One-stop-shop for energy renovation advice in Ghent announced as finalist in 2024 European Sustainable Energy Awards

For 10 years, De Energiecentrale has offered a one-stop-shop for support on improving the energy efficiency of homes in Ghent, Belgium. The result: 17 000 households have made renovations worth €58 million, leading to a reduction of 5 800 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

‘Many citizens want to renovate but don’t know where to start, and are afraid of the costs. We offer them customised advice, but also assistance in finding the right contractors, subsidies, loans. In that way, we make renovating easier and more affordable,’ explains David Cis, coordinator of De Energiecentrale.

The city of Ghent has set itself an ambitious target to reduce its emissions by 40% by 2030 and be climate-neutral by 2050. Reducing residential energy consumption, which accounted for a quarter of total emissions in 2021, is key to achieving that goal.

‘Our approach is based on behavioural science. This shows that people experience barriers – technical, financial and administrative – when renovating, and often do nothing because of choice overload,’ David explains. ‘We focus on eliminating those barriers.’

De Energiecentrale offers free and independent renovation advice, eliminating the ‘fear factor’ through start-to-finish support: ‘Renovation coaches visit peoples’ homes and offer personalised advice on the necessary and most urgent renovation works. Residents can also opt for assistance through the entire renovation process. De Energiecentrale then helps to identify contractors, compare offers, apply for grants and loans, etc.,’ says Tine Heyse, Deputy Mayor of the Environment, Climate and Housing.

Karl, aged 65, lives in a terraced house in central Ghent. He didn’t know where to start until he turned to De Energiecentrale. They sent round a ‘renovation coach’, who told him the roof had to be fixed and put him in touch with contractors for quotes. ‘That was very useful, because I didn't know how to search for roofers,’ says Karl. The coach then helped with feedback on the quotes. Since the repairs, Karl’s energy consumption has gone down by half.

The city also pays special attention to energy poverty and helps people on low incomes to save on bills, offering free energy scans to identify immediate savings for those unable to afford renovations. Ghent was also one of the first cities in Belgium to provide interest-free energy loans for vulnerable households to finance renovations in 2019.

‘To finance our operation, we use local, regional and European resources. Centralising different services and their funding within one organisation ensures cost efficiency and an optimal customer journey,’ David adds.

The achievements are certainly impressive: in the past decade, a total of more than 17 000 homes have been encouraged to renovate through the project’s various services. Over 53 000 residents have used the project’s online energy tool, ‘Check Je Huis’, while renovation coaches have visited 9 269 homes to give personal advice. They have also supported 4 726 households, step by step, in their renovation process, and have helped more than 110 groups of flat residents to collectively renovate their buildings. In addition, they have conducted energy scans in 10 231 homes and have helped 547 households to access interest-free renovation loans.

De Energiecentrale is one of three finalists shortlisted for the European Sustainable Energy Awards 2024 in the Local Energy Action category. The award recognises implemented sustainable energy actions, driven by a group of citizens or consumers, which contribute to the clean energy transition at the community or local level. It also inspires and motivates others to implement similar steps for an EU-wide deployment, resulting in economic and environmental benefits. The other finalists in this category are the Centrales Villageoises from France and AUSL Romagna Energy Action Plan from Italy. ​ ​ ​ 

Centrales Villageoises is a network of local cooperatives bringing together citizens, municipalities and local businesses to develop renewable energy projects. The Romagna Energy Action Plan pursues a comprehensive approach to energy efficiency, combining European, national and regional funds to achieve staggering results across 13 hospitals.

EUSEW Awards ​celebrate Europe’s best clean energy projects and leaders 

The ​ European Sustainable Energy Awards ​ (EUSEW Awards) recognise outstanding individuals and projects for their innovation and efforts in energy efficiency and renewables. The nine finalists have been selected by a high-level jury in three categories: Innovation, Local Energy Action, and Woman in Energy. The finalists will be submitted to an online public vote, which is open now until 2 June, and the winners will be announced during the EUSEW Awards Ceremony in June 2024. ​ 

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EUSEW 2024 

European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the​ biggest annual event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe, takes place on 11-13 June under the theme ‘Net- zero energy solutions for a competitive Europe’. The event will bring together public authorities, private companies, NGOs and consumers to promote initiatives accelerating decarbonisation through green technologies and solutions towards a fair and just transition for people and competitive businesses.

Registrations for onsite attendance in Brussels and online participation are now open. 

For interview requests with the EUSEW Awards finalists or additional media information, please contact ​ mediaeusew [dot] eu (media[at]eusew[dot]eu)