The municipalities of Londerzeel and Meise are setting an example by minimizing energy consumption and operating costs for their building portfolios.

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Starting in 2018, the municipalities of Meise and Londerzeel—together with ENGIE Cofely and with Ingenium serving as facilitator—will make no fewer than 18 buildings more energy-efficient thanks to an intermunicipal Energy Performance Contract (EPC). EPC projects enable municipalities to save 20 to 25% on energy consumption in their buildings, which leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions. In Londerzeel and Meise, the EPC contract took effect on January 1, 2018. This marks the first time in Flanders that two municipalities have joined forces to submit a joint proposal.

Municipalities own a large number of buildings. Many of these buildings are outdated, which means they do not meet current and future energy performance requirements and consume too much energy. Furthermore, most municipalities lack the necessary financial resources to carry out energy-saving investments. As a result, renovations are often postponed.

The province of Flemish Brabant therefore developed an innovative coaching program to support municipalities in implementing energy-saving measures in their buildings. The province opted for the EPC model. Through the EPC coaching program, the province of Flemish Brabant is promoting the development of EPC projects for municipal buildings.

Energy Performance Contracting Project (EPC Project)

Under an energy performance contracting project, an Energy Service Company (ESCO) implements energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, with a contractual guarantee that the projected energy savings will be achieved and maintained throughout the term of the contract. The revenue stream generated by the energy savings is used to help pay off the costs of the investments made. In this way, the financial risk for the building owner—in this case, the municipality—is limited.

In this case, the municipalities of Meise and Londerzeel have decided to fund the investments themselves. If the energy savings exceed the guaranteed amount, ENGIE Cofely and the municipalities will share the additional profits. If the savings turn out to be lower, ENGIE Cofely will reimburse the difference. Once the financing has been repaid, the energy savings will benefit the municipalities in full, which, after a 15-year term, will have more modern, energy-efficient, and comfortable buildings.

Londerzeel and Meise

An EPC is primarily used for large buildings or groups of multiple buildings with sufficiently high energy consumption at the start of the project. That is why Londerzeel and Meise decided to collaborate and group their buildings together.

In collaboration with the Sustainable Construction Support Center of the province of Flemish Brabant, a search was conducted for a partner, which led the two municipalities to find each other. The coaching process resulted in a partnership with EPC facilitator Ingenium, which negotiated the EPC contract on behalf of the municipalities. This ultimately led to the appointment of ENGIE Cofely under the EPC contract.

"The EPC project is part of the global climate action plan and the Covenant of Mayors, under which Londerzeel—just like Meise—has taken on the challenge of saving 20% in energy by 2020 and intends to do so. The EPC initiative presents an even greater challenge: ENGIE Cofely guarantees Londerzeel and Meise energy savings of at least 20% in municipal buildings,” says Alderman for Energy Tom Troch. This will result in a reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 700 metric tons per year for the two municipalities combined.

The EPC case in Londerzeel and Meise is therefore unique because:

• Two municipalities are collaborating
• The dossier has been included in the Mayors' Covenant
• This is the first intermunicipal EPC contract for municipal buildings in Flanders
• As a result, both municipalities are opting for an integrated approach to their building management

Since January 1, 2018, ENGIE Cofely has been responsible for maintaining municipal and OCMW buildings and implementing various energy-saving measures for a period of 15 years. Ingenium will continue to support the municipalities in monitoring the implementation of the EPC contract.

Scheduled work:

- Roof insulation

- Replacement of the window frame

- Replacement of the boilers with condensing boilers

- Installation of 2 small combined heat and power units (20 kWe)

- Improved energy monitoring thanks to the OPTIMIZ system

- Installation of control systems for more efficient energy management

- Installation of systems for collecting and reusing rainwater

- Installation of solar panels on 11 buildings

In addition, the project will also lead to a significant reduction in water consumption at the Meise municipal swimming pool, thanks to the optimization of the filtration system. In total, more than 200 m³ of water will be saved annually.