What are the solutions for local authorities?

Faced with rising gas and electricity prices, local authorities, businesses and individuals are seeing energy costs rise. Increases are sometimes excessive. What solutions can be found? The “regional polls” return to this theme at the heart of French concern.

Like all municipalities approaching this winter, which promises to be so special, Palais-sur-Vienne – a city of 6,000 inhabitants at the gates of Limoges – has counted the number of municipal buildings it needs to heat and light: a town hall, a cultural area, three gymnasiums, three school groups , five stadiums and social housing…

However, like everywhere else, the city’s energy bill will rise here. “For electricity only, from July 1, 2022, the renegotiated tariff increased by 750% to 460 euros per MWh”announces Bastien Péry, general manager of services.

In general, the energy bill of the municipality will go From €390,000 in 2021 to €1.6 million in 2022.

Thus, the municipality had no choice but to take some radical measures beyond the vigilance plan imposed by the government: Public lighting blackout from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.lowering the temperature by 1 degree in schools, 3 degrees in gyms, outside locker rooms, turning off both lights in certain buildings and stadiums…

“I am worried about the state service, the continuity of our activities”Ludovic Géraudie, mayor of Palais-sur-Vienne, is concerned. “Energy saving is good for a while. But once you get down to the bone, you have to look at where you can save money. That’s where the danger comes from, because you have to ask yourself, can we continue this or not? I don’t want that to happen, at least in my city.”

Faced with an energy crisis and the inability to cope with unprecedented bill growth, many municipalities are asking for help. They can especially refer to energy associations, which are ADEME or “energy advisors”.

Thierry Catel, energy advisor of SEHV (Energy Union of High Vienna), supports the town of Peyrat-le-Château at the foot of the Millevaches plateau. Energy consultant town to replace old oil boiler struggling to provide heat to moviegoers at ever-increasing cost a more global and ecological investment: wood pellet boiler a cinema, but also the mayor, a school, a school canteen and two communal residences.

“The role of the energy consultant is to support the municipality at the base, to see whether a project is economically sustainable, whether it is within the framework of the aid, especially the heat fund provided by ADEME. We see that a project is economically interesting, the investment envelope and return that the Municipality can expect what is the duration”Thierry Catel explains.

Faced with rising energy costs, these consultants are increasingly sought after. Currently SEHV accompanies 140 of the 195 municipalities in the department.

We were waiting for these municipalities

Some municipalities, having made different options a few years ago, were waiting for different options, which are especially relevant now in light of the increase in the price of fossil fuels.

This is the case Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, invested 4.6 million euros in the biomass boiler in 2018. Equipment feeds a More than 4 km of heating network Especially heating the town hall, hospital, cultural center, several school groups and the Villa Sport aqua-recreation complex (the second largest in the department after Limoges).

Choice that Protects the pool of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche from the threat of closure which is heavy for many water equipment this winter. Here, the tree made it possible to save significantly on the heating bill: “In one year, this means savings of 350,000-400,000 euros. Compared to wood, gas would have cost us four times more”Daniel Boisserie, mayor of the commune of Upper Vienna, announces.

Another example, horse Verneuil-sur-Vienne. In 2019, by the municipality as part of the major renovation and expansion of the nursery-kindergarten bioconstruct choice : wooden frame, straw insulation, solar panels in the yard and school cafeteria, wide openings to bring in the sun. The result: a positive energy building that produces more energy than it consumes.

“There are no radiators or underfloor heating in the classrooms. The heating is done by renewing the air, double flow: we recover calories from the old air. We also have CO2 sensors that take into account the occupancy. If the room is not occupied, the air is more less updated and therefore less heated”Eric Peyrilloux, project manager of the municipality of Verneuil, explains.

And, obviously, the main one, energy saving.

Certain investments in the current context prove to be viable options for the future.

In this issue of Enquêtes de Région, reports and guests shed light on alternative solutions for reducing energy costs for companies and individuals.

Manon and Damien, a young Girondin couple, decided to build their own house thatched house. They needed to wrap 1000 straws in 140 square meters. Local and accessible raw materials coated with a mixture of clay, lime and sand. As a whole, it forms a particularly effective insulating barrier in summer and winter. No need for heating or air conditioning.

This type of construction (also used in renovation) is of interest to construction professionals. Craftsmen, architects and project managers receive training from the pro Paille network to meet their growing number of clients.

Another way, more traditional: passive house. Its insulation is almost perfect. Reinforced at the level of walls, floor and roof. In winter, it has many openings to catch the heat of the sun, and only opens the side protected from the rays in the middle of summer. Triple glazed, neither hot nor cold. They are equipped with an enhanced ventilation system to ensure air renewal. It becomes an inner cocoon here the temperature remains constant throughout the year. Renovating a building from the 1970s in Andernos in the Arcachon basin, Morgane installed just one heat source for his entire home. It will only turn it on in very cold weather.

Finally, for those struggling to make ends meet but living in thermal sieves, the association Les Compagnons Bâtisseurs intervenes free of charge. improve energy performance. Jessica, a single mother of four in Blayais in the Gironde, has air coming in through all the openings. His electricity bills are flying. Nikita, one of the association’s technicians, will plug leaks and repair repairables to help limit losses. The association works with 300 families each year in the city of Gironde, mostly in rural areas. Jessica, who has made it a habit to bundle up with her children during the coldest months, hopes to finally be able to enjoy a warm winter.

Presentation: Vincent Dubroca

Guests :

• Olivier Marfaing, head of the Artouste factories group – SHEM Société Hydro-Electrique du Midi
• Bertrand Loock, Energy Management Service Manager – SHEM (Bertran sans d)
• Patrick Chauvin, director of sustainable development and waste – Pau Béarn Pyrénées urban community
• Monique Sémavoine, 1st Vice-President of the Pau Béarn Pyrénées Agglomeration community.
• Eric Aufaure, energy specialist at the Environment and Energy Management Agency in New Aquitaine

Achievement : Bruno Villa Vignolas