We are currently going through an unprecedented crisis period for both individuals and businesses. Over the past 60 years, we have never faced so many constraints in our daily lives. First came the Covid crisis, which disrupted our lifestyles and consumption habits. Today, we are severely affected by a tsunami of energy costs. Electricity bills for businesses have sometimes tripled or even quadrupled within a year. Gas and heating oil prices have more than doubled.
This situation is particularly tense for Belgium and its companies, as our country is heavily dependent on energy imports. In 2019, Belgium’s energy dependence—calculated as the ratio between net imports and energy consumption—stood at 76.7%.
Faced with this situation, some adopt a fatalistic attitude. Others question global energy policy. There is an alternative approach that allows you to act rather than suffer: deciding to become (partially) autonomous. This is possible and desirable. But it is urgent.
It is possible because today there are solutions that allow businesses and society in general to reduce their dependence on uncontrollable external factors (conflicts, OPEC decisions, shortages, etc.) by increasing their energy autonomy. Many Belgian companies and citizens have large surfaces (roofs, land, parking areas) that are underused or unproductive. These could be quickly transformed if solar power plants were installed there, producing energy for free for 20 to 30 years.
Yes, free of charge! The major advantage of solar solutions is that only the initial installation is costly. After that, users are no longer dependent on fuel price fluctuations, maintenance is minimal, reliability is high, and lifespan is long. Belgium has all the necessary resources to seriously invest in this direction and thus produce energy locally at a fixed cost, increasing its energy independence.
This is all the more desirable as some global powers have already understood the advantages of this solution. Ten years ago, China exported 95% of the solar panels it produced. Today, more than half of its production is for domestic use. China has decided to invest massively in solar and wind energy. The reasons are not ecological, but economic. China has shifted from an opportunistic approach to a strategic one. Within less than 10 years, thanks to solar and wind energy, China will have gained a major competitive advantage, as part of its energy production will have become free. It will be less dependent on the market and, above all, able to offer extremely competitive products, as energy costs will have become almost zero.
Finally, choosing solar energy is urgent for environmental reasons. The latest IPCC report, published at the end of February, leaves no doubt about the global awareness of climate change. The worsening situation, as well as the irreversible nature and impact of ongoing changes, require all of us—business leaders and citizens alike—to take responsibility.
Solar energy is inexhaustible and green, and figures sometimes speak louder than words. Here are some practical examples:
- One solar panel produces enough energy each year to drive 2,000 km in an electric car.
- In other words, 8 panels are enough to cover the average annual consumption of a car (15,000 km/year), and the same 8 panels also cover the average electricity consumption of a typical Belgian household (3,500 kWh/year, according to CREG, the Belgian Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation).
- One solar panel saves the equivalent of 115 liters of diesel or 100 m³ of gas in a thermal power plant each year.
- You can recover the initial investment of a photovoltaic system in 5 to 7 years, after which the electricity produced is completely free.
- The minimum lifespan of a solar photovoltaic system is 25 to 30 years.
Source: Le Vif