE
23. Warmte Verzilverd,
Mortsel, BE
24. Warmtenet Noord,
Antwerp, BE
11 19 20
13
16
4 6
24
8
9 23
3
5 7
21
18
15
14
17
1
Today, the energy transition is organized and perceived as a personal
burden and gain rather than a shared challenge and opportunity. The
house-by-house strategy is limited to the energy balance and value
of each individual housing unit, and it fails to activate or link energy
transition investments to the improvement of quality of life, comfort
or social dynamics in the daily living environment. From a technical
point of view, individual heat and electricity production systems do
not contribute to the most flexible and cost-efficient energy system:
larger systems at the level of the city block, apartment complex or
district require less power and make it possible to combine different
energy sources. If we want everyone to participate in the energy
transition while we realize future-proof and flexible energy systems,
we need to activate complementary strategies for unburdening.
4
2
12
… AND THANKS TO COLLECTIVE ENERGY PROJECTS
Across Europe, methods to address the challenges of the energy
transition at the district level are being put together, combining individual
and collective actions. This approach ensures a better match
between energy supply and demand and promotes the implementation
of various collective technical solutions at the district level.
These include decentralized geothermal systems, collective
solar roofs (PV) or shared neighbourhood batteries. These help 5

to overcome obstacles such as the lack of individual space for local
energy production, and they increase the efficiency of electricity and
heat systems, both technically and in terms of cost. This goes hand
in hand with the development of various financial support and policy
frameworks, such as premiums that encourage collective renovation
and energy systems and financial models that bridge socio-economic
differences between residents. New forms of collective organization
and approaches are thus created: from social dynamics (building shared
values at the district level, sharing knowledge) to new ownership
structures (such as local energy cooperatives, energy communities)
and forms of active participation (citizen groups participating in the
formal decision-making process). Energy transition thus becomes a
shared challenge rather than a personal burden. More importantly,
it is an opportunity to also strengthen social cohesion and dynamics,
socio-economic development and quality of life in our urban districts
and village centres. A more collective approach makes it possible to
choose the most energy- and cost-efficient systems while activating
several social benefits.
FIVE EMERGING ENERGY BREAKTHROUGH PROJECTS
Is all this just theoretical? Far from it! We already have concrete
and practical examples of such unburdening strategies through
collective projects. Several innovative experiments and Living
Labs in Flanders and other parts of Europe offer us a rich palette of
insights and breakthroughs. Searching through the many and various
experiments, we have identified five emerging energy projects
that correspond to typical parts of our cities and towns:
A
B
C
D
E
Public buildings as anchor points of a neighbourhood strategy
Everyone on board for sustainable apartment buildings
Emissions-free city block
Speeding things up in the subdivision district
Exchanges in the multifunctional district
AN OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK: FIVE BREAKTHROUGHS
Are these five types of projects recipes? No, each specific place
requires a project adapted to local conditions. Activating the accumulated
lessons gathered in this and other publications requires
more than selecting and applying certain building blocks. It is
not the concrete elaboration, but rather the underlying logic and
coherence of each of these energy projects that can be deployed
in many contexts. Right across the five energy projects, this guide
therefore also formulates and uses an operational framework that
you too can use to set up your local energy projects. From an analysis
and comparison of the many experiments, we conclude that
integrated energy projects can only be realized when they achieve
simultaneous and coherent breakthroughs on five different fronts:
SOCIAL
FINANCIAL
LEGAL
Integrated
energy projects
TECHNICAL
POLICY-
RELATED
The various experiments provide the building blocks to put together
the puzzle for each of these five integrated ‘typical projects’. That is
what this guide does: it documents inspiring practical lessons and
work methods and integrates them into five clear project strategies.
This guide aims to encourage and enable local initiators to initiate,
lead or guide the energy transition in their villages and towns. But
it is also an invitation to make structural space for the five energy
projects in our innovation policy, in our policy approach and in
unburdening (at local and supralocal level). That commitment is an
important flywheel for the further development and deployment of
these (and other) energy projects in each of our cities and municipalities,
just as it is for the house-by-house approach.
To illustrate the importance of these breakthrough fronts and their
interdependencies, each of the five typical projects and each of
their building blocks is analysed through this lens. This enables you
to use this framework when setting up concrete projects in your
own district, village or city. And this also reveals the unburdening
strategies and policy frameworks that are needed to address energy
transition as a collective effort, with several societal benefits. We are
halfway through the 2020s and look forward to further multiplying
these five energy projects as we move towards 2050! ● 6 7

Public buildings as anchor points
of a neighbourhood strategy
A
BREAK-
THROUGH
PROJECTS
FIVE
AND
CHARACTERISTICS,
URGENCY
CHARACTERISTICS
– Public buildings are usually
located centrally in a district,
surrounded by residential
buildings.
– Public buildings often have
a large roof and/or outdoor
space available.
– Public buildings tend to
have a specific, predictable
energy rhythm: schools, for
example, are mainly in use
on weekdays, while they
do not consume energy in
the evenings, at weekends
and on holidays. Retirement
homes require a constant
(and rather high) energy
and heat supply. Hospitals
require a high energy supply
but have a constant surplus
of hot water available.
– Public buildings have a public
character: they are used
by a community; there is
already a sense of collective
ownership, as it were.
URGENCY The potential for energy
production and renovation is unevenly
distributed in our districts and society.
Sharing space, infrastructure, energy,
renovation costs, knowledge and efforts
can be the impetus to share this potential
more equally. But the frameworks to do
so are not yet in place. Public buildings
can serve as anchor points and as levers
for new collective projects.
OPPORTUNITIES If a local authority
owns a building or is closely involved in
its management, it can implement high
ambitions and a long-term vision. An
investment in additional infrastructure
can also benefit the surrounding
neighbourhood or making it available
can provide space for civil society
organizations. Public buildings can become
exemplary projects and show how
ambitious energy and renovation projects
are implemented as testing grounds for
new financial, energy or social policies.
OPPORTUNITIES 9
9

Everyone on board for sustainable
apartment buildings
B
Emissions-free city block
C
CHARACTERISTICS
– Apartment buildings are
generally already quite
energy efficient due to
their relative compactness
in terms of the number of
housing units.
– In an apartment building,
there is already some degree
of organization in place to
support and make collective
decisions and carry out
work: the administrator, the
council of co-ownership
(RME) and the association of
co-owners (VME). Although
these bodies do not always
function optimally or
are not yet ready for an
ambitious task like energy
transformation, they do
provide a starting point for
consultation.
– An apartment building may
already have a collective
heating system (but this is
not always the case), which
can be converted relatively
easily to a collective
renewable heat source or
installation.
URGENCY Many apartment buildings
were built in the 1960s and 1970s and now
face problems in terms of structure and
indoor climate: poor insulation, concrete rot,
moisture, mould. New housing standards
are setting higher requirements in terms of
interior space, daylighting, fire safety and
outdoor space. Interventions to meet these
requirements can be a lever for a complete
renovation of the apartment building.
OPPORTUNITIES Apartment buildings have
their own logic, which is often overlooked in
regulations and support and financing rules.
Measures and regulations focus heavily
on the individual dwelling as the Flemish
standard. In apartment buildings, however,
there is no other option than the collective
one. Thus, they become interesting test
environments for a collective approach,
from which lessons can eventually be
drawn at other levels such as the street,
city block or neighbourhood.
CHARACTERISTICS
– City blocks often consist of
terraced houses from the
nineteenth and twentieth
centuries which are listed
or have a certain value as
architectural heritage or
ensemble.
– There is a great diversity
of houses and occupants.
Some houses are perfectly
oriented towards the sun,
while others are completely
enclosed. Young, highly
trained families live alongside
newcomers or older couples
who have been in the area
all their lives.
– Distances are short within
a city block. A micro-heat
network in the courtyard of
a block requires relatively
few metres of piping to
reach all households.
URGENCY The nineteenth- and twentiethcentury
belts of our cities are densely built,
often with rows of individual houses. They
are in need of renewal, but the different
forms of ownership (owner-residents,
tenants, social housing), the (listed)
heritage and small indoor spaces make
this a challenging task. At present, policy
measures focus on individual renovations
and energy systems, leading to a spatial and
social divide between neighbours who can
or cannot renovate. The scale of the city
block can be an interesting level at which to
explore a more collective approach.
OPPORTUNITIES The city block is a
manageable level to test locally sourced
heat systems at low temperature along
with the associated collective renovation.
Experiments in courtyards and gardens
lead to lessons that can later be applied
to public streets, squares and parks. This
gradual transformation approach has
the potential to culminate in a complete
district strategy.
10 11

