What you need to know about your combustion plant and environmental legislation

An efficient combustion plant not only delivers a higher yield, it is also safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly. Therefore, environmental legislation contains strict rules for professional heating systems. Each region has its own regulations, although the guidelines keep pace.

1. Permit requirement: from a certain capacity

Your combustion plant must be included in your environmental permit as from a specific capacity. The three regions use different calculation methods to work out what type of permit is required. In Flanders, for example, the combined thermal capacity of all the equipment in your location is used as the reference. For example, you may become subject to a permit requirement due to an expansion of your installation.

Do you need an environmental permit?

2. Mandatory technical maintenance of your installation

Once again, the regions apply different values of heat output. However, the rule is that your combustion plant must be serviced regularly by a recognised technician. The exact frequency depends on the fuel type.

How often does your installation need to be maintained?

3. Emission measurements at the chimney

Although the regions have their own regulations for this, you must have the particulate matter emissions for a number of substances (CO, NOx, etc.) measured once you reach a certain heat output. The inspection is carried out by a recognised laboratory.

What are the limit values in your region?

4. Flanders: heating audit for older appliances

In contrast to the other two regions, Flanders has imposed a heating audit for all installations with a specific heat output that are older than five years. This means you will not only find out your current return, you will also receive practical tips about getting the most out of your system.

Do you need a heating audit? Check here.

5. Specific to Brussels: EPB diagnosis for large installations

You should have a check carried out on complex combustion plants with a specific heat output every five years. The check must be carried out by a recognised EPB advisor. 

Is an EPB diagnosis mandatory for your system?

It should be clear: there are no disadvantages to an environmentally compliant combustion plant. In addition, you risk fines if you do not keep your installation in good order (for example, if the maintenance period has expired).

The problem, though, is that keeping up with all the details of environmental legislation is specialist work. Mensura is happy to assist you. We have the right expertise for it.