Energy sobriety in public heritage: what should be remembered from the ATEE Normandy conference on July 3, 2025 in Rouen
On July 3, 2025, the Maison de l'Université de Rouen hosted a morning organized by ADEME and ATEE Normandie, faithful to its long -standing commitment for the dissemination of good energy practices, in particular on the challenges of sobriety of tertiary buildings. This morning of exchanges and feedback brought together communities, public establishments and technical experts.
Sober energy, a reference player in the energy optimization of public heritage , had to be present at this event. Objective: to listen, to document, and above all to value the concrete actions undertaken in the field, that they come from local initiatives, states or structuring national devices.
Inspirant feedback according to wealth typologies
1. State heritage - Rectorate of the Normandy Academy
The Rectorate of the Normandy Academy shared the results of its participation in the 2025 season of the Cube State program, a energy savings competition piloted by A4MT.
- Buildings concerned: several administrative sites of the rectorate.
- Results : up to 22 % energy savings reached according to March 2023 statements.
- Targeted issues: reinforced dialogue with users, mobilization of internal teams, precise piloting of consumption.
2. Local communities - Cube.s and cube.ecoles
CUBE championship (Teaching Building User Competition) perfectly illustrates activated levers to reduce energy consumption in school buildings and municipal public establishments. This program is punctuated as an annual championship with seasons of which you will find very interesting performance indicators:
Cube.ecoles (season 1):
- Heritage : primary schools in 21 participating cities.
- Average saving: 22.9 %.
- Profits : € 169,922 saved and 1,321,846 kW avoided.
Cube.s (season 5):
- Heritage : colleges and high schools (215 establishments).
- Average saving : 12.6 % , up to 24.8 % on certain targets.
- Profits: 13.3 m kW avoided, or € 1 million in savings and more than 2,400 tonnes of co₂ not issued.
Study phase at the Metropolis of Rouen: 9 buildings screened
The Rouen Metropolis Normandy presented a return of experience on the phase of technical and energy studies carried out on 9 public buildings, divided between cultural, administrative and technical equipment.
- Objective: Identify short and medium term actions on the exploitation and compliance with bins, regulation and behavior of users.
- Method: detailed audits with cross analyzes (thermal, occupation, uses).
- Results: No site was in accordance with the Bacs decree, average cost of compliance: € 350,593 excl.
- Roadmap delivered: measurement plan, synoptics, technical prescriptions, estimate of potential savings.
Dieppe Hospital, GHT Caux Maritime: Sobriety in the heart of hospital exploitation
The return of experience of the Dieppe hospital highlights the complexity specific to health establishments, where each energy saving must be reconciled with the requirements of continuity of care, patient comfort and health safety.
Among the concrete actions cited:
- A fine optimization of the pressure of the operating blocks to avoid overconsumption while respecting the asepsis stresses.
- Discreet but essential adjustments such as the replacement of certain doors to facilitate the movements of the nursing staff and cleaning, thus reducing the energy losses linked to the prolonged opening of access.
- 2015 development> 2024:
- Thermal: from 154.6 to 122.6 kWh/m².An
- Electricity: from 111.5 to 82.9 kWh/m².
- Water: from 341.1 to 240.2 l/J.BH
This approach illustrates that the devil is in detail: energy performance becomes possible when it is integrated into the daily hospital agents, without compromising the quality of care.
University of Rouen: the central role of the flow of flow
The testimony of the University of Rouen highlighted the decisive role of a flow of flow as a conductor of the energy strategy.
- Annual consumption: 38,464 MWh (42 % gas, 41 % electricity, 16 % networks)
- Annual expenses: € 5.5 million including tax, including almost 50 % linked to heat/cold networks
- Actions carried out: mastery of subscribed powers, close monitoring of buildings, active management of subscriptions.
- Result : visible reduction in consumption and better budgetary anticipation.
Behavior change: human lever at the heart of the transition
Delphine Labbouz, doctor of social and environmental psychology intervened on the behavioral lever in the energy transition, by posing a shared observation: the sobriety plans deployed in an emergency between 2022 and 2023 had a powerful but punctual effect. Few have succeeded in maintaining this commitment over time.
It explored the levers to transform the cyclical momentum into a lasting dynamic: training, exemplarity, internal animation, co-construction of objectives.
- Standing example: the Department of Pas-de-Calais (62)
- Training of referents in each direction
- Integration of energy management in strategic priorities
- Strong support for support services to the dissemination of good practices
Conclusion : Maintaining the commitment over time involves substantive cultural work as much as organization.
What could have added to this morning? An operational approach to the CPE
If this morning has highlighted rich feedback and very concrete dynamics, an important angle is still little shared: that of the energy performance contract (CPE).
However, this tripartite contract allows:
- To guarantee a level of performance over time,
- To align interests between contracting authorities and works operators,
- To ensure traceability, transparency and legal certainty of contractual commitments.
Still perceived as a legal and complex legal reality, the CPE is currently experiencing an evolution carried by digitalization, which significantly reduces its design and operation costs.
Sobre energy is ready to testify on this subject, in particular through its module my scoperformance which makes it possible to structure, pilot and secure performance over time, by mobilizing the right tools for dialogue and analysis. A track to dig for future meetings.
🙏 A big thank you
Thank you to the organizers of ADEME, the ATEE Normandy and the many contracting authorities for the quality of this morning. Through this article, sober energy is happy to relay these good practices , convinced that they will inspire other concrete projects in the field.