Home » BATI Awards 2024: 10 reasons to pick Belga Solar !
Belga Solar has been a trusted player in the Belgian solar energy sector for over 15 years. It is the only Belgian manufacturer of standard photovoltaic panels. We operate in a sustainable field by default, but we want to go as far as possible in our commitments!
Our mission? To create a European supply chain for efficient photovoltaic solar panels. Contribute to Europe's energy transition, while helping to reindustrialize Belgium and create quality jobs.
Our vision? We believe in a less carbon-intensive future, with decentralized energy production in which solar power is a key solution.
Belga Solar is run by a duo of entrepreneurs, Sébastien Mahieu and Fred Conrads. They are committed to bringing the values of sustainable development to multiple aspects of their business management.
Belga Solar adapted its articles of association in 2023 to become a mission-driven company, which means that we take into account all the company's stakeholders in our management thinking, not just the company's profits.
We don't just want to be the best company in the world, we want to be the best company for the world. That's the difference!
Belga Solar is based in Baillonville, 7.5 km from Marche-en-Famenne. It employs 26 people and contributes to the prosperity of local families. We have gone from 16 to 26 employees in just two years.
We are committed to the B Corp certification process. This is a demanding, internationally recognized label that challenges us in five key areas: governance, employees, society or community, environment and customers. We include our staff in these considerations; all colleagues are involved.
For unavoidable emissions, we practice carbon offsetting by planting trees through the NGO Graine de Vie. For each installation carried out on private property, we fully offset the emissions generated by the panels installed.
This represents 4 trees planted for each panel installed on a private home. That's almost 120,000 trees planted since 2019, neutralizing 12,000 tonnes of CO2! We hope soon to involve all our customers, businesses and the public alike, in this approach.
For the production of our packaging, we collaborate with Atelier 85, an adapted work company based in Florennes. This partnership underlines our strong commitment to social inclusion and diversity.
We worked together to reduce our use of cardboard and changed our packaging in 2023, contributing to a drastic reduction in the volume of cardboard used. It's a great collaboration that's been going on for years!
What's the point of selling panels that only last 10 or 15 years? Unfortunately, this practice is widespread on the market, especially for panels imported from Asia.
The end-of-life of our products is guaranteed by the recyclability of 95% of our panels. We are affiliated to PV Cycle, to which we are a major contributor. PV Cycle Belgium is the only management body set up by the industry within the framework of the Environmental Protection Convention for photovoltaic solar panels, which, in the legal form of a non-profit association, aims to organize and fulfill obligations relating to the take-back of photovoltaic solar panels on behalf of all its members.
We conduct annual waste reduction programs and ensure very strict sorting.
In order to share its experience with as many people as possible, Belga Solar is also moving beyond its native Belgium! In early 2023, we set up Solarcells, a new company in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This is a joint-venture with the Socom Group, Luxembourg's leading electrical engineering company. Its solar panel manufacturing plant, similar to our Baillonville plant, started up in January 2024.
With the help of the Belgian Development Cooperation, we also supplied a thousand solar panels to Chad in 2023. Finally, we are currently being consulted for other projects in African countries. Our impact knows no borders !
The growth of the solar industry creates sustainable, high-quality jobs. Belga Solar contributes to economic growth while promoting ethical and sustainable labor practices.
Contact our Managing Director Sébastien Mahieu via s.mahieu@belgasolar.com