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Understanding sharing
What is an energy community?
Residents, associations and businesses choose to produce, consume and share local renewable electricity. Members with solar panels can share surplus production with other members. Produce locally, share locally and decide together.
What does BEES Energy do?
We bring producers and consumers together, organise sharing and encourage solar energy in Brussels. Events help people understand energy and take part. BEES coop provides the third-party investment offer; BEES Energy ASBL organises energy sharing.
Why share energy?
To make better use of locally produced renewable electricity and build a collective project. You know who you share with and can help shape the community. Financial benefits depend on your circumstances; savings are not guaranteed for everyone.
How does sharing work?
Solar panels first supply the building. Surplus exported to the existing grid can be allocated to members consuming at the same time. Sibelga measures and calculates volumes every quarter-hour. Sharing may not cover all consumption or all of a producer’s exported electricity.
Who makes decisions in BEES Energy?
Members set the main direction at the General Assembly. The daily management committee handles operations and development, while the governing body oversees the association. The idea is to decide together without everyone having to become an energy expert.
Joining and taking part
Who can join? Do I need solar panels?
Households, associations and professionals across the Brussels-Capital Region can join BEES Energy to consume, produce or do both. You do not need panels to consume. Producers need the right to share their surplus. Sharing starts only with a suitable communicating meter and a checked application.
How do I join as a producer?
The daily management team checks your information, meter and the balance between production and consumption. They contact you to complete or correct the application. The team helps you sign the agreement and submits the checked application through MySibelga. If Sibelga refuses it for technical reasons, the team works through corrections with you. After Sibelga approval, BEES aims for the first day of the following month when submission takes place at least five working days before month-end. Wait for the confirmed date: this timetable is conditional.
How do I join as a consumer?
The daily management team checks your information, meter and the balance between production and consumption. They contact you to complete or correct the application. The team helps you sign the agreement and submits the checked application through MySibelga. If Sibelga refuses it for technical reasons, the team works through corrections with you. After Sibelga approval, BEES aims for the first day of the following month when submission takes place at least five working days before month-end. Wait for the confirmed date: this timetable is conditional.
How do I replace my meter?
Sharing needs a suitable communicating meter. BEES identifies references starting with 1LGZ, 1SAG or AMR. For a check or replacement, contact Sibelga on +32 2 549 41 00. You can ask for help here now, but sharing must wait for the necessary checks and steps.
Which neighbourhoods can join?
The whole Brussels-Capital Region: Schaerbeek, Ixelles, Anderlecht and beyond. You do not need to live near the BEES coop supermarket. The team checks your electricity point’s technical eligibility when you apply.
What changes on my bills?
For electricity actually shared, 6 c€/kWh goes to the producer and 3 c€/kWh to BEES Energy management: 9 c€/kWh for the consumer energy component, excluding VAT. The 3 c€ is included in the 9 c€, not added again. Network charges and applicable levies are additional. Your proposal specifies the tariff, effective date and tax treatment. You keep your supplier for your remaining consumption. For electricity supplied to consumers: 6% VAT for a residential or non-professional contract, 21% for a professional contract. The supply contract matters, rather than simply whether you run a business. Figures shown here exclude VAT; your proposal details the components, levies and effective date.
Should I cancel my existing supplier contract?
No! Keep your supplier for electricity that sharing does not cover. Community production does not always coincide with your use, so your supplier is still there for that late-night cup of tea.
Where can I find my EAN?
Your EAN is needed to complete your application: 18 digits, starting with 5414489 in Brussels. Find it on your bill or through Sibelga. It is different from the meter serial number. Without an EAN, your submission is a request for help to complete with the team.
How much will I save?
It depends on your existing contract, actual shared volumes and when you produce or consume. Compare the full cost, including network charges and taxes, rather than only the energy price. We do not promise the same annual saving for everyone. The team can help you understand the comparison.
How do I leave the community?
Request an end to sharing at energy@bees-coop.be. The withdrawal rule confirmed by BEES provides for sharing with your EAN to stop within 24 hours, without an additional termination charge. Electricity already shared remains payable: final settlement follows within 25 working days after receipt of the network operator’s meter reading. That period does not start when you request withdrawal. The three-week notice concerns termination initiated by the community, a different situation. Refer to your signed agreement and contact the team for follow-up.
