Tag: community energy

On a bright afternoon in Mortsel, the air buzzes with more than just summer warmth; it carries the quiet hum of a renewable energy transformation. Sophie Loots, a board member with ReScoop Flanders and finalist for the 2025 EUSEW Women in Energy Award, is leading a group of visitors around one of Belgium’s most ambitious citizen-led energy projects. ‘This is where the leap happens,’ she says, smiling as she gestures towards a former industrial site that is now pulsing with cooperative potential.

ZuidtrAnt, the citizen energy cooperative behind the initiative, has transformed the previously overlooked recycling lot and adjacent Agfa plant into a living laboratory for decentralised, clean energy. It’s a story of rooftops covered in solar panels, second-life batteries, microgrids and heat networks — all of which are rooted in collaboration. That spirit of collaboration is especially visible in the district heating network, which ZuidtrAnt did create with another energy cooperative and Warmte Verzilverd, responsible for building and operating the system. Within this alliance, ZuidtrAnt acts as the local anchor — the main point of contact for the neighborhood and responsible for community coordination and engagement.

A Factory of Renewal

Peter Janssens, advisor for facility expansion and technique from the social enterprise Opnieuw&Co, greets us at the recycling site in Mortsel. “We work with 550 people here, many from vulnerable backgrounds,” he explains. “The new energy plan we’re building with ZuidtrAnt isn’t just for sustainability. It’s about future-proofing our work.”

ZuidtrAnt is helping them transform temporary infrastructure—shipping containers and tents—into a high-efficiency circular economy hub. Solar panels gleam above, and beneath the soil runs a network of heating pipes connected to Agfa’s residual heat—a byproduct of industrial processes now warming buildings and saving emissions. “We share the electricity from solar, and the heat is piped through the neighborhood,” Sophie says. “But we had to fight for every step.”

Risk, Resistance, and RooftopPersistence

Sophie recounts the beginning of their rooftop solar journey. “We had this beautiful new roof, and our engineers told me to only cover a third of it. They said there was no business case for more.” She shakes her head. “I told them, “We’re doing the whole roof. We’ll find a way.” And they did.

Today, the site produces more solar energy than it can consume, with about a 70% excess in some months. “Rather than wasting it, we use it to produce hydrogen or store it in batteries,” Sophie explains, pointing to a hydrogen fuel cell nestled between the buildings. “It’s small, but it’s proof. And that’s what we need.”

Second-Life Batteries, First-Class Ingenuity

In a quiet facility, a collection of recycled electric vehicle batteries sits humming with potential. These second-life batteries are powering the cooperative’s activities and stabilising the grid.

“They never go to zero or full,” says Sophie. “We use the middle range to store our solar energy and the edges for flexibility services. We actually get paid for helping the grid stay stable.”

This system forms part of a contract with Octave Energy and Centrica, converting stored solar energy into euros. “Last year, we received €7,000 just from grid flexibility services,” Sophie reveals. “It’s not much money at the moment, but it’s growing.”

The Heat Beneath Our Feet

The heat network, fed by Agfa’s industrial processes and developed thorugh the partnership with a a second energy cooperative and a technical partner, is perhaps the crown jewel of the ZuidtrAnt cooperative’s innovations. Hot water from the plant circulates in a closed-loop system beneath Mortsel, providing warmth to homes and businesses without the need for gas combustion. “It’s all about connections,” says Sophie, tracing the route with her hand. “We even worked with the mayor to drill under a public square.” In exchange, the residents got a renovated plaza. That’s how you build trust.”

The network’s high temperature — up to 80°C — means that existing radiators in homes can be used without the need for major renovations. This makes it easier for homeowners to agree to switch, especially since prices remain stable compared to volatile gas rates. But nothing is simple. Every expansion and every connection is a careful dance of communication, funding applications and personal visits to residents. “We need 70% of houses on board to make it viable,” says Sophie. “So we go door-to-door. We explain. We listen.”

Building on this knowledge, ZuidtrAnt has also recently started rolling out smaller-scale geothermal heating and cooling networks in Mortsel and Heist-op-den-Berg, acting as an ESCO (Energy Service Company) in the process. These localised systems integrate solar panels, heat pumps, and EV charging stations into tightly coordinated microgrids that are optimised to achieve three goals: affordability, renewable energy sourcing, and ease of use for residents. “It’s about unburdening people,” says Sophie. “They shouldn’t have to become energy experts to live sustainably.”

Participation, Not Just Consultation

Sophie is clear: “It’s not just about installing infrastructure. It’s about empowering citizens.” The project includes information sessions, open house tours and a neighbourhood café to encourage community involvement. “In a first extension phase of the heating network we are trying to convince 20 households. When this succeeds, we will be aiming for the second neighbourhood to be included in the extension of the existing heat networks and that involves a few streets with approximately 170 houses” The key has always been trust, and having the courage to act even when the business case isn’t perfect.”

However, the question of Agfa’s long-term future remains. What if they shut down? Is a question that has been posed already in the context citizen consultation. ‘We’re already working on Plan B,’ says Sophie. ‘Aquathermal energy from nearby water infrastructure, combined with heat pumps. But we didn’t waste money on Plan B five years ago. We acted on Plan A, and here we are, still running on waste heat after nearly five years.’

As the tour winds down, one visitor reflects: ‘This isn’t a showcase. It’s a movement.” And Sophie? She stands, as she always has, at the heart of it all, both feet firmly on the ground and her eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun is still shining.