In the Oise, the schools of Clermont are getting a facelift to waste less

Although there are four of them, the Clermont schools alone represent around 40% of the energy consumption of the 25 public buildings in this town of 10.000 inhabitants.

"We have been investing in energy savings since 2014, especially in schools", assures Mayor Lionel Ollivier, former high school principal, for whom school is a priority "because of its role as a social elevator".

"If we had done nothing, we would have taken full advantage of the energy crisis of 2022, with 150.000 euros in additional bills when today we have 60.000 euros less to pay", welcomes the socialist councilor, elected since 2004.

Roof, boiler, windows, facades: the École des Sables, built after the war, was renovated during the two months of summer 2015. An operation costing nearly 500.000 euros, 35% financed by the county council, the rest borne by the municipality's own funds.

On Wednesdays, when the students have no class, the temperature remains around 18 degrees in the premises, one to two degrees less than during school time. "It is very important to adapt the temperature to the attendance of the premises because the schools are only occupied 35% of the time", underlines Quentin Mérel, director of the Energy division of the Syndicat de l'énergie de l'Oise (SE60) .

Sneaking up the stairs leading to a recent gas boiler, the centerpiece of the energy puzzle, he points to a control box. "This internet cable allows us to remotely control the equipment - boiler, pumps, valves - and the heating program is set day by day from an online calendar", explains Mr. Mérel, who follows the curves of temperature of the school on his telephone, thanks to about fifteen probes posed in the corridors and the classes.

"40 billion"

Because it is not enough to bring a building up to energy category E to C thanks to insulation work, it is also necessary to consume better. Of the 30% energy savings achieved in Les Sables, half stems from energy sobriety measures.

A stone's throw away, the Belle-Assise school group, all in red brick, is next on the town hall's list of works.

"This school is typical of buildings built before the oil shock of 1973, which marked the end of cheap energy. Their lifespan is certainly very long but they are real thermal sieves", underlines Mr. Mérel.

In the closed courtyard, the polycarbonate plates on the ceiling are, according to him, a "thermal disaster" while in a classroom, we can see the outside of the building through a door that is nevertheless closed. Blame it on the joinery wood that played.

The architects have estimated the amount of work needed for this school at 800.000 euros, including exterior insulation. To finance the rest, the town hall relies on the "green fund" of 2 billion euros.

A major renovation plan for the 49.000 schools in France, or 50 million m2, was launched on May 9 by the government, while only 10% to 15% of the stock was subject to thermal renovation.

This project is valued at 40 billion euros to achieve the objective of reducing energy consumption by 40% by 2030.

In the Oise, the Syndicat de l'énergie has carried out 1.300 energy diagnoses of public buildings in three years thanks to the financing of the "Actee" program, carried by the National Federation of concession-granting and governed communities (FNCCR) and endowed with an envelope of 220 million euros.

Actee also funds 400 "flow savers" positions, responsible for advising local authorities on their energy strategy.

"The diagnoses have enabled elected officials to become aware of the state of their school buildings, which they often ignore", remarks Eric Guérin, president of SE60, recalling that the objective of "zero net artificialisation" of the soil will oblige them in any case to "go through renovation and no longer construction".