Belgian Community Energy for Social Housing Initiative
The Community Energy for Social Housing initiative in Otterbeek, Mechelen, Belgium, aims to make renewable energy affordable and accessible to vulnerable households living in social housing.
The project demonstrates how the energy transition can combine environmental sustainability with social inclusion, ensuring that low-income residents also benefit from the shift towards clean energy.
Main objectives and activities:
- Solar energy for social housing: Installation of solar panels on 200 social housing units in the Otterbeek neighbourhood.
- Affordable electricity: Providing tenants with renewable electricity at fixed prices below market rates, helping protect vulnerable households from rising energy costs.
- Community participation: Actively involving residents in the energy transition through multilingual communication, cultural sensitivity training and a network of neighbourhood ambassadors.
- Social inclusion: Ensuring that disadvantaged communities are not excluded from the benefits of renewable energy and climate action.
The initiative is based on a €1 million investment model financed through citizen contributions.
It brings together several local partners:
- The Municipality of Mechelen.
- Klimaan, a citizen-led renewable energy cooperative.
- Woonland, the social housing organisation.
- Local stakeholders and residents.
The project also received European support through the TANDEMS project. In April 2025, the initiative was selected as one of three finalists in the Local Energy Action category of the 2025 European Sustainable Energy Awards. It subsequently won the award in June 2025, following a public vote.
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