Stopping clocks, reducing lighting times or optimizing boilers: at the Anita Conti high school in Bruz, near Rennes, with the help of specialized technicians from the Brittany region, all energy savings are good.
Behind the gates and the Breton, French and European flags, a close inspection of the hall shows that in this modern high school, built in 2005, the electronic clock does not work.
“We reduced 21 hours that worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to consume 11 watts every day, that is, save 800 euros per year,” explains Guillaume Talon, regional agent in charge of the maintenance staff.
Changed the timer in the hallways to turn off the lights after three minutes instead of five as before.
With the dizzying rise in energy costs, every kilowatt-hour is being weighed, with the main goal of keeping temperatures below 19°C in classrooms and 16°C in common areas such as hallways or restrooms.
Also, with the help of software, each radiator is equipped with thermostatic heads that turn off the hot water supply when the temperature reaches the limit threshold.
To help establishments regulate temperatures and cut gas and electricity bills, technical advisors and mobile technical support teams (EMAT) step in to provide valuable advice, as does Laurent Dessier.
In the boiler room, since September, “we have been playing on different circuits so that the boilers started up out of step,” whereas before “they started all at once, causing significant consumption,” explains this regional agent in charge of heating installations at several secondary schools in Rennes.
And everyone in this establishment, which serves about 1,100 people a day, tries to bring their stone into the building, as explained by Thierry Glot, head of the catering department.
“We try to conserve energy at our level, especially in the mornings, by not turning on cars too early, as we foolishly used to do, or by leaving lights on in refrigerators without someone inside,” he says, also favoring a menu that is consumed less energy, such as baked potatoes rather than french fries.
- Scarf in progress -
Between two bells to return to class, high school students say they basically understand the arrangements.
“It is better for the environment to have a lower temperature and therefore consume less electricity and energy,” said Joanna Moreau, second. “More and more people are wearing coats and don’t take off their jackets when they sit down, I put on an extra sweatshirt.”
Louise Chauvel, the first of the school’s forty eco-delegates, supports the scarf. “There are some who complain because it’s cold, but most people accept it because they understand the environmental and economic interests.”
Despite these small savings, costs should still rise with the increase “by a factor of three for electricity and slightly less for gas,” recalls Stéphane Perrin, vice president of finance for the Brittany region.
In 2021, the electricity bill of 115 Breton public secondary schools amounted to 14.5 million euros, including eight for heating. In 2022, additional costs are estimated at … 28.5 million (25 million for electricity and 3.5 million for gas).
Depending on the secondary schools, the region and its teams have set a target of 15% to 20% energy savings.
Of course, “we have to deal with urgency and rising costs, but we also have to maintain the ability to invest, refurbishing secondary schools is the community’s first investment budget. First of all, the main work is important” to improve the thermal performance of establishments, Mr. Perrin assures.