The demo site in Hasselt, located in the Belgian province of Limburg, demonstrates that Positive Energy Solutions can effectively replace fossil-fuel heating systems. The EXCESS PEBs are part of a larger social housing area with 68 apartments. The domain has a total surface area of 2,7ha and it is located alongside the ring road of Hasselt. The four buildings that make up the EXCESS demonstration site include 20 apartments with single to family size flats. An innovative energy generation system is installed in the central basement which also offers storage space to inhabitants.
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Key technologies & innovative solutions
The demo site includes a multi-source inverter heat pump that replaces the original gas-fired system. Solar-thermal and geothermal heat are used as the low-temperature source for the heat pump. A small thermal network on the site distributes the heat to the heat interface units in the apartments.
PVT panels and a small wind turbine on the roof of the demo building provide renewable electricity. The entire energy system (both production and demand) is controlled, monitored and optimised by a central Building Energy Management System (BEMS). This leads to an increased self-consumption rate of locally produced renewable energy and a reduction of the thermal losses from the heat distribution system.
Smart Solutions
A Building Energy Management System (BEMS) developed by VITO to optimise and synchronise energy production and demand by activating thermal flexibility of the building mass and boilers in the apartments. The inverter heat pump with direct compressor control is the core component of the HVAC installation. Power to heat is used for legionella disinfection.
Local energy production
Local renewable electricity production via 85 PVT panels and a wind turbine to provide renewable electricity. Low temperature heat from the PVT panels is used by the heat pump or stored underground in the BTES for later use.
Milestones
The construction works for the PEB demo site was finalised in May 2024. Since then the demosite has been operating successfully.
Further information & resources
As a H2020 funded project, in-depth and technical information on the demo cases is made available to the public in the form of reports and other publications that can be downloaded via the EXCESS website (a selection of these is included below).
Main stakeholders involved
The Belgian EXCESS demonstration project is led and coordinated by WIL. The social housing company manages the site and is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the buildings, the production and distribution of energy and communication with its inhabitants. The project was developed with the support of the Flemish Society for Social housing, the City of Hasselt and the Province of Limburg. The buildings were designed by the architectural company A2O in collaboration with the engineering company Poelmans. Voltedge-Solar installed and integrated the PVT panels. VITO is the primary research partner for the technical developments on the demo site.
