Low-Income Households In Belgium To Get Financial Benefit From 400,000 Solar Panels

Helping two birds with one hand, a new program in Belgium is looking to help cut emissions and provide a little financial boost to lower-income households. Thousands of social housing units will be receiving 400,000 solar panels via a €150 million investment.

Actually, we should say that this helps three birds — given the conflict in Europe and the energy challenges that are starting from Russian shutting off gas pipelines, a lot more solar power can help cut dependence on such gas.

“We are definitely in an energy crisis and people are afraid,” Sven Van Elst, Aster General manager told Euronews. Aster is the company that will be implementing this solar project on the social housing properties. With the energy challenges, higher prices will be a pain for everyone, but they will most strongly hit and threaten lower-income households. “They don’t know whether they will have the means to pay for the heating this winter. They don’t know whether they will be able to put on the lights when their children have to do their homework this winter. So as a social housing sector, we must absolutely do something about it.”

“When our social tenants need energy and they start using energy when the sun is shining, they will benefit from it because the Flemish government will decide on the tariffs they have to pay for this solar energy, but they are assured that these tariffs will always be lower than the social tariffs and the commercial tariffs,” Van Elst added.

It’s not too often that you have projects that help with environmental goals, economic goals, and social goals. But this story definitely fits the bill.

Also, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a totally devastating affront on humanity — harming Ukrainians most of all, then Russians, but then also peoples around the world — it is always best to look for good opportunities in travesties and challenges. That is part of what’s happening here. For much more on that broader topic, though, read: Europe’s Energy Crisis Will Be Short-Lived & Reap Benefits.

Featured image courtesy of Aster.