The Flemish Construction Confederation (VCB) expects that the construction sector will gradually be able to build up its capacity for energy renovations, now that extra measures are being taken that should lead to a strong increase in renovation activity. “That is also necessary: to renovate all homes according to the standard of 2050, the renovation rate must be tripled in Flanders,” it sounds.
The VCB reacts positively on Saturday to the announcement by the Flemish government to spend more than 1 billion euros on renovation loans and premiums during this legislature. In this way, the government wants to significantly boost the renovation rate of private homes. Flemish Energy Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) says in the newspaper De Tijd that the budgets are “unseen”. “The question is rather whether the construction sector can follow,” says Demir.
In a press release, the VCB says that the sector expects that the combination of measures taken by the Flemish government “will gradually lead to a strong increase in energy renovation activity”. The VCB therefore expects that “capacity can also be built up gradually”. According to the VCB, this is necessary: “To renovate all homes according to the standard of 2050, the renovation rate must be tripled in Flanders.”
“I hope it is,” says Marc Dillen, director-general of the VCB, when asked whether the sector will have trouble following. But Dillen points out that in practice things probably won’t go that smoothly, and that it will take some time before candidates gain insight into which premiums they are entitled to and make a decision.
“The renovation rate will not triple tomorrow, the measures will not have consequences tomorrow,” Dillen also says. “The most important measure for us is the obligation of energetic renovation that leads to an E-level of at least D within five years after the transfer of a home. In this way, 90 percent of the homes will be energetically renovated by 2050. We mainly expect that measure to achieve the required level.”
The VCB says in the communiqué that it is “delighted” with the targeted support that the Flemish government is giving to the energetic renovation. The administrative simplification in applying for premiums and the unified application desk for all premiums, ‘MijnVerbouwPremie’, are also “a bull’s eye” according to the VCB.