Speeding things up in the
subdivision district
D
Exchanges in the
multifunctional district
E
CHARACTERISTICS
– Subdivision districts usually
comprise larger houses with
lower density. They were
often built around the same
period, resulting in a more
homogeneous and entirely
residential environment.
– The typical subdivision
districts attract financially
stronger households
seeking a quiet, green living
environment. But many of
these districts were also
built by social housing
companies and in some
cases later sold (in part) to
private owners.
– The larger scale of the
houses leaves room for
the installation of energy
measures inside (technical
room, heat pump), on the
roof (solar panels or PVT
panels) and in the garden
(BTES field).
URGENCY Although the effects of the
energy transition are less noticeable
here, subdivision districts are key players
in the transition of the built environment.
Detached, larger houses are less energy
efficient, their location outside the city
increases reliance on cars and their land
take has a greater impact on ecosystem
services. Transforming (well-located)
subdivision districts into more energyefficient
neighbourhoods can address
several of these challenges simultaneously.
OPPORTUNITIES Given the low density of
possible users, subdivision districts will
have to rely mainly on individual systems.
Collective benefits will be sought at
other levels: sharing a district identity,
storage or playgrounds for children.
The subdivision districts can become
experiments for combining energy
transition with community building.
CHARACTERISTICS
– Districts are always home to
different energy production
and consumption patterns of
users, in addition to different
potential energy sources.
– Within neighbourhoods,
there are always different
flows and systems: of energy,
waste, water and mobility,
which can make use of each
other.
– Most districts will never
transform completely at the
same time. There will be
gradual waves of renovation,
of new energy systems
and of changing district
dynamics.
URGENCY The different needs
and opportunities within existing
neighbourhoods are unevenly distributed.
For example, the potential for energy
measures is influenced by the orientation
of roofs, the presence of gardens for
geothermal drilling or available technical
spaces for a heat pump, which some
houses have and others do not. Exchanges
between buildings with high and low
potential can resolve this imbalance, but
current frameworks lack a structuring
and implementation logic to connect the
different potentials.
OPPORTUNITIES An important opportunity
within the Flemish landscape is the close
intertwining of industry and residential
areas. The energy demand and potential
of these zones are often complementary.
By making proper use of this proximity
and diversity, these contrasts can be
transformed into synergies.
– Most subdivision districts
have large or even oversized
open spaces and room for
mobility and these can be
redesigned.
12
13

A
PUBLIC
BUILDINGS
AS ANCHOR
The urban environment in Flanders and Belgium is densely
strewn with public buildings such as schools, government offices,
social housing, libraries and community centres. Many of these
buildings are not put to optimal use or are in need of renovation.
And yet they can play a vital role in the creation of energy
districts, among others by providing a boost to local renovation
projects and generating much-needed space for energy sharing.
In addition, school roofs can be used to put up collective solar
panels, the unpaved areas of parks and streets can serve for
geothermal drilling, while houses can be connected to the heat
pump of a new town hall. Although energy sharing is a promising
strategy, there are still many regulatory uncertainties today, in
particular as regards grid tariffs and payments for the energy
generated. What’s more, regulations differ across Belgium’s
different regions. Energy sharing is still in its infancy, and there is
an urgent need for greater regulatory clarity.
POINTS
OF A
STRATEGY
NEIGHBOUR-
HOOD
15

Public buildings are owned by the public
authorities, and that makes them suitable
places for experimentation. These experiments
can serve as starting points for broader district
strategies. Public buildings thus become standardbearers
for the ambitious climate goals.
Local and supralocal authorities play a key role
in activating public buildings as levers for energy
projects. A first step in this process is
to map all public buildings 1 .
The inventory describes their
use today as well as their future
potential and it also indicates
which buildings should be
renovated first. Buildings
prioritized for energy projects
are highlighted.
The renovation of these public buildings is an occasion to
also involve owners within the same city block in the
renovation projects. In this way, citizens learn more
about tax benefits and renovation grants, discuss how
to work together and decide to join the renovation wave.
The public patrimony is in part made available to community
projects and local organizations through
a call to users 2 , so that not only
public and private organizations
can use it.
P
P
C
1
INTERACTIVE MAP, +CitiesXChange, Limerick
Public buildings as a lever to accelerate the district strategy
In one of its first experiments, the city of Limerick used a government
building as a starting point for the renovation of the surrounding buildings.
After this proved successful, the city council organized an extensive
survey among residents and owners to gauge general interest in
renovation and willingness to do so. The input served as the basis for
determining which subsequent buildings could be collectively renovated.
To further coordinate the development of the energy district,
an interactive map was published showing the entire historic centre
of the city in 3D. The map runs an energy simulation for all buildings,
showing both their current energy consumption and the effect of a
thorough renovation. Public buildings are marked as potential starting
points for similar initiatives.
POLICY-RELATED, TECHNICAL
16
2
SPACE FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD INITIATIVES, Citizen Assets Programme, Barcelona
From public heritage to common urban assets
POLICY-RELATED, SOCIAL
The Citizen Assets Programme starts from the idea that public infrastructures
and services can become shared resources or commons.
This supposes a new form of cooperation between local authorities and
citizen initiatives, local associations getting the right to use underused
public spaces for their activities. The starting point of this new management
is an extensive catalogue of the publicly managed heritage. An
internal municipal service then coordinates the transfer of these spaces
to non-profit organizations. Decisions are made on the basis of projects
submitted, their connection to the site, social impact, democratic and
participatory aspects of the project, and concern for social interactions
and the environment.
17

Later, based on a support package 3 by the municipal
services, these organizations can further develop and design
the energy projects. To offer this support and guide these
projects, the local authority provides for additional capacity.
This will help the number of energy projects grow quickly,
along with the district dynamics. In the meantime, a new
energy programme of the city supports energy sharing at
the level of entire city blocks. This programme enables local
energy cooperatives, for instance, to install solar panels on
school roofs. Indeed, it is because
schools usually have large roof areas
that are highly suitable for large PV
installations. Moreover, schools
mainly consume energy during the
day, but are often empty at
weekends and during the
school holidays.
3 NEIGHBOURHOOD DYNAMICS AS A BASE, Zennelab, Vilvoorde
Renovation strategies from neighbourhood development work
Pressure on the property market in Brussels is driving many people
to the Flemish outskirts. Among them are many ‘emergency buyers’,
people who have just enough financial resources to buy a house, but
not enough to renovate a property that is often in very poor condition.
From a temporary community centre known as De Loods, Zennelab
is working on a broader socio-spatial project that strengthens the
district dynamics and increases residents’ ownership of the future of
their neighbourhood. By focusing on neighbourhood dynamics, trust
can grow between citizens themselves and with regard to De Loods,
Zennelab and even the local authorities. That trust is a crucial springboard
for one of the important tasks: supporting emergency buyers in
their renovation. Technical support is combined with social dynamics.
Financial capacity is strengthened through a ‘purchase out of necessity’
fund, grants and renovation loans. The emergency buyers thus step
into a collective story and approach within the city block renovation.
Trust-based work led to a renovation rate of around 30 per cent, three
SOCIAL, FINANCIAL
times higher than in other unburdening projects.
18
19