Co-owned buildings
Can I join individually in a co-owned building?
Yes, you can apply as a consumer for your individual meter, as in any other home. A project involving a shared meter or collective installation needs to be prepared with the building’s representatives.
Our building already produces solar power: what about the surplus?
Explore sharing surplus with BEES Energy or organising sharing between the building’s electricity points. These are different arrangements. Check export rights, meters and the co-owners’ decisions before choosing. The team can discuss participation in BEES Energy.
How can our co-owned building install panels?
Start by reviewing the roof, energy needs and financing together. Self-financed installations and projects financed by BEES coop follow different processes. Prepare the proposal with the building manager and co-owners; a study establishes feasibility.
How do we get other co-owners involved?
Discuss everyone’s needs and questions, gather roof information and request an initial study. Prepare a clear agenda item with the building manager. Homegrade can help explain the process; decisions must follow the rules applicable to your co-ownership.
Installing solar panels
What are green certificates?
They support renewable generation. For an eligible certified installation, production readings determine the certificates awarded, which can then be sold. They are separate from selling surplus electricity. Check Brugel’s current certification requirements before starting your project.
What changes for green certificates in 2026?
Requirements and coefficients depend on capacity and commissioning date. Consult Brugel’s current schedule and check certification requirements, including RESCert where applicable, before accepting a quotation. A certificate rate alone does not guarantee a payback period.
Is there a minimum number of panels?
There is no magic number for every project. Available area, orientation, shade, needs and cost determine what makes sense. Have an installer size the system; BEES coop financing also requires an eligibility study.
Can panels go on several roofs?
This can be assessed. Each roof’s orientation and shading, connections and metering need review by the installer and, where needed, Sibelga. Do not assume different roofs or meters can be combined without changes.
Do panels need cleaning every year?
Not necessarily. Monitor output and follow the manufacturer’s and installer’s guidance. Unusual production drops or heavy dirt warrant professional advice. Do not improvise rooftop cleaning; leave work at height to a qualified, properly equipped person.
What about plug-and-play panels?
These devices connect through a socket. Use requires approved equipment and compliance with connection and notification rules. Read current Sibelga and Synergrid guidance before buying. Sibelga states that plug-and-play panels do not qualify for green certificates.
Third-party investment
Who finances a third-party installation?
The offer presented here is provided by BEES coop, while BEES Energy ASBL organises sharing. A project is assessed before any commitment. The investment agreement must specify financing, ownership, roof use and responsibilities; it is separate from the sharing agreement.
Who handles maintenance and technical problems?
For an installation financed by BEES coop, the cooperative handles maintenance and installation insurance under the agreement. The building owner must also inform their insurer. Report problems to the team; the contract defines responsibilities and any building works.
What if I need to renovate or insulate my roof?
Mention planned roof work during the study. The BEES coop model requires three months’ notice and provides for one temporary removal between October and March, for at most 14 days. Removal, storage, reinstallation and lost production may be charged to the owner under the agreement. Confirm your project’s schedule and costs before works begin.
Who needs to be notified about installation?
Check Sibelga procedures with the installer and certification steps if applying for green certificates. Inform your insurer too. With third-party financing, ask BEES coop who completes each step and keep confirmations; do not assume everything is automatic.
How do I end a third-party investment agreement?
This is different from leaving energy sharing. Read your installation agreement and contact BEES coop about the procedure and possible charges or compensation. The assistant cannot terminate contracts or calculate these amounts.
What happens to the installation at the end of the contract?
The third-party investment agreement runs for 25 years from signature. At its end, ownership of the installation transfers free of charge to the building owner. Your proposal sets out the project-specific conditions before you sign. This contract is separate from the energy-sharing agreement.
Should I tell my insurer?
Yes. Tell your insurer about the project and confirm coverage, conditions and any premium changes. If a third party owns the installation, clarify insurance and responsibilities in the agreement too. An unchanged premium is not guaranteed.
What if I move, rent out or sell?
For an installation financed by BEES coop, contact them before a sale, rental or change of occupant. Takeover and transfer arrangements depend on the agreement. Notify BEES Energy separately if your participating electricity point changes.
Can I combine my own funds with third-party investment?
Do not assume the BEES coop offer supports mixed financing. Present your project to the team so they can confirm available arrangements and responsibilities. Financing and export rights must be clear before committing.