Energy Congress 2026: From Vision to Action for a Fossil-Free Built Environment

The strong turnout at the Lamot Conference and Heritage Centre during the Energy Congress 2026 clearly demonstrated the urgency of the energy transition within the construction and installation sectors.
Under the central theme of “reno-resilience” the event brought together key stakeholders to explore how the sector can contribute to a resilient, fossil-free future.

A central highlight of the morning was the keynote by Lieve Helsen (KU Leuven / EnergyVille). In her intervention, she made a strong case for system integration, firmly grounded in the laws of physics. She emphasized that achieving a sustainable energy transition requires approaching buildings, energy systems, and infrastructure as interconnected systems rather than isolated components.

Closing her keynote with a powerful message “Time for decisiveness in uncertain times” Helsen called for moving beyond vision toward implementation. This message resonates strongly with initiatives such as the HeriTACE project, where integrated, interdisciplinary approaches are essential to tackling the complexity of heritage buildings within the energy transition. In particular, she highlighted the results generated from KU Leuven (Anna Dell’Isola) to demosntrate the strength of white-box MPC as system integrator to exploit the synergy between different building functions connected by a neutral-temperature thermal network.

Her call for action was echoed in concrete initiatives presented during the congress, such as the Heat Pump Charter. This joint commitment between industry and government aims to accelerate the deployment of heat pumps, remove barriers for households, and make fossil-free heating more accessible. It reflects a shared ambition to turn challenges into opportunities and to actively support citizens in their transition journey.

The broader programme reinforced the sector’s pivotal role in achieving climate goals. From low-carbon construction and renovation to the ambition of diesel-free construction sites, the building sector is positioned as a key driver of change. Energy efficiency, electrification, and collective solutions were highlighted as the backbone of a resilient energy system.

In the afternoon, thematic sessions provided deeper insights into:

• Fossil-free heating and low-carbon residential construction
• The renovation and upgrading of collective and tertiary buildings toward fossil-free operation
• Challenges and solutions for eliminating diesel use on construction sites

Beyond knowledge sharing, the congress also fostered networking and collaboration among contractors, installers, innovators, and policymakers, underlining the importance of cross-sector partnerships.

Organized by Embuild Vlaanderen in collaboration with Flux50 and Techlink, and supported by a wide range of partners, Energy Congress 2026 demonstrated a strong collective commitment: accelerating the transition toward a carbon-neutral and resilient built environment through both vision and decisive action.