School buildings: a decisive lever for the energy transition of territories

Indeed, while the Government aims to renovate 10.000 schools by 2027 and 40.000 by 2034, the energy performance of establishments is more than ever a priority for local authorities.

With over 52.000 educational buildings in France, the vast majority of which were built before 1950, the school system is an aging and energy-intensive sector. Indeed, it now represents a major challenge for municipalities, both in terms of budgetary constraints, given rising energy costs, and in terms of regulations, with the need to comply with the requirements of the tertiary and BACS decrees as well as the obligations of the law of April 30, 2025, known as the “DDADUE”.

In this context, Akéa Énergies, a consulting firm specializing in energy performance and decarbonization, published a study which reveals that:

• School buildings account for 29,4% of local authorities' energy consumption, ahead of sports facilities (16,7%) and administrative buildings (16,4%).
• Average consumption per student has decreased by 10% since 2018, reaching 1,145 kWh EF per student in 2023, or €180 per year in energy and water.
• The schools studied show an average performance of 81 kWh EF/m², close to the objectives of the tertiary decree for 2030 (93 kWh EF/m²).

Soaring energy costs: municipalities face an unprecedented challenge

Among the municipalities studied, 90% have fewer than 10.000 inhabitants.

The year 2023 was marked by a surge in energy costs, potentially doubling or even quadrupling municipal budgets. This unprecedented situation highlighted the vulnerability of local authorities to fluctuations in the energy market; the unit costs of electricity and natural gas reflect this dramatic increase, with an average rise of 100% between 2022 and 2023.

This price volatility underscores the need for precise monitoring of consumption to effectively manage budgets. While the energy mix of local authorities has remained stable in recent years—around 60% fuels and 40% electricity—a significant portion of this electricity (50 to 70% depending on the type of building) is dedicated to heating, which alone accounts for more than three-quarters of a municipality's energy needs over the period studied.

Furthermore, the distribution of energy consumption varies according to usage. Four main types of buildings account for nearly 70% of the energy consumed: school buildings (29,4%), sports facilities (16,7%), administrative buildings (16,4%), and cultural or leisure facilities (10%). Schools are the largest consumer, while sports facilities, although less numerous, remain significant energy consumers and use a quantity of water comparable to that of school buildings. This situation is largely explained by the fact that most small municipalities have few swimming pools, which are particularly energy-intensive and water-intensive.

Finally, water consumption represents the third largest cost item for municipalities. Often underestimated, it nevertheless requires a significant amount of energy for pumping, treatment, and distribution, reinforcing the importance of comprehensive and integrated resource management to control public spending.

Schools are the largest consumer of energy in local authorities.

The analyzed school stock comprises 2.400 buildings, with an average surface area of ​​1.450 m², accommodating an average of 175 students per school. These infrastructures represent a major source of energy consumption for municipalities, and their management has become a crucial issue in the current economic climate.

Accounting for nearly a third (29,4%) of municipalities' total energy consumption, school buildings represent the largest single expenditure item for local authorities. This significant expense is explained by the large surface area dedicated to education, a budgetary priority for elected officials, but also and especially by the age of the existing stock: of the 52.000 school buildings in France, the vast majority were built before 1950.

In this context, heating accounts for more than three-quarters of energy needs, with thermal comfort requirements being particularly high in rooms housing young children.

In 2023, energy consumption per student reached 1.145 kWh of final energy, amounting to €180 per year in energy and water. This situation places a heavy burden on municipal budgets, especially as the year was marked by a surge in energy costs.

Beyond financial considerations, schools also face challenges related to thermal comfort: in winter, students and staff suffer from the cold in poorly insulated classrooms, while in summer, increasingly frequent and intense heat waves exacerbate the discomfort. Added to this are regulatory obligations stemming from the Tertiary and BACS decrees, as well as Law No. 2025-391 of April 30, 2025 (DDADUE).

Despite these challenges, the momentum for energy-efficient renovations in schools is encouraging. Since 2018, energy consumption per student has decreased by 10%, driven by a growing awareness of the importance of energy conservation and the implementation of initial energy-saving measures. The schools studied now have an average final energy consumption of 81 kWh per m², a level in line with the 2030 targets of the French Tertiary Sector Decree (93 kWh/m² on average nationally).

Some temporary fluctuations can be explained by exceptional events: school closures in 2020 due to the pandemic reduced consumption, while in 2021, increased ventilation to limit virus transmission led to overconsumption. In 2023, the overall decrease in consumption resulted from both rising energy costs and a greater trend towards energy efficiency and conservation.

Over the whole period, the trend is clearly downward, despite occasional spikes linked to the health crisis, which testifies to the progressive effectiveness of energy control and renovation policies in French schools.

Akéa Énergies supports local authorities in improving the energy efficiency of school buildings

To improve the energy efficiency of their school buildings, Akéa Énergies, a specialist in energy management solutions for over 20 years, offers local authorities DeltaConso Expert, a multi-energy and multi-fluid monitoring software. This solution enables precise, real-time monitoring of consumption, with automatic alerts in case of deviations, allowing for the rapid identification of potential savings and better management of public spending.

Beyond monitoring, local authorities have multiple and complementary levers for action to sustainably reduce their consumption.

• Improving the building envelope (insulating walls, roofs, attics, floors, pipes, replacing joinery) to reduce heating needs.
• Replacing outdated equipment with more efficient installations (ventilation, hot water production, thermostatic taps) and modifying the energy mix towards cleaner and less carbon-intensive sources complement these measures.
• Finally, simple actions, such as fine-tuning and configuring installations or raising user awareness, can generate immediate savings while improving the thermal comfort of occupants.

According to Jérôme Lecamp, Head of the DeltaConso Expert division at Akéa Énergies: “The French school system, often old and energy-inefficient, represents a real opportunity for local energy transition. Many schools were built before 1950 and now require extensive renovations to meet the objectives of the Tertiary Sector Decree and the DDADUE Law. In this context, it is essential to combine precise energy consumption management with a reasoned investment strategy. With our DeltaConso Expert software, we support local authorities in monitoring their energy consumption in real time, identifying potential savings, and prioritizing renovation projects. Furthermore, numerous support schemes—Energy Savings Certificates, the Green Fund, EduRénov, and the Heat Fund—offer real opportunities to reduce the remaining costs of these projects, even for small municipalities.”

Case study: the primary school of Sèvres-Anxaumont, in Vienne (86)

40% energy savings from the first year for €110.000 of work.

Built in 1975, the primary school in Sèvres-Anxaumont accommodates 126 students in a heated area of ​​590 m². Before renovations, heating consumption reached 116 MWh EF per year, a level representative of school buildings of this generation.

Following an energy audit carried out by Akéa Énergies at the end of 2020, the municipality decided to undertake a comprehensive renovation plan aimed at energy savings of 38% for a total budget estimated at €110.000.

The work took place between 2022 and 2024, in several successive phases. The interventions focused on:

• the renovation of lighting installations,
• the reinforcement of the insulation in the suspended ceiling of the older part of the building,
• the replacement of double-glazed wooden window frames,
• and the installation of roller shutters.

The results were felt from the first year with savings of around 40%, which were confirmed in subsequent years.

Methodology of the study:

This study is based on the analysis of 60 separate databases, derived from energy bills collected between 2018 and 2023 using the DeltaConso Expert energy management software. A total of 2.400 school buildings were analyzed, representing an average surface area of ​​1.450 m² per building and an average of 175 students per school. The sample consists primarily of municipalities with fewer than 10.000 inhabitants (90%), reflecting the current situation in France.