Heating, hot water, lighting, awareness of agents and occupants... This winter again, local authorities are called upon to set an example to continue the effort of energy sobriety. The most effective measures in detail.
In 2022-2023, local authorities played the game of sobriety
During the first act of the Sobriety Plan, during the winter of 2022-2023, local authorities were among the main actors mobilized by the government to reduce the country's electricity and gas consumption. And they responded. According to the government, 92% of local authorities have lowered the temperature in their premises and opted for regulation systems, and 76% have reduced the winter heating period.
Municipalities have also made great efforts in terms of public lighting, by improving its management or reducing it. The average lighting power has thus decreased by 33% in the dead of night, according to Enedis .
Energy sobriety: how can communities act this winter?
The annual energy consumption of local authorities amounts to 40 TWh and, with 280 million m2 of total surface area, their buildings alone consume 78% of this energy. It is therefore here that the main sources of energy sobriety will once again be found this winter.
Better regulate temperatures
Lowering the heating temperature is a priority area of sobriety for communities. According to the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), just one degree of heating less allows for 7% energy savings on heating.
In line with the Energy Code, the public authorities recommend setting the following heating instructions in winter:
- 19°C maximum during the day in occupied buildings (with exceptions: hospitals, nurseries, etc.);
- 16°C maximum at night;
- 8°C in buildings closed for more than three days;
- Reduce the temperature in gymnasiums by 2°C and the water in swimming pools by 1°C.
At the same time, the deployment of temperature control and regulation devices makes it possible to optimize heating management, such as connected sensors, for example, which make it possible to know the temperatures in a given room in almost real time. Communities are encouraged to equip themselves with building automation and control systems (BACS).
Reduce the heating season
It is recommended to activate boilers or heating systems at the earliest at the end of the All Saints' Day holidays and to turn them off at the start of the Easter holidays. A choice to be adjusted according to variations in the weather in the region concerned, naturally.
Cut off domestic hot water
The end of domestic hot water in public buildings, outside of health, school or early childhood establishments, forms one of the easiest levers of sobriety to activate for communities. All with a reasonable impact on the comfort of agents and users.
Maintain heating systems
Proper maintenance of heating, domestic hot water or cold equipment allows for additional energy savings. Clearing sludge from heating circuits is particularly recommended, as is insulating pipes.
Mobilize agents and appoint “sobriety ambassadors”
The mobilization of agents is essential to accentuate the dynamic. Objective: raise awareness among all employees of the issues of energy efficiency. On the technical side, awareness and training of technicians operating on the community's energy equipment are essential for proper application of sobriety instructions but also for the reporting of information.
To stimulate and supervise everyone's action, the appointment of one or more “sobriety managers” is recommended.
Moderate public lighting
In France, public lighting represents 41% of the total electricity consumption of local authorities, according to ADEME . When possible, and outside of main roads and sensitive areas, municipalities can go so far as to turn off public lighting between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. They can also opt for a reduction in light intensity in the middle of the night, using flow variators, for example.
According to the Center for Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility and Development (Cerema), the modernization of public lighting equipment is also a medium-term priority by switching to LED. According to this organization attached to the State, new technologies would help reduce the energy consumption of public lighting by 70 to 80%!
Amplifying the energy renovation of buildings
If the energy conservation measures for this winter constitute short-term responses, they must be an opportunity for communities to accelerate energy renovation policies for buildings. Such a context is ideal for analyzing your energy consumption in detail and identifying thermal renovation priorities in the medium and long term thanks to digital energy audits.
To find out where to start, contact our experts