The energy cooperative and its members invest jointly in
the PV installation. In exchange for making its roof available,
the school receives green energy. The surplus energy is
sold to the grid, which generates a financial return for the
cooperative. Part of the income goes to the cooperators
who co-invested in the installation. Another part ends up
in a neighbourhood investment fund 4 that supports
sustainable local projects in the district.
Local residents also have the option to take part voluntarily
in the energy sharing project by joining the cooperative
as cooperator-consumers 5 . Instead of a financial return,
participants themselves consume the energy generated.
This became possible
because the authorities
drew up a clear framework
for paying grid tariffs within
the energy community.
4
SHARED SOLAR ROOF, Delfshaven Energie Coöperatie, Rotterdam
Sharing profits with the neighbourhood
5
FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY SHARING, Nos Bambins, Brussels
One of the first energy communities in Brussels
The Delfshaven Energie Coöperatie is a Rotterdam energy cooperative
that manages several PV installations in the Bospolder-Tussendijken
district. Part of the proceeds from these installations goes to a neighbourhood
fund, ensuring that the energy project has a positive impact
on the local community. Neighbourhood residents and local organizations
can submit proposals for sustainable projects financed through
this neighbourhood fund. The cooperative’s board of directors selects
the proposals and manages the projects. The neighbourhood budget
has already been used to green a schoolyard and organize an educational
programme on sustainability for children in the neighbourhood.
In 2020, 122 solar panels were installed on the roof of the kindergarten
and primary school Nos Bambins in Ganshoren. The installation
is managed by an energy community set up to share the energy
generated. The community consists of six local residents and the
municipality, which owns the school building. Through Brussels
Environment, the Region also participated in the consortium behind
the project. Together with the energy regulator, they drew
up a regulatory exemption to make the experiment possible. By
combining supply and demand and sharing electricity, more people
can benefit from renewable energy.
FINANCIAL, SOCIAL
20
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, POLICY-RELATED
21

1. MAPPING ALL PUBLIC BUILDINGS
A
3. SUPPORT PACKAGE
P
P
C
5. COOPERATOR-CONSUMERS
2. CALL TO USERS
4. NEIGHBOURHOOD INVESTMENT FUND
Public buildings as
anchor points of a
neighbourhood strategy

EVERYONE
ON BOARD
B
The urban expansions of the 1960s led to the construction
of apartment buildings that are now an integral part of our
urban environment. These mid- to high-rise buildings house
a diverse population. The ownership structure of these
dwellings also varies, some being wholly owned by social
housing companies, while others have a mix of ownerresidents
and tenants. Most flats score reasonably well in
terms of energy consumption, even if they have not yet been
renovated. This is because residential units are often smaller
than detached houses and they have less surface area on
the outer shell, which limits heat losses. They also have
several indirect benefits. The compact stacking of dwellings
allows for much more limited use of space with less need for
paving. In addition, apartment buildings are often located in
densely populated urban areas, making it easier to use public
transport and other sustainable mobility solutions. In recent
decades, most of these buildings have already gone through
one or several minor refurbishments. Today the time is ripe
for a thorough renovation.
FOR
EPC
SUSTAINABLE
EPC
APARTMENT
BUILDINGS
25

The first thing to do is to get to know the different
residents and owners of an apartment building. For
example, a collaboration between the local authorities
and a civic organization can help to build trust 6
and to openly discuss the energy issue with residents.
In this way, insight can be gained into
their needs, questions and urgent
demands. Everyday concerns of
residents are often far removed
from the grand ambitions of
the energy transition.
Structural problems, concrete rot and the need to adapt
balconies and façades to safety standards and regulations
have created a certain urgency. The need to switch to
sustainable heat sources can also prompt a thorough
renovation. Involving all owners and residents in a renovation
project is often a challenge. Even with an association of
co-owners (VME), the decision-making process is complex.
Different residents often have varying financial resources,
which complicates the process. Also, the motivation for a
collective renovation project often differs within the same
building, depending on the location of the flat. Flats along a
façade or under the roof lose more heat than flats enclosed
on all sides. In Flanders and Belgium today, there are already
a number of tools and experiments supporting the collective
renovation process in VMEs. These can be the springboard
for a structural framework and related support measures.
26
6
SOCIAL
BUILDING TRUST, De Verbindingskamer, Rotterdam
Connecting neighbours and projects
De Verbindingskamer is a social organization that builds bridges between
residents of the Gijsing flats and the renovation team, as well
as between the residents themselves (the name is Dutch for ‘The connection
room’). The first step was a door-to-door tour of the blocks, no
concrete questions being asked yet, but residents being greeted with
flowers to establish a first contact. This simple gesture opened doors
that otherwise would never have been opened. These first moments
of contact formed the basis for setting up a resident network. It is only
in a second phase, when weekly resident meetings were held, that
the energy issue entered the conversation. This happened gradually:
pressing concerns such as moisture or energy bills were addressed
first. Only later in the project were renovation demands and residents’
needs and wishes included in the conversations.
27

This is especially important for families in underprivileged
situations. If they are not brought on board, there is a
risk that only those who can afford it will have access to
energy comfort and renewable energy. In many largescale
renovation projects, residents feel that renovation
is happening despite them rather than with them. That is
why local organizations and community centres offer a
pathway that enables residents to learn about the need,
opportunities and choices to be made. This enables them
to take an increasingly active position in the transition.
A trusted organization is one that
can incrementally build a
sense of co-ownership 7
among residents.
To speed up the renovation of apartment buildings,
strategies are being developed to support owners and
residents. Renovation coaches 8 play an important role
here. They can be local civil servants or people from civil
society organizations. They go door-to-door and support
residents with technical solutions and financial guidance.
They also make the link between the necessary interventions
in the building and larger transformation plans at city or
district level. To get residents on board, improving the quality
of life in the flats is crucial. A complete
renovation offers opportunities for new
or bigger terraces or larger windows
that let in more light. As the pivot
between residents and designers,
coaches can integrate these wishes
into the plans.
JAAR YEARS 1-5 JAAR YEARS 6-10 JAAR YEARS 10-20
7
WORKING TOWARDS CO-OWNERSHIP, SunSud, Brussels
Social cohesion and energy initiatives reinforce each other
Together with the residents of a social housing block in Brussels, City
Mine(d) went through a process that ultimately led to the installation
and collective management of a PV plant on the roof. The electricity
generated is used in the first place to reduce the electricity costs of
the communal areas. Energy surpluses offer tenants the chance to
use renewable electricity at a lower rate than before. City Mine(d)
also organized workshops where tenants learned how to make optimal
use of solar energy, thereby saving energy. The workshops also
strengthened social cohesion among residents. Collective ownership
emerged over both the energy production project and the community
within the building. The result included the creation of the ‘SunSud
Committee’, which represents the residents in the management of
their energy installation.
8
RENOVATION COACHES, Linkeroever, Antwerp
Reconciling residents’ needs and project ambitions
The renovation coaches of the city of Antwerp assist all those involved
in the complex process of a collective renovation project. They appoint
an expert consultancy that can assist associations of co-owners (VMEs)
on various renovation possibilities and help to look for the relevant
subsidies. They facilitate discussions between owners and energy
experts, architects and officials. During the discussions, different renovation
scenarios are explored and their advantages and disadvantages
discussed. The coaches help to make the often complex technical
terminology and regulations understandable.
SOCIAL
28
POLICY-RELATED, SOCIAL
29

Together with the association of co-owners (VME) and
experts, the coaches outline the renovation process and
strategy. They develop a master plan at the scale of the
building, a long-term strategy for the necessary work
that can be broken down into a series of manageable and
feasible steps. Collaborations are formalized between
owners, residents, authorities, experts, construction
companies and civil society organizations. The coaches
help less financially robust owners find the right financial
support so that they too can join the project. For instance,
they help look for green loans or point the way to subsidies
and other support measures.
Not only is the envelope of apartment buildings
being renovated, but the energy source used
to heat them is also being replaced. The
possibilities of energy production at the district
level are explored. A ‘district energy plan’
identifies sustainable energy sources, conducts
feasibility studies to investigate specific
technical solutions and draws up a plan
for a phased implementation.
Different city services join forces
to align their future plans,
concrete projects
and timing.
30
Despite this methodical approach, the renovation strategies of
apartment buildings follow their own logic and timing.
For example, it may be urgent to renovate an apartment
building even though the planned district heating network is
still in the development phase. This presents the owners in the
building with a dilemma. Should they invest in a new fossil-fuel
heating system, install their own heat pump, or wait a few years
until they can connect to the heat grid? The first two solutions
are more expensive in the long run, and will lead owners to
be less inclined to connect to the heat grid once it is
in place. After all, they will have just invested in
another heating system themselves. This
in turn will affect the feasibility of the
heat grid, as the number of possible
connections decreases. In this case,
temporary solutions within a long-term
strategy 9 can provide relief.
9
TEMPORARY HEAT PUMPS, Linkeroever, Antwerp
Bridging planning gaps
In Antwerp’s Linkeroever (Left Bank) district, many modernist apartment
buildings from the 1960s and 1970s are in urgent need of renovation.
Both building envelopes and heating systems have reached the end
of their lifespan. At the same time, the city is planning the deployment
of a heat network on the scale of this district. The problem is that the
buildings need a solution quickly and cannot wait until the heat network
is operational in five years’ time. To bridge this gap, temporary heat
pumps are being used. These are container-sized mobile units that are
connected to renovated apartment blocks. They will provide the buildings
with fossil-fuel-free heat until the buildings are connected to the
heat network. After that, the mobile heat pumps can easily be moved
to another building to repeat the same process.
TECHNICAL, POLICY-RELATED
31

