Building a new home in Wallonia? It must meet Q-ZEN and use 35% renewable energy
A new Walloon home must reach the near-zero-energy Q-ZEN level. For permits from 2026, at least 35% of its energy must be renewable, and oil and coal heating are banned.
Wallonia · Subject to change
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Since 2021 every new home in Wallonia must meet the Q-ZEN standard (quasi zéro énergie, near zero energy). The home's insulation level may be at most K35, its primary energy level at most Ew 45, and its specific energy use at most 85 kWh per m² a year. The overheating indicator must stay below 6,500 Kh. Roofs, walls and floors may have a U-value of at most 0.24 W/m²K, windows at most 1.50 and glass at most 1.10. The home also needs a ventilation system.
For permit applications acknowledged from 1 January 2026, at least 35% of the home's energy must come from renewable sources. If that is impossible for a justified technical, functional or economic reason, the home must instead reach Ew 30 and use at most 55 kWh per m² a year. Oil and coal heating and hot water are banned in new homes, unless a justified note with the initial PEB declaration explains why that is impossible. Gas is still tolerated for now. A very heavy renovation that comes close to rebuilding is treated as new and follows the same rules.
An airtightness test is not required, but the official guide recommends it, and a test can improve the PEB result. The Rénopack and Rénoprêt renovation loans are for homes with a poor PEB label: homes rated D or better are outside the scheme.
More rules are coming as Wallonia transposes a new EU directive, including compulsory solar panels and charging points in new buildings. The details are still to be defined.
Details
| Impact | Indirect · This saves no energy by itself: it is a rule, a service, a contract, or a health or safety item. How we rate impact |
|---|---|
| Estimated saving | Not quantified; the rules set the minimum energy performance of the new home. (confidence: low) |
| Who acts | You (owner) |
| Needs landlord's agreement | No |
| Type | Rules explained |
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Sources
- Quasi Zéro Énergie : guide pratique pour construire votre logement Q-ZEN (version 2026) (in French) · Service public de Wallonie (SPW Énergie) (official source) · checked on
- Obligations (nouvelle construction) (in French) · Service public de Wallonie (SPW Énergie) (official source) · checked on
- Arrêté du Gouvernement wallon du 5 juin 2025 (performance énergétique des bâtiments) (in French) · Wallex (Service public de Wallonie) (official source) · checked on
- Nouveau régime d'aides à la rénovation : êtes-vous concerné ? (in French) · Société wallonne du Crédit social (SWCS) (official source) · checked on