Solar panels have recently been installed on the roofs of Monte Rosa, a youth care organisation in Kessel-Lo supporting children, teenagers and young adults 3 to 25. Thanks to a partnership with energy cooperative ECOOB, the organisation has taken a concrete step towards more sustainable energy use and its own EV charging infrastructure — without having to invest any capital itself. Leuven 2030 brought the two parties together.

We spoke with Director Katrien Herbots about the motivations behind the project, the challenges they faced, the decision-making process and their plans for the future.

Photo, from left to right: Katrien Herbots (Director, Monte Rosa), Nick Meynen (Account Manager, Leuven 2030), Jan De Troyer (Deputy Commercial Director, Monte Rosa)

The barriers to going solar

Monte Rosa supports children, young people and their families. Its Kessel-Lo site consists of several buildings. During an earlier renovation project, one building was equipped with solar panels, but the roofs of the other buildings remained unused.

“We knew we would eventually have to address those buildings as well,” says Katrien. “But like many organisations in our sector, we operate under significant financial pressure. Our operating budget has barely been indexed for the past fifteen years.”

Another challenge soon emerged. Because part of the planned renovation would be financed with public funding and the site has more than ten parking spaces, Monte Rosa was legally required to install an electric vehicle charging point. The estimated cost turned out to be much higher than expected, and the administrative burden came on top.

“Our core mission is youth care,” Katrien explains. “Managing EV charging infrastructure is not part of that mission. We don’t have in-house expertise or staff available to monitor electricity consumption or manage billing for users.”

The right connection at the right time

“Just then, Nick Meynen from Leuven 2030 got in touch,” Katrien recalls. “He pointed out that we still had unused roof space and asked: what if a partner were willing to make the investment, while we could benefit from locally generated renewable energy? They wondered if they could come and explain the idea. The timing could hardly have been better.”

Through the breakthrough project Solar Panels on Large Roofs, Leuven 2030 investigates why many large roofs across Leuven still have little or no solar capacity and works on collective solutions to change that. For many organisations, the upfront investment and ongoing maintenance remain significant barriers.

Together with ECOOB, Leuven 2030 developed a model that removes those obstacles. The cooperative finances, installs and maintains the system, while the organisation purchases the locally generated electricity at a stable and predictable rate. This makes the transition not only feasible, but attractive in the long term.

“How will our energy system evolve over the coming decades, and what is the best decision for your organisation in that context? That kind of advice goes much deeper than a standard commercial sales pitch.” — Katrien Herbots

“I had actually never heard of ECOOB before,” she says. “But Nick explained the concept in a very accessible way, without making us feel pressured. If Leuven 2030 hadn’t contacted us, I probably would never have approached ECOOB myself.”

ECOOB analysed three buildings on the site, including the former convent building. That roof turned out to be less suitable due to limited sunlight exposure and heritage restrictions. The two other buildings, however, offered strong potential and the project quickly moved forward.

Investing yourself or outsourcing?

Monte Rosa’s board approached the decision carefully. They compared two scenarios: investing in the solar installation themselves, or partnering with ECOOB through a third-party financing model.

The assessment took nearly a year. Not because of hesitation, but because every step was carefully evaluated. Ultimately, ECOOB’s offer proved compelling because it covered not only the installation itself, but also monitoring, maintenance and support related to the charging station.

“The contracts were reviewed by a lawyer on our board and by our insurer,” says Katrien. “But once the decision had been made, the installation process went very smoothly. Thanks to ECOOB, what initially felt like a legal obligation has become a positive story. The charging point is available to the neighbourhood, and we don’t have to manage it ourselves.”

More than solar panels: a long-term vision

What Monte Rosa particularly appreciated was the independent advice.

“ECOOB doesn’t actually install the solar panels itself,” Katrien explains. “They work with specialist contractors. What makes them interesting is that they also think about the future and share that knowledge. They help you understand how the energy landscape is changing and what that means for your organisation. That perspective goes far beyond what you would typically get from a commercial solar company.”

As a result, the site was equipped not only with solar panels but also with a smart battery and an EV charging point. The battery stores electricity for use when the sun is not shining, helping to balance the grid and improve energy flexibility. Increasingly, this is becoming the standard approach, particularly for larger installations.

For ECOOB, the Monte Rosa project illustrates the value of cooperative entrepreneurship in practice.

“Organisations like Monte Rosa face the same challenge as many non-profits,” says Steven Decat of ECOOB. “They want to become more sustainable, but often lack the resources or expertise to do so on their own. We can bridge that gap, not as a commercial company, but as a cooperative that reinvests its returns into new projects that benefit the wider community.”

From decision to installation

“Once we had made the decision, the installation happened quickly,” Katrien says. “Communication with ECOOB was excellent. That said, practical implementation still required attention, especially around electrical inspections.”

Questions such as where to place the inverter and how existing technical installations fit into the plan required additional work.

“In older buildings like ours, you sometimes have larger-than-average boilers that are essential for daily operations. That means adjustments and site visits are often needed. Every project requires a degree of tailoring.”

One of the solar installations has already been operational for several months. The second system has recently been commissioned, and a follow-up meeting with ECOOB is planned to start monitoring energy performance.

Advice for other organisations: start the conversation

Monte Rosa encourages other organisations that are still unsure to explore the possibilities.

“Renovating buildings or installing solar panels can feel like climbing a mountain,” says Katrien. “But working with ECOOB allows you to tackle that mountain step by step. It becomes much more manageable, especially when you know you won’t have to handle all the monitoring and follow-up on your own.”

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Monte Rosa is already looking at additional opportunities to become more sustainable. A new building in Deurne is planned with geothermal heating, while the sites in Herent and Kessel-Lo are exploring a transition from gas heating to heat pumps, potentially with ECOOB’s support. In Kessel-Lo, the organisation would also like to replace paved parking areas with more green space.

“We constantly think about where and how we can make a difference,” Katrien concludes. “Our Kessel-Lo site, for example, is located in a large park that we open to the public, while respecting the needs of our residents and daily operations. There are many ways to become more sustainable. We take it one step at a time. And with partners like Leuven 2030 and ECOOB, we can go much further.”

The Monte Rosa installation forms part of Solar Panels on Large Roofs, one of the breakthrough projects within the Leuven Climate City Contract: the strategic plan developed by Leuven 2030, the City of Leuven and more than thirty partners to accelerate the city’s path towards climate neutrality.

Want to invest in 100% renewable energy from Leuven?

Projects like Monte Rosa are made possible by the citizens, organisations and businesses who invest in ECOOB. As a citizen energy cooperative, ECOOB enables local people and organisations to invest directly in renewable energy projects in their own region.

Cooperative members benefit from both social impact and a financial return. Their investments help fund solar installations for schools, care organisations, community centres and many other local initiatives.

More information about becoming an ECOOB cooperative member is available via www.ecoob.be/participeren.