EPC
B
VME
8. RENOVATION COACH (YEARS 1-5…)
JAAR YEARS 1-5 JAAR YEARS 6-10 JAAR YEARS 10-20
EPC
9. A TEMPORARY SOLUTION WITHIN A LONG-TERM STRATEGY
7. A SENSE OF CO-OWNERSHIP
6. TRUST
Everyone on board
for sustainable
apartment buildings

C
-FREE
EMISSIONS
Historic buildings and architecture give our cities and residential
environments their identity. These buildings are often listed or
subject to strict regulations, so improving their energy efficiency
is a complex challenge. Characteristic brick façades, beautiful
stained-glass windows and wooden window frames all contribute
to the character of our cities, something we want to preserve.
However, renovating such buildings is often complex and costly.
It is often the case that interventions cannot be visible from the
outside, so renovating has a major impact on the interior spaces.
But older working-class houses or classic terraced houses are
also part of our historic heritage. They often have limited interior
spaces and ceiling heights, which presents other challenges.
Integrating renewable energy sources into existing buildings is
thus a major challenge. There is often too little room for new
installations, making it difficult to install solar panels, heat pumps
or underfloor heating. This often leads owners to invest in limited
(but still expensive) measures such as replacing the roof or
window frames rather than go for a total renovation. Moreover,
these neighbourhoods are often home to different types of
residents, from older couples who have been there all their
lives to newcomers drawn by the unique opportunities of urban
environments. For both local authorities and owners, it is crucial
to have a strategy to accelerate the renovation of such buildings.
CITY BLOCK 35

A ‘city block strategy’ seizes the specific opportunities
of this environment from a collective approach: sharing
infrastructure and costs and providing a structured
approach to renovation and energy production. An
approach at the level of the city block allows for a stepby-step
strategy. Thus, collective systems per city block
together will eventually form a larger heat network.
The heritage issue, the preservation and improvement
of distinctive building types and ensembles in our cities
and villages requires technological innovations. New
research is leading to innovative insulation materials and
techniques that combine good energy performance with
little or no visual impact. By renovating clusters
of buildings in one go, it is also possible to opt
for a collective energy installation, instead
of an individual installation per renovated
dwelling. In this way, less space is needed
for the installation and a more affordable and efficient
heat system is created.
Such an integrated renovation strategy 10 makes it possible to
reconcile energy efficiency and sustainable heating with urban
planning regulations for the protection of heritage and urban and
rural streetscapes.
Different scenarios for the sharing of energy are being explored.
Sharing installations has advantages: it is more efficient to
operate and maintain, the total power required is lower
than the sum of individual installations, and not
everyone has to carry out the same infrastructure
works. From a practical point of view, this means,
for example, that the cumbersome
machines needed to drill geothermal
boreholes only need access to the
inside of the city block once. The
compact scale of the block also
makes energy sharing more
interesting: if buildings are closer
together, a smaller number of long
supply and discharge pipes will be needed.
Shared heat infrastructure 11 also makes it possible to absorb
fluctuations in energy demand.
10 HERITAGE RENOVATION, De Schipjes, Bruges
Reconciling heritage and ambitious energy targets
TECHNICAL
The twelve hospice houses in Peterseliestraat were built over a hundred
years ago to provide shelter for less well-off sailors and dockers. Over
the years, the houses have undergone several renovations, but recently
a large-scale refurbishment was carried out. The houses have now
been made as energy-efficient as possible with a collective heating
system, a solar boiler, a heat network and an advanced ventilation
system. In addition, all façades were restored, new windows were installed
and the walls were coated with special insulating aerogel plaster.
This plaster makes it possible to insulate historic buildings whose listed
outer walls cannot be altered. The floors of the houses were insulated
with special vacuum insulation panels. The renovation process behind
De Schipjes was made easier by the fact that the various buildings are
owned by a single organization and are on the same plot. This meant
that sharing technical installations such as PV panels and a heat pump
could be explored, without the legal obstacles of shared ownership
or property boundaries.
36
11 BTES FIELD IN THE CITY BLOCK, Muide-Meulestede, Ghent
Decentralized approach for heat networks
In the Living Lab in the Muide-Meulestede district of Ghent, demonstration
projects have been selected to carry out the energy transition
at district level. Decentralized heat networks at city-block level are
being considered for this purpose. In each case, an installation will be
provided which different users, including existing individual homes, can
connect to. An example is a large-scale BTES field under the football
pitch of the local sports club. To ensure that sufficient energy is purchased
in a BTES project, a large buyer is always sought. In this case,
a social housing estate next to the football pitch will be connected
to the system, ensuring feasibility and profitability in the first phase.
Subsequently, private houses can also be connected.
FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL
37

The advantage of an approach at block level is
that it can be expanded and multiplied gradually.
By working with a
block-by-block strategy 12
it is possible to reconcile a manageable
project size at block scale with greater
urban renewal ambitions.
Connecting to a heat
network requires in most
cases a renovation of the
individual house. For less
well-off households, such a
renovation can be a major
financial challenge.
To provide financial support to homeowners who cannot
afford to renovate, the municipality sets up a rolling fund 13
in cooperation with public organizations and institutions.
The fund provides the capital needed for the renovation,
with the agreement that it will be repaid in the longer term,
for example when the house is sold in ten to twenty years.
That way, the government can recover the capital invested,
along with an interest due to the value retention or
increase of the property. The capital can
then be reinvested in subsequent
renovations.
12
SHARED HEAT INFRASTRUCTURE, Geblergasse, Vienna
Geothermal project with room to grow in an existing city block
€€ €
SOLD
FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL, LEGAL
In the Geblergasse in Vienna, two apartment buildings were renovated
and disconnected from the gas supply. Eighteen geothermal probes
were drilled in the courtyards of the blocks to a depth of 110 metres.
These provide the flats with low-temperature heat. The works and
installations were carried out by a local energy company that recovers
its investments through the sale of heat. The system was designed
in such a way that it can be extended to the surrounding apartment
buildings in the future. Because the necessary drilling and installations
have already been carried out to accommodate a higher capacity, the
biggest interventions will not have to be done again during the next
renovation. Through a snowball effect, the project makes possible
an incremental transition of the district. The project gave rise to a
more extensive study into the potential of such projects by ÖGUT, the
Austrian platform for environment and technology. This study on an
extended ‘anergy network’, a local low-temperature geothermal heat
network, shows that a large part of the urban heat demand can be
supplied through such systems at a comparable price to the current
gas network. This will eventually require not only the courtyards of
city blocks to be used, but also parts of the public domain. The legal
frameworks to make this possible have yet to be developed.
38
13
ROLLING FUND, Dampoort KnapT OP!, Ghent
Increasing access to renovation
Dampoort KnapT OP! is an initiative of the then Public Centre for Social
Welfare (OCMW) in Ghent and the city authorities of Ghent. The project
aims to give people who do not have sufficient financial resources the
possibility to renovate their homes. A rolling fund was set up through
which the OCMW and the city of Ghent invest money with no repayment
deadline. The amount invested is repaid to the fund when the
property is sold or the owner dies. The authorities can then support
other people in the same situation. In the first phase of the project, ten
houses were renovated in a city block. Each family involved received a
subsidy of 30,000 euros.
FINANCIAL, SOCIAL
39

13. ROLLING FUND
C
€
SOLD
€
€
12. BLOCK-BY-BLOCK STRATEGY
x 100
11. SHARED HEAT INFRASTRUCTURE
Emissionsfree
city block
10. INTEGRATED RENOVATION STRATEGY

