The Sun Shines for Everyone: A Citizen Energy Community in Brussels 💚
In Brussels, a new initiative marks a major milestone in the local energy transition.
As part of the strategic Eonis partnership between WeSmart and Helios Group, the project "The Sun Shines for Everyone" is born: a citizen energy community (CEC) established as a non-profit organization that transforms school rooftops into true levers of energy solidarity.
An Innovative Model of Local Energy Sharing ☀️
Schools equipped with photovoltaic panels regularly produce more renewable electricity than they consume, particularly on weekends, during school holidays, and closure periods.
Rather than letting this surplus return to the grid without local value, the citizen energy community "The Sun Shines for Everyone" organizes this energy sharing to maximize its local impact.
Direct beneficiaries:- 👨👩👧👦 Student parents and their families
- 🏘️ Citizens of participating municipalities
- 🏛️ Local public buildings
The Advantages of a Citizen Energy Community
Regional Coverage Serving Everyone 🌍
The CEC structure presents unique advantages to maximize the impact of energy sharing:
Extended territorial reach: Unlike models limited to a single building or street, the CEC allows organizing energy sharing at the scale of a municipality or even several municipalities. This regional coverage means more citizens can benefit from locally produced solar energy. Inclusion of public buildings: The CEC facilitates the integration of public infrastructure - schools, municipal administrations, sports centers - which become both producers and consumers within the community. These public buildings play a central role by putting their rooftops at the service of residents. Easier access for all: The CEC model simplifies participant membership. Families and citizens don't need to invest in individual solar panels to benefit from local renewable energy. Being connected to the electrical grid and joining the community is enough.Concrete Impact for Brussels
Local energy: Production close to usage, strengthening the territory's resilience and self-consumption. Equity: Transparent and regulated sharing, serving residents without discrimination. Climate: More renewables, fewer emissions, measurable impact at the neighborhood level.This model places the citizen energy community at the heart of local life: it connects schools, families, and municipalities around a common goal — consuming better, closer, fairer.
The Role of the Eonis Partnership in the Project
A High-Performance Digital Platform
WeSmart provides its intelligent management platform that enables:
- 📊 Real-time monitoring of energy production and consumption
- ⚖️ Fair distribution of energy among community members
- 📈 Transparent tracking of savings achieved and environmental impact
- 📱 Intuitive interface accessible to citizens and managers
A Synergy of Expertise
The project "The Sun Shines for Everyone" is part of the strategic Eonis partnership, the common brand of WeSmart and Helios Group.
This collaboration combines:
WeSmart's digital expertise:- Advanced energy management platforms
- Optimization algorithms and artificial intelligence
- Monitoring and reporting solutions
- Accessible and transparent user interface
- Technical and administrative management of communities
- Support for schools and municipalities
- Operational project coordination
- Network of partner installers for deployment
This synergy provides a complete and integrated solution: from energy production to optimal management, including participant support.
An Evolving and Replicable Project
Organization and Next Steps 📅
The "Sun Shines for Everyone" community progressively structures solar energy sharing among its members, prioritizing periods when surplus is most abundant.
Membership, monitoring, and distribution terms are clearly defined to ensure tangible benefits for families and citizens.
An Inspiring Model for Other Territories 🌱
Ultimately, "The Sun Shines for Everyone" aims to become a Brussels reference in citizen energy: a replicable model capable of inspiring other neighborhoods and municipalities.
This project demonstrates that in Brussels, solar energy can be locally produced, fairly shared, and valued for the benefit of residents. By uniting schools, citizens, and technology partners, the community makes electricity a common good — and energy transition a daily reality.
Commitment to Energy Communities
This project perfectly illustrates the commitment to facilitating the creation and management of energy communities across Europe.
With already more than 15 active energy communities and emblematic projects like Tour&Taxis.energy and Greenbizz.energy in Brussels, the Eonis partnership continues to prove that a local, solidarity-based, and efficient energy transition is possible.
Thanks to this collaboration between WeSmart and Helios Group, the development of citizen energy communities in Belgium and beyond strengthens day by day.
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Energy closer, fairer, for everyone. 💚☀️ To learn more about "The Sun Shines for Everyone" and the Eonis partnership, contact us or visit the Helios Group website.
