FAQ

The operator of a facility – in this case, you as an individual – is liable for the construction and operation of the facility in compliance with the applicable provisions and for all damages that may result therefrom. You should therefore check carefully that the drilling documents are complete. These should include:

the completed pressure test form as proof of the tightness of the geothermal probe once the probe has been placed (ask the drilling company if this report complies with VDI Guideline 4640);
the complete drilling report.

No. The Law of 19 December 2008 on water prohibits the direct or indirect discharge of water as well as other solid or gaseous substances. Groundwater heat pumps cannot therefore be authorised in Luxembourg.

• The size of the installation must be calculated in accordance with VDI (Association of German Engineers) Guideline 4640. Ask your chosen drilling company for information on this subject.
  In addition, you can also have a heat load calculation and a geological survey carried out in order to establish the sizing.
• You must ensure that you have obtained all necessary permits before the works start.
• The exact date of the start of drilling must then be notified to the water management authority in advance. Ensure that the drilling company and the installer coordinate their schedules.
• Plan appropriate access to the site in advance.

According to the law of 9 June 2022 on waste electrical and electronic equipment, the producer is responsible for the collection and processing of photovoltaic panels.

Producer means any natural person or legal entity who manufactures photovoltaic panels in Luxembourg or initially imports them onto the Luxembourg market. Any person established in another Member State or in a third country who, on a professional basis, supplies photovoltaic panels directly to a user in Luxembourg is considered a producer. In practice, in the majority of cases, this is the installer of the photovoltaic plant in Luxembourg.

Possibilities for owners to dispose of their old photovoltaic panels 

For photovoltaic panels put on the market before 13/08/2005 :

• in case of replacement of the photovoltaic panels, the take back of the old panel is free of charge and must be ensured by the company supplying the new equipment
• in case of dismantling of the photovoltaic panel (non-replacement of the panel), the removal by a professional collector is done against payment by the user

For photovoltaic panels placed on the market after 13/08/2005 :

• free take-back by the producer who bears the costs of collection and recovery of the photovoltaic panels. 

In general, all photovoltaic panels are recyclable.

Indeed, there are risk-free procedures for silicon-based panels as well as for thin-film panels containing cadmium. Moreover, recycling is regulated by the European Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment, which is transposed into national law by the law of 9 June 2022 on waste electrical and electronic equipment: this framework currently requires at least 80% of the mass of a photovoltaic panel to be prepared for reuse or recycled, and 85% of the mass to be recovered.

The recycling rate of photovoltaic modules is nevertheless close to 100%, considering that the modules are generally composed mainly of glass, aluminium and other metals. Net modules usually contain very limited amounts of synthetic materials, such as silicon or other minerals. However, it is technically possible to recycle these elements, even if the processes for extracting them are not yet cost-effective. Thus, these materials are currently mainly used for thermal recovery.