SPEEDING SPEEDING
THINGS UP
IN THE
D
SUBDIVISION
DISTRICT
Flanders is among the most densely built-up regions of Europe.
At the same time, built-up areas are very spread out over the
territory. Subdivision districts with detached and semi-detached
houses with gardens are typical of these areas between
city centres and the real countryside. This type of scattered
development makes it difficult to apply collective energy systems
such as a heat network. The distances between houses are too
big for such a system to function efficiently. In these districts
today, there is already a trend towards individual renovation
measures, including solar panels, heat pumps and building
renovation. Yet each resident has different financial capacities,
priorities, needs and questions. The individual approach makes it
difficult to evaluate the quality of measures, monitor progress or
formulate a coherent strategy to accelerate the transformation
process. However, the energy transition within this way of
living leads to additional challenges. Family cars, which are very
important in these districts, are increasingly electric. Homes are
heated with individual heat pumps. Added up, this leads to large
spikes in electricity consumption. At other times, solar panels
inject significant amounts of power in the ageing grids, leading
to overloads and failures. Moreover, getting the large villas
thoroughly insulated
and making them
airtight is a
very expensive
undertaking.
43

Even in these areas, therefore, the house-by-house strategy is
not always very efficient and alternative forms of collectivity
and unburdening are therefore being explored to overcome
some of these barriers. They also offer opportunities to
rethink community life in Flemish subdivision districts, to bring
neighbours back in contact with one another, to strengthen
neighbourhood identity and positively transform the road
infrastructure into quality public spaces.
Subdivision districts are usually characterized by great
uniformity. It is often the case that a section of open land was
parcelled in one go, resulting in dwellings of roughly the same
age. In some cases, this homogeneity has been preserved,
but often differences emerge. Some homes are still occupied
by their original resident-builders, while others have changed
hands several times.
While some homes
still have singleglazing,
others have
been thoroughly
renovated with
insulation,
heat pumps and solar panels. This diversity often arises from
differences in financial possibilities, a lack of support, the
language barrier or a shortage of accessible information on
renovation and energy-saving measures. To tackle this problem,
the municipality decides to engage a local organization that
is already active in the area. It helps residents to navigate the
complicated world of energy regulations, subsidies and technical
solutions. Through door-to-door renovation support 14 , the
organization gives residents an initial insight into the necessary
measures and explains what subsidies and grants are available.
Once residents show willingness to carry out at least one of the
proposed interventions, such as renovating the roof or replacing
the windows, the organization guides them through the
process until implementation. In this way, residents who
are already convinced but do not yet have the right tools
or knowledge are encouraged to renovate their homes.
44
14 RENOVATION SUPPORT, Stebo, Genk
Unburdening and gradual renovation
In Genk’s Waterschei district, there is often a big gap between residents
and the authorities. Language and financial barriers make it even more
difficult to tackle renovations. With an active information campaign,
social organization Stebo wants to bridge this gap. Its campaign starts
with the distribution of flyers and is followed by a presence at neighbourhood
activities and in places where many residents congregate, such
as parks and schools. Door-to-door visits are then organized to reach
every resident. Renovation is not the first topic of the conversations,
but it is discussed gradually. If residents show an interest, a follow-up
appointment is made to go deeper into renovation issues.
POLICY-RELATED, SOCIAL
45

Mobilizing individual residents to take action is a first
step towards acceleration, but is not enough. One
strategy to support the multiplication of individual
actions is to offer collective energy infrastructure to the
whole neighbourhood. A neighbourhood battery 15
or communal solar panels serve as a catalyst, allowing
renewable energy to be produced, stored and used locally.
The energy generated by an individual installation serves
primarily for personal consumption. Any surplus energy
is then efficiently stored in the neighbourhood battery,
avoiding overloading the local energy grid. This opens the
door to new forms of cooperation and solidarity, surplus
energy being shared with residents who cannot afford
their own sustainable energy installations. This is why
households are encouraged to install more solar panels
than they need for
themselves, for
example through
subsidies or a fee for
the electricity produced.
In this way, energy is approached as a collective
issue. This creates new opportunities for collective
neighbourhood facilities. A district energy centre 16
serves as a hub for residents seeking
information on renovations or needing
support planning for energy measures
in their homes.
16 DISTRICT HUB, Zelfregiehuis, Rotterdam
Integration of neighbourhood value
15 NEIGHBOURHOOD BATTERY, Th!nk E, Oud-Heverlee
Collective energy storage infrastructure
Electric cars, heat pumps and solar panels are putting more and more
pressure on the electricity grid in rural areas. To avoid overloading the
grid, Th!nk E, with the support of the European Commission, installed
the first neighbourhood battery in Flanders. It can store enough energy
to power nine families for a day. When a lot of solar energy is generated
during the day, the battery stores it so that it can be used in the evening
when people come home, charge their electric car and start cooking.
TECHNICAL, LEGAL
46
SOCIAL
As part of the transformation strategy ‘BOTU 2028’ (drawn up in 2018), the
ground floor of a government building was transformed into a self-managed
community centre. The citizen cooperative ‘Delfshaven Coöperatie’
supports and facilitates the operation of this space, allow ing the real
motives and initiatives to come from local residents. Conversations
focus on issues such as healthcare, unemployment and energy, and
their impact on people’s lives. Within this shared space, vulnerable
groups find space and support to take their future in hand together
with experts and local policymakers. This form of entrepreneurship
encourages the development of social networks, political awareness and
economic independence. By empowering residents, it also gives them
the tools to tackle other social challenges and builds local resilience and
co-ownership of the neighbourhood’s transition.
47

It is also the place people can turn to for solidarity initiatives,
discuss their needs and questions, and work together on a
better future for their neighbourhood. High renovation costs
are a barrier to the energy transition. Diversified subsidies
and support measures 17 can make renovation more widely
accessible. For example, a public fund could take on part
of the renovation costs, in the form of grants or other
support measures. At the same time, the municipality
is working on a broad strategy at district level.
Infrastructure works, such as the renewal of the
sewage system, are planned in the coming years.
This offers an opportunity to integrate the energy
issue into the redevelopment of the public
domain 18 . After all, interventions such
as sewerage works, the construction
of a heat network under the streets or a
new mobility plan offer the opportunity
to redesign the public space in the area.
Creating more water infiltration or more
green spaces to combat the heat island
effect leads to a more sustainable
and liveable neighbourhood. The
projects are planned and carried out in
collaboration with residents so that the
transformation can be used as a way to
strengthen the community.
17 SHARED INVESTMENT, oPEN Lab, Genk
Sharing the costs and responsibilities of renovation
18 BROAD RENOVATION STRATEGY, Ter Elst, Leuven
Integrating energy, sustainability and heritage
In the Waterschei district in Genk, homeowners share renovation costs
with Living Lab partners. The homeowners themselves take care of
insulating their windows, roof and walls. The Living Lab partners then
finance a plug-and-play technical box with a heat pump connected
directly to the house. They also fund the associated underfloor heating
system. Apart from a small annual service charge, this installation is
free of charge. In return, the Living Lab partners do not seek any financial
returns. Instead, the homeowners agree to have the energy data
of their homes monitored and analysed for a period of fifteen years.
In the Ter Elst garden city, the energy renovation of houses is tied to
heritage conservation and other sustainability measures, such as depaving
private and public spaces and combating the heat island effect.
By connecting these issues, several advantages can be achieved within
a single project, lowering the financial barriers for many residents. An
example of this is the removal of parking spaces in front gardens. This
creates additional living space in former garages, provides space to
park bicycles, makes possible the installation of shared heat pumps
and ensures significant depaving.
FINANCIAL
48
LEGAL, POLICY-RELATED
49

14. DOOR-TO-DOOR RENOVATION SUPPORT
50% 50%
D
17. DIVERSIFIED SUBSIDIES AND SUPPORT MEASURES
Speeding things up
in the subdivision
district
16. DISTRICT ENERGY CENTRE
18. INTEGRATION IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
15. NEIGHBOURHOOD BATTERY

