Energy sharing · Energy community · Brussels
Energy communities in Brussels
One roof isn't the limit.
A whole community shares.
An energy community is the legal form for sharing renewable energy at scale — across several buildings and sites, between citizens, businesses and public bodies. Brugel authorises it; Amber Energy makes the split transparent for every member.
Free, no commitment — useful for a street, an apartment building or an energy community.
Why an app?
With dozens of members and several sites, shared energy is measured quarter by quarter — and "who got what?" quickly becomes impossible to track by hand.
Amber Energy turns those readings into a clear share for every member: what comes from the community and what still comes from the provider, month after month.
Where does my electricity come from?
This month980 kWh shared this month
40 members sharing across the neighbourhood
What is an energy community?
An energy community is a legal entity — a cooperative, non-profit or association — set up so its members can produce, share and even store renewable energy together. Unlike sharing between two neighbours or within one building, a community can span several sites across the neighbourhood or the Region: rooftops, a solar canopy, members who only consume. It's the framework for larger, longer-lived projects.
Membership is open and voluntary: citizens, small businesses and public bodies can all join, and any member is free to leave. The word "community" here means the legal form above a sharing — not the sharing itself.
How does it work in Brussels?
Brussels has a single grid operator (Sibelga) and a single regulator (Brugel). A community follows the same measured path as any sharing, with the legal entity on top:
- The community is set up as a legal entity with statutes and open membership.
- It applies to Brugel for an authorisation to operate as an energy community.
- Each member has a Sibelga smart meter; production and consumption are measured quarter-hour by quarter-hour.
- Shared renewable energy is split among members and deducted from each bill; everyone keeps a supplier for the rest.
That quarter-hour split across many members is exactly what Amber Energy automates and makes visible.
- Sibelga smart meters for each participant
- Agreement between participants (split and price)
- Quarter-hour distribution method
- Registration of the sharing with Sibelga
- Supplier kept for the rest of your consumption
Amber Energy doesn't replace Sibelga, Brugel or your supplier: the app makes sharing clearer, more transparent and easier to follow.
When does a community make sense?
Two neighbours don't need a community — a simple sharing agreement is enough. A community earns its extra structure when the project grows: several buildings, a mix of producers and pure consumers, shared storage, or an ambition that should outlast any single household. It gives the project legal footing, open membership, and governance the participants control.
The transparency members expect
With dozens of members and several sites, "who got what?" is the question that can stall a community. Amber Energy answers it continuously — every member sees their own share of the community's renewable energy, every month, on their phone. The settlement report you'd otherwise produce by hand comes out on its own.
The three recognised forms in Brussels
Brussels recognises three forms of energy sharing. See the overview.
Between neighbours
Peer-to-peer sharing: a house with panels shares its surplus with other households in the street or neighbourhood.
Within the same building
Panels on the building's roof supply the apartments. The most common form in Brussels.
The energy community
The legal entity for larger projects — citizens, SMEs, public bodies — with an authorisation issued by Brugel. You're reading about this one.
Live · right now
See where every watt goes.
Amber Energy settles the community's renewable energy every 15 minutes and shows each member, in real time, how much of their consumption comes from the community and how much from the provider.
Frequently asked questions
How is an energy community different from sharing between neighbours?
Peer-to-peer sharing and same-building sharing are simple agreements between a handful of participants. An energy community is a legal entity — it can span several sites, mix producers and pure consumers, own shared storage, and take in new members over time. Bigger scope, more structure.
Who can join an energy community?
Membership is open and voluntary: private citizens, small businesses and public bodies can all take part, and any member can leave. The community's statutes set the terms.
Do I need an authorisation from Brugel?
Yes. In Brussels an energy community operates under an authorisation issued by Brugel, the regional regulator. The regional energy-sharing facilitator helps new communities through the steps for free.
Does each member keep their supplier?
Yes. Shared renewable energy is deducted quarter-hour by quarter-hour; each member keeps a supply contract for the rest of their consumption.
What does the Amber Energy app actually do?
Amber Energy settles the community automatically, quarter-hour by quarter-hour, from the meter readings — and shows every member in real time how much of their consumption comes from the community and how much from the grid. No more spreadsheets.
Your community's renewable energy, shared transparently.
Free, no commitment — useful for a street, an apartment building or an energy community.