Photovoltaic panels, energy efficiency projects and cogeneration units avoid thousands of tons of CO2 emissions in Brussels.

6,684 tons of CO2 saved thanks to SolarClick

This is the impressive figure that marks the end of the first edition of the program implemented by Sibelga and Brussels Environment to equip public buildings with photovoltaic panels. Other striking figures: a total of 51,500 m2 of photovoltaic panels installed (that’s 8.5 soccer fields!) and 116 projects completed for 44 beneficiaries.

Launched in 2017, SolarClick was originally scheduled to run through 2020, but has played out into 2021. “We completed 9 projects that had not yet been able to be completed for various reasons: new buildings still under construction, delays due to the health crisis…”, explains Yassine Bousata, in charge of the SolarClick project.

Among the buildings whose roofs were equipped with photovoltaic panels in 2021 are the SIAMU UCL, the Stalle Operations Centre, the CPAS in Koekelberg and the Dageraad school in Jette.

Following the realization of these projects, the SolarClick 1 program has come to an end. “We have installed photovoltaic panels on all the roofs that were identified as ready to receive them. To further increase the share of photovoltaics in Brussels, we will now turn to buildings whose roofs require prior renovation,” says Yassine Bousata.

NRClick : 52 chantiers pour des économies de l’ordre de 1.380 tonnes de CO₂ par an

Thanks to the NRClick programme, local and regional authorities can call on Sibelga to carry out energy efficiency work on their heating and/or ventilation installations. In 2021, 14 new projects of this type were launched and 18 studies ordered. In total, 52 projects have been completed or are underway since 2018, for an estimated total of around 1,380 tonnes of CO2 saved per year.

These worksites concern all kinds of buildings. At the beginning of the year, a brand new boiler room was installed in the Oscar Bossaert school in Koekelberg. Sibelga’s intervention followed an emergency contact in December for a heating breakdown affecting the school. The boiler was temporarily repaired by the school and the work was able to start in February. “We made sure to submit bids very quickly so that we could get the school’s heating going again as soon as possible,” recalls Stéphane Godfrind, NRClick’s department manager.

Another notable project was the Rodenbach police station in Schaerbeek. “Since the police station had to remain open, we had to organize ourselves to be able to carry out the work without hindering its operation. In particular, we had to review the ventilation of the isolation cells, which in principle must remain accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We made sure to limit the intervention time to a few days,” explains Stéphane Godfrind.

In addition, the NRClick program also includes an energy purchasing center available to public authorities, as well as an energy consumption monitoring tool: NRClick Scan. In total, the data from nearly 32,000 public building meters are tracked in this application!

4 new cogeneration units

For several years, Sibelga has been installing and operating cogeneration units for public and private building managers. The occupants of the building benefit from the thermal energy. Sibelga uses the electricity produced to cover part of its network losses and receives green certificates.

In 2021, one installation was renewed in Ganshoren and 4 new cogeneration units were installed in apartment buildings in Evere, Anderlecht, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Watermael-Boitsfort.

In total, the 15 cogeneration units managed by Sibelga have enabled CO2 savings of around 5,722 tonnes and natural gas savings of no less than 2,860,714 Nm3 in 2021.