EXCHANGES
IN THE
MULTI-
FUNCTIONAL
E
DISTRICT
The scale of the district provides opportunities to engage in
exchanges between energy sources and energy users. Different
functions in a district have different heating and cooling needs,
and that at different times of the day. While homes require
heating, offices often require cooling. Moreover, there are often
different heat sources in and around districts. Think of residual
heat from industrial processes, heat from sewage water or
natural heat sources such as geothermal, aquathermal or solar
energy. These can be harvested and shared with nearby users.
After all, unlike electricity, heat cannot be transported over long
distances. The mix of functions plays a crucial role in optimizing
energy exchange in a neighbourhood. For an energy strategy
at district level, it is essential to have a good picture of the
types of heat sources that exist in a district and the functions
that need to be served. An ‘energy scan’ forms the basis for
outlining technical solutions, thinking about the organization of
heat exchanges and devising models for the ownership of the
associated infrastructure. This requires new role divisions and
collaborations between government, citizens, and private and
citizen organizations.
53

Muide Meulestede
waterwegen
publiek groen
autowegen
publiek privé-eigendom
openbaar domein
privaat domein
Several cities in Flanders and Belgium have launched projects
for the sustainable renovation of entire districts. These districts
serve as testing grounds for innovative solutions in the field
of heat exchange and energy communities. This concerns
the transformation of old industrial plots into
new districts with diverse functions such
as housing, shopping and working.
But it also concerns existing
residential areas with terraced
houses, (former) workshops,
community centres, schools,
sports facilities and public
spaces. The basis for any
redevelopment plan is a
layered district map 19 .
This district map charts the
different functions, ages of buildings and potential for
heat and electricity production. By superimposing and
crossing these different layers, potential synergies and
connecting projects can be identified.
Once one or several energy exchange projects have been
identified, the most appropriate ownership structure and financial
model is sought. The municipality plays an important role in
this. Sometimes it takes the initiative and sometimes it supports
the formation of a local coalition between the grid operator, the
project developer, the energy company and the neighbourhood
organizations. For example, a local energy cooperative becomes
the co-owner of the heat network. Residents who are members
of this cooperative then own
part of the heat infrastructure
and receive a return on their
investment.
After a while, the cooperative
broadens its sphere of activity.
Besides supplying heat,
it also assumes the management
of water and waste flows. This
creates a circular neighbourhood
cooperative 20 . It not only has the mandate
to produce, distribute and sell energy, but
also assumes a role as a structural partner in
the transformation of the district.
19 MAPPING THE DISTRICT POTENTIAL, Muide-Meulestede, Ghent
20
Charting the district heterogeneity
The Muide-Meulestede district is one of the two pilot projects for
‘fossil-fuel-free districts’ of the city of Ghent. In the first phase of the
project, a study was carried out to investigate possible energy scenarios.
A map analysis was then made with five relevant information
layers: the geographic characteristics of the area, the energy potential,
the local dynamics, a stakeholder analysis and an overview of planned
investments and infrastructure works. Thanks to this map analysis,
hotspots can be identified where potential energy projects have a
chance of success. Such a map also highlights which projects occur
in multiple places and are therefore replicable. Three types of energy
projects have been selected as catalyst projects.
LEGAL, POLICY-RELATED, TECHNICAL
54
COOPERATIVE APPROACH, De Nieuwe Dokken, Ghent
Cooperative management of energy systems
De Nieuwe Dokken in Ghent is a residential area built on a former port
industrial site. The heat for the 400 apartments is provided by the heat
network managed by the local cooperative, getting its energy from
residual heat from a nearby factory (66 per cent) and locally recovered
sewage heat (33 per cent). In addition, solar panels are installed on as
many buildings as possible. Thanks to a neighbourhood battery, power
is continuously supplied to communal heat pumps and car charging
stations. By buying a property in De Nieuwe Dokken, residents automatically
become cooperators of the local energy infrastructure.
They share in the profits from the investment in the form of lower
energy prices.
LEGAL, FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL
55

Both existing and new buildings are heated with locally produced
and sustainable energy. After mapping the various heat sources
present, the district energy company puts forward a proposal for
a district heat network with connected local energy sources 21 .
The heat network uses aquathermal,
geothermal and solar energy. Water in
the area is used for heat and cooling.
Solar energy supplies the installations
with electricity. And solar thermal
panels make it possible to regenerate
geothermal heat: after a winter
season, solar heat brings the subsoil
back up to temperature.
A group of residents come together to formulate ideas for
the accelerated renovation of all homes in their area. They
set up a local renovation committee 22 . With support from
the municipality, the committee helps residents prepare their
renovations. They join forces to propose other improvements in
the neighbourhood as well. They find a local heat source and ask
the city to investigate the possibility of building a heat network
from that source.
Local initiatives can be a powerful
lever to connect existing housing
and facilities to a heat grid.
21
COMBINING HEAT SOURCES, Vaartwarmte Marie Thumas, Leuven
Integration of geothermal, aquathermal and solar energy
LEGAL, TECHNICAL
The former Marie Thumas factory is located along the canal just outside
Leuven city centre. It is being redeveloped into a mixed-use complex
with housing, shops and cultural facilities. The energy concept for the
site integrates the four natural elements in the environment, combining
them to achieve the highest possible efficiency. Heat and cold are
extracted from the canal water. If necessary, air-to-air heat pumps can
provide additional heat. The subsoil is used to store heat in summer,
which can then be used in winter. Solar panels provide the electricity
for all these systems. The system is designed so that it can later also
serve as an energy hub to which additional users and energy sources
can be connected. To develop and manage this energy project, Kelvin
Solutions, citizen cooperative ECoOB and the city of Leuven set up a
new, local energy company called ‘Vaartwarmte’.
56
22
SOCIAL
BUURTKRACHT, Sint-Gillis, Bruges
Citizen collective as a starter for district renovation
The neighbourhood association in the Sint-Gillis district, part of the
historic city centre of Bruges, approached its city services to ask how
they could make their neighbourhood sustainable in a comprehensive
way, with the aim of becoming Bruges’s first ‘climate district’. The city
commissioned a study to explore and set out the steps both the city
and the residents should take to transform into a fossil-fuel-free area.
The neighbourhood association received a citizen budget to invest in
the depaving and greening of the area as well as in rainwater management,
electric shared mobility and group purchases for insulation and
sustainable heating. In parallel, the city, together with experts, conducted
a feasibility study for a local heat grid using residual heat from
the enzyme plant just outside the area. This collaboration and concentration
of forces between the city, the neighbourhood committee and
external experts now serves as a model as to how to approach district
renovations in the city.
57

In addition, the renovation committee proposes to depave
front gardens and make room for water-permeable zones and
biodiversity in the public space. They are carrying the load to
make the neighbourhood a true climate district.
The proximity between industry and residential areas can be
a source of nuisances, but also of opportunities for synergies.
Some industrial processes require so much heat that large
amounts of residual heat are discharged into the
atmosphere afterwards.
This presents opportunities to set up a heat exchange
project with the area. To assess the feasibility of the project,
the municipality is working with the energy company. In
collaboration with a local organization, a survey is carried out
to identify the heating and cooling needs of residents. At the
same time, they verify whether the industrial residual heat will
still be there after the production process has been made more
sustainable and after the residual heat has been consumed by
the factory itself. Based on this, it appears that the residual heat
exchange project 23 is possible. The local
authorities and the company jointly
invest in developing and realizing the
heat network. A contract can then
be drawn up between the local
energy company and citizens, a
contract that offers the heat at a
fixed rate. Considering that energy
prices have been swinging wildly,
that guarantee of a fixed rate may
win over many citizens in the area.
58
23 RESIDUAL HEAT NETWORK, Warmte Verzilverd, Mortsel
Residual heat grid as an energy source for existing districts
Two energy cooperatives and an energy developer jointly manage
a heat network that uses Agfa-Gevaert’s industrial residual heat.
‘Warmte Verzilverd’ supplies heat, in a first phase, to nearby industrial
buildings and a new residential area (Minerve). In a following phase,
two large heat consumers, a school and a nursing home, will also be
connected. As there is the potential to supply even more heat from
the plant’s chimneys, a third extension is currently being considered,
this time to an existing district. If the project gets a green light, some
300 households and homes in the surrounding streets could be connected
to the grid.
TECHNICAL, LEGAL
59

