The economy of South-West-Flanders consists mainly of small and medium-sized companies, even though large scale worldwide market-leading companies are present too. In the densly urbanized region of South West Flanders, BISEPS will focus on the main industrial parks in the municipalities of Kortrijk, Kuurne, Harelbeke and Waregem.
> The business park Waregem Zuid is chosen because of the presence of very dynamic and enthusiast entrepreneurs which are open for investments in renewable energy. Some bigger companies are actually already investigating the potential of windturbines, battery storage an combined heat and power (CHP), which creates a lot of opportunities for synergies. Furthermore a flourishing business park association (“Bedrijvenpark Waregem-Zuid vzw”) supports collaborative actions on the park. The association is managed by a board of entrepreneurs and a professional business park manager.
> The business parks of Kortrijk Noord and Harelbeke Zuid are currently revitalized (new road design and public space, better mobility, safety issues, etc.). Maximizing the sustainable energy production is added as a new dimension in the revitalization process through BISEPS. Emerging cooperation among businesses will be reinforced through the creation of energy synergies. By focusing on secure, stable and competitive energy supply, better business conditions will be created and jonbs and investments in the region will be secured.
In this living lab the focus will be on the generation of renewable energy through (small and medium scale) windturbines and solar panels.
Involved project partners: Leiedal and POM.
©GDI Vlaanderen, incorporation POM West-Vlaanderen
Results
Leiedal worked closely with the business park associations and individual businesses to address questions on the potential and barriers for sustainable energy. SMEs were supported with independent experts to create business cases for heat exchange and solar PV, to check the roof suitability for PV, to select contractors and so on. This triggered the installation of a large number of solar PV systems.
Leiedal will use the lessons learned from BISEPS, in other business parks and in new ones as they are developed.
- Energy Coaches will support businesses and apply the lessons from BISEPS
- All opportunities for wind energy on business parks will be used in the future.
- All new company building roofs must be solar-PV ready.
- District heating – preferably fed by renewable heat sources – will be considered in the design phase, because retrofit is problematic.
- Last but not least Leiedal aims to take advantage of proposed legislation to promote “local energy communities” for business parks. This should lower the threshold for SMEs to take part in the sustainable energy production on their own business park, without being burdened with all the complexity that can surround it.