The requirements introduced by Flemish energy minister Freya Van den Bossche are based on a European directive on sustainable energy. They offer the owners of new constructions a choice of six ways to supply their homes with sustainable energy: solar panels, solar boiler, heat pump, biomass, large-scale projects and district heating schemes. T

he last of those – projects where a number of homes are connected to a main heat source such as a factory and then receive their heating via a network of underground pipes – is common in Scandinavia, parts of Eastern Europe and increasingly in the Netherlands. But not in Flanders. So it’s not really a choice at the moment, though it may be in the future.

The required minimum amount of renewable energy depends on the option selected: Biomass and heat pumps, which draw warmth from deep underground, should provide 85% of the home’s total energy needs. Solar panels need to provide seven kilowatt-hours of power for every square metre of floor space in the house; a solar boiler should have a photovoltaic surface of 0.2 square metres for every square metre of floor space; and participation in a large-scale communal project for renewable energy should involve an investment of at least €20 for every square metre.

For a home of about 150 square metres, the various options are likely to cost owners around €5,000 in extra costs at the outset, with prices ranging from €3,000 for participation in a communal project to as much as €15,000 for a heat pump, depending on local factors. However, the costs are certain to be recouped from the lower energy bills that will result, according to Van den Bossche’s department.

“We always make a calculation and only then introduce a new measure, roughly once every two years,” says Dieter Stynen of the energy ministry. “Only when current technology is able to deliver savings greater than the initial cost will we introduce stricter norms.”

At the same time, the government is raising the bar for general energy requirements. The existing maximum of E70 for new houses – the number is calculated as an index of energy performance in areas such as insulation of walls, roof, floors and windows, with lower numbers signifying better energy efficiency – will come down to E50 in January. The intention is to lower that figure again to E40 in 2016, eventually coming down to E30 in 2021.

As well as homes, the new requirements cover offices and schools, which are allowed to combine two or more of the six options to achieve a quota of renewable energy. Constructions involving more than one home, such as apartment blocks, may choose between the regime for houses and that for offices.

Last week, Van den Bossche also announced a new premium for landlords renting smaller properties to encourage them to insulate. While in Flanders last year more than 70,000 home-owners were granted an insulation premium of €6 per square metre, rental tenants, many of whom are on a low income, were unable to benefit because landlords are unwilling to make the investment when the return goes to the tenant. The new measure allows up to €23 per square metre of the floor space of the property, as well as a tax break of 30% of the cost.

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