A stepped approach and system 24 make it possible to meet
the diverse heat needs of local industry, large public buildings as
well as existing and new homes. The heat network first supplies
nearby businesses, a school and a hospital. In this way, the
purchase of heat is guaranteed, allowing the construction of the
heat system to be financed. Then the hot water, now at a slightly
lower temperature, goes to the residential areas. The existing
houses in the area have not yet been thoroughly renovated and
still use their original radiators. The heat supplied
should therefore have at least a middle
temperature of between 65 and 70 degrees.
The water then passes through a very-low-temperature
network to newly built houses, which, thanks to their high
energy efficiency, can be heated with a water temperature
of 30 degrees. This ‘cascade’ of users and temperature levels
turns the diversity of the built environment into an asset.
The available heat passes through different heat consumers,
maximizing its return. As more homes are renovated and can
therefore be heated at low or very low temperatures, the
energy system is extended to even more homes and buyers.
24 CASCADING HEAT, Warmtenet Noord, Antwerp
Cleverly combining low and high heat demands
TECHNICAL
A large-scale heat project is under preparation to the north of Antwerp
city centre. Heat will be extracted from the large quantities of waste
water passing through a treatment plant. The heat will then be supplied
to public utilities, existing districts and new-build areas. Given the
specific heat demands of each of these buyers, with some requiring
higher and others lower heat temperatures, a stepped heat network
has been designed. Hot water leaves the heat exchanger at the treatment
plant at a high temperature. It flows to existing areas and nearby
public facilities, which are heated at high temperature. After this, the
water has a lower temperature, which, however, is still sufficient to
heat new housing on the Slachthuis site.
60
61

Exchanges in the
multifunctional
district
24. STEPPED APPROACH AND SYSTEM
E
23. RESIDUAL HEAT EXCHANGE PROJECT
COOP
22. LOCAL RENOVATION COMMITTEE
21. STEPPED LOCAL ENERGY SOURCES
20. CIRCULAR DISTRICT COOPERATIVE
19. LAYERED DISTRICT MAP

LIVING LABS & EXPERIMENTS
BOSPOLDER-TUSSENDIJKEN,
Rotterdam, NL
p. 20, 27 & 47
The post-war Bospolder-Tussendijken district is home to less privileged Rotterdammers.
People of different nationalities are closely involved in the daily life of the
neighbourhood and there is a strong sense of community. Supported by the national
plan to move away from fossil fuels, the municipality of Rotterdam launched the
New Energy for Rotterdam programme, with Bospolder-Tussendijken designated
as one of six pilot areas. Collective solutions are being sought here for sharing and
producing heat and electricity. Large-scale, top-down initiatives such as a district
heat grid are combined with bottom-up initiatives for collective renovation, local
employment and energy cooperatives, such as the Delfshaven Energie Coöperatie.
GEORGIAN QUARTER
RENOVATION,
Limerick, IE
p. 16
Limerick is participating in a project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.
The project aims to investigate and implement smart positive energy districts in
diverse European cities. In the Georgian Quarter, the focus is on reducing energy
consumption combined with heritage protection. Experts are working together
to develop solutions that allow buildings in the district to generate more energy
than they consume. The surplus energy will be fed back to the grid through a local
management structure.
BUURTKRACHT,
Bruges, BE
p. 57
Neighbourhood association ‘t Zilletje approached the city of Bruges in 2022 to ask
how they could make their neighbourhood more sustainable and become Bruges’s
first ‘climate district’. The city commissioned a study to determine the necessary
steps, for both city authorities and citizens. Besides this study, with plans for sustainable
heating and renewable energy, the district also received a citizen budget to
invest in depaving, greening, rainwater management, electric shared mobility and
group purchases for insulation and sustainable heating.
LINKEROEVER,
Antwerp, BE
p. 29 & 31
Antwerp’s Linkeroever (Left Bank) consists of a mix of historic and modernist architecture.
In the mid-twentieth century, the area underwent a remarkable transformation
from industrial zone to residential area. The district has been selected as
one of Antwerp’s pilot districts to be carbon neutral by 2030. Besides local energy
production and a mobility shift, the Linkeroever will focus on the construction of
heat networks and the collective renovation of flats and public buildings. Because
of the mixed ownership structure between social housing companies and individual
owners, there is an ambition to set diverse strategies to get all residents on board
at the same time.
CITIZEN ASSETS PROGRAMME,
Barcelona, ES
p. 17
The Citizen Assets Programme in Barcelona is a public programme whose ultimate
goal is to steer community initiatives that breathe new life into public spaces and
strengthen neighbourhood cohesion. Residents themselves contribute to the development
and maintenance of parks, gardens and recreational areas. By giving
citizens the ownership and autonomy required to develop collective projects, the
programme promotes environmental awareness and social cohesion.
MUIDE-MEULESTEDE,
Ghent, BE
p. 37 & 54
The Muide-Meulestede district is located on a peninsula in the port of Ghent and
accommodates both housing and port activities. It is a pilot project with which Ghent
wants to make the transition to a fossil-fuel-free district. On the basis of studies, the
city drew up an action plan. Besides technical solutions, the plan contains measures
for how residents, landlords and the industries can be assisted in switching to fossil-fuel-free
living. The plan focuses on local involvement, citizen participation and
overcoming practical and financial barriers. Residents’ interests and needs are the
starting point for future interventions.
DAMPOORT KNAPT OP!,
Ghent, BE
p. 39
Dampoort KnapT OP! is a pilot project in the Dampoort district in the east of Ghent,
launched in 2015. The project provides subsidies for ‘emergency buyers’ through a
rolling fund. The fund means that the city’s Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW)
and the city authorities of Ghent lend money for renovations with no repayment
deadline. The borrowed amount is only repaid when the property is sold or the
owner dies. The project is the result of a collaboration between the OCMW, the
city authorities of Ghent, Community Land Trust (CLT) and SAAMO Ghent, as well
as two local non-profit associations, vzw SIVI and Domus Mundi vzw.
DE NIEUWE DOKKEN,
Ghent, BE
p. 55
De Nieuwe Dokken in Ghent is a residential area on the east side of the Handelsdok.
It is mainly intended for the upper middle class, but also provides 20 per cent social
housing and 20 per cent budget housing. De Nieuwe Dokken has an interesting
energy model. A cooperative manages a closed and decentralized network of heat,
water and waste. By buying a property in the neighbourhood, residents automatically
become co-owners of the local energy infrastructure. This allows them to share in
the cooperative’s profits in the form of lower energy prices.
DE SCHIPJES,
Bruges, BE
p. 36
De Schipjes in Bruges’s Peterseliestraat were built in 1908 for poor sailors and
dockers. Today they are owned by Mintus, which provides housing for people with
disabilities. The houses were in poor condition and in urgent need of renovation.
Mintus received a request from Boydens Engineering to use the project as an experiment
within its research into energy renovation in historic centres. The project
is a collaboration between Mintus, De Schakelaar, Boydens Engineering, KU Leuven,
UGent, Microtherm and Viessmann.
NOS BAMBINS,
Brussels, BE
p. 21
The energy-sharing project around the Nos Bambins school in Ganshoren was made
possible thanks to a partnership between Brussels Environment, Sibelga (the Brussels
electricity grid operator) and a non-profit energy community of fifteen residents and
the municipality. Brussels energy regulator Brugel granted an exemption to make
the experiment possible. This is the first experiment in Brussels with local energy
sharing between consumers and solar panel owners.
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65

LIVING LABS & EXPERIMENTS
OPEN LAB,
Genk, BE
p. 48
Waterschei-Noord is a former mining town dating back to the 1920s. Next to this
garden city district lies the Nieuw Texas neighbourhood, built in the 1990s. The oPEN
Lab aims to transform the two neighbourhoods into Positive Energy Districts. The
measures concern both the buildings level (energy renovation, plug-and-play technical
unit) and the neighbourhood scale, such as a low-temperature heat network
and a local direct-current energy grid.
WARMTE VERZILVERD,
Mortsel, BE
p. 59
In Mortsel, two energy cooperatives and an energy expert manage a heat network
based on the residual heat from a nearby factory. Initially, nearby industrial buildings
were connected to the network, followed by two large heat consumers: a school
and a nursing home. A third extension of the grid aims to connect about 300 existing
homes in neighbouring streets to the heat grid.
SMART BLOCK
GEBLERGASSE,
Vienna, AT
p. 38
Geblergasse is a collective heating project linked to the renovation of two historic
buildings in Vienna. A geothermal system was installed, together with solar panels,
to meet the energy needs of the two buildings. By providing excess capacity, other
buildings can be connected to the system in the future.
WARMTENET NOORD,
Antwerp, BE
p. 60
In the north of Antwerp, a new heat network will use waste water from a nearby
treatment plant to generate heat. This heat will be distributed to both existing and
new housing areas. To meet the different temperature needs of these areas, a
stepped heat network has been developed. The high-temperature water from the
treatment plant will first heat houses in existing neighbourhoods. It will then flow, at
a lower temperature, to new housing areas. Due to low-temperature release systems
such as underfloor heating, this lower temperature is sufficient here.
SUNSUD,
Brussels, BE
p. 28
City Mine(d) is working with the residents of a social housing complex to set up
and manage a solar panel installation. The project was developed by the SunSud
Committee, in which City Mine(d), Energie Commune and the building’s residents
are represented. The project combines financial logic with social needs. Thanks
to the electricity generated, the communal energy bill can go down. The surpluses
generated are consumed by the residents at a lower cost than the net tariffs.
Workshops are also organized where tenants learn how to make the best use of
solar energy. They also learn to save energy, but the main objective is to strengthen
social cohesion among residents.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
BATTERY,
Oud-Heverlee, BE
p. 46
The district around Ophemstraat in Oud-Heverlee has done a lot of work around
renewable energy in recent years. The many solar panels, electric cars and heat
pumps are proof of these efforts. But these evolutions often overload the outdated
electricity grid. As a solution, Th!nk E, a consultancy specializing in energy technology,
installed Belgium’s first neighbourhood battery in the area. The battery has
the capacity to store enough energy to power nine families for a whole day. The
project was funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation.
GARDEN CITY TER ELST,
Leuven, BE
p. 49
The city of Leuven is starting a pilot project in the Ter Elst garden city in Heverlee. For
eighteen months, the city will examine, together with residents, how the heritage
district can be made sustainable without compromising its distinctive historical
character. To this end, the city can count on financial support and expertise from
the Flemish Government. The results of the project can then be extended to other
districts with heritage protection regulation.
ZENNELAB,
Vilvoorde, BE
p. 18
Vilvoorde, like many municipalities in the periphery of Brussels, feels the growing
influence of the nearby metropolis. The city is working with SAAMO Flemish Brabant
on urban renewal to help vulnerable residents as well. There are four tracks for a
better housing and living environment: recommendations for public spaces are developed
with residents, a permanent community centre supports local initiatives, the
City Block Renovation Project improves housing with technical and social guidance,
and the co-creative process involves residents and the city in achieving these goals.
VAARTWARMTE
MARIE THUMAS,
Leuven, BE
p. 56
On the site of the former Marie Thumas factory along the Leuven Canal, the city
of Leuven, Revive, Kelvin Solutions and ECoOB are launching a pilot project for
a city heating network. Here, they combine aquathermal, geothermal and solar
energy. This combination of energy from water, soil, air and sun can ultimately
ensure that both the site and the surrounding neighbourhood can heat and cool in
a climate-neutral way.
66
67

COLOPHON
The Great Transformation 2020–2030 is an
independent learning environment, incubator
and public programme. Enterprising citizens,
governments, businesses, funders, scientists
and organizations are working away at concrete
breakthroughs and achievements. Drawing on
the power of design and imagination, we form
coalitions and formulate strategic projects that
can be realized between now and 2030.
www.degroteverbouwing.eu/en/
Architecture Workroom Brussels is a nonprofit,
independent innovation house for
transformation. Its mission is to drive the
transition to an inclusive, sustainable and
circular urban landscape through design
and culture. It initiates and supports the
development of new projects, coalitions and
practices that offer an answer to major social
challenges and transitions.
www.architectureworkroom.eu/en/
The publication Five Breakthrough Projects for
Energy Districts: A Guide to Accelerating the
Energy Transition in Urban Districts and Village
Centres is a product of ‘Experimenteerruimte
Energie’ (Space for experimentation in the
field of energy), an innovation and peersupervision
project set up as part of The Great
Transformation 2020–2030 as an independent
learning environment, incubator and public
programme. From and between ongoing Living
Labs and experiments in Flanders, Brussels and
elsewhere in Europe, lessons and breakthroughs
are structured, documented and shared. Thus,
this guide feeds those same experiments in
reverse, while also providing tools for both local
initiators and supralocal initiatives in terms of
policy and innovation.
‘Experimenteerruimte Energie’ was set up by
independent innovation house for transformation
Architecture Workroom Brussels and by VITO
Nexus, partners of The Great Transformation.
It is a programme component of city festival
FTI-Hasselt, entitled ‘People Making Places’ and
developed by VITO G-STIC. This is one of the
regional festivals within the Flanders Technology
and Innovation Festival 2024, an initiative of
the Flemish Government. This publication was
issued on the occasion of the peer-supervision
conference ‘Accelerating the Energy Transition
in Existing Urban Districts and Village Centres’,
held in Hasselt on 18 March 2024. In addition to
this publication and conference, FTI, through the
‘Experimenteerruimte Energie’, is also providing
support to the ‘Living Lab Muide-Meulestede
Fossil-Fuel-Free’ in Ghent. This Living Lab grew
out of a collaboration between Architecture
Workroom Brussels and the City of Ghent, also as
part of The Great Transformation.
Coordination ‘Experimenteerruimte Energie’
Dietrich Van der Weken (VITO G-STIC), Yves De Weerdt
(VITO Nexus) and Joachim Declerck (AWB)
Research, peer review and publication
Chiara Cicchianni, Arnaud Mewis, Leonie Martens,
Sara Leroy, Hanne Mangelschots, Caroline Van
Eccelpoel and Joachim Declerck (AWB) in collaboration
with Yves De Weerdt (VITO Nexus)
Programme, peer review and conference FTI-Hasselt
Chiara Cicchianni, Arnaud Mewis, Hanne Mangelschots,
Caroline Van Eccelpoel and Joachim Declerck (AWB),
Yves De Weerdt (VITO Nexus) and Linda Boudry
(Curator FTI-Hasselt)
Thanks to all those involved in the Living Labs, experiments
and conference:
Britt Berghs (City of Antwerp), Britt Verhesen (City of
Antwerp), Dries Seuntjens (Circular, DuCoop), Filip
Van De Velde (City of Ghent), Iris Van den Abbeel
(City of Ghent), Jean Frippiat (Energy Commune),
Liesbeth Bultinck (City of Ghent), Maarten De Groote
(VITO Nexus), Selina Schepers (City of Genk), Sofie
Van Bruystegem (City Mine(d)), Stephanie Lieten
(Stebo vzw), Robbert De Vrieze (Delfshaven Energie
Coöperatie), Roeland Keersmaekers (City of Ghent),
Ruben Kiewet (Gevelinzicht), Wim Boydens (Boydens
Engineering part of SWECO)
Text editor (Dutch)
Joeri De Bruyn, Public Space
English translation
Patrick Lennon
Graphic design
studio de Ronners
Printed by
Antilope De Bie, Duffel
Published by
Architecture Workroom Brussels, 2024
68
VITO Nexus translates transition theory into
manageable working frameworks to accelerate
sustainability transitions in practice. In this
context, it strongly emphasizes systems
thinking, collective vision creation, reflexive
monitoring and design, and design and
facilitation of co-creation processes.
www.vito.be/en/nexus
FTI Hasselt is part of
Flanders Technology &
Innovation, an initiative of
the Flemish Government.

Today, we are focused on unburdening and encouraging a house-byhouse
energy transition. This is leading to a first wave of renovations,
private solar panels and heat pumps. But we are mainly getting
financially robust households on board, and are not yet on track to
sufficiently reduce CO2 emissions between now and 2050. By viewing
the energy transition as an individual task, we are missing the opportunity
to help build an efficient and flexible energy system as well
as quality, climate-adaptive and inclusive districts. Complementary
strategies are urgently needed. Fortunately, in Flanders, Brussels
and elsewhere in Europe, various experiments are under way on
collective projects and a district-by-district approach. Out of the
many ongoing experiments, five innovative breakthrough projects
for energy districts emerge. This guide documents practical lessons,
work methods and building blocks so that local initiators can get
started with these new types of energy projects.