EduRénov Plan: Rockwool unveils its Guide to successful energy renovation of school buildings

School establishments, which represent 50% of public buildings, have a large number of aging and energy-intensive structures that have become sources of discomfort for occupants in the face of climate change. The energy renovation of school buildings has become a priority issue in the national effort to reduce consumption initiated by the “France Nation Verte” roadmap and the tertiary decree.

The latter imposes 40% energy savings on local authorities by 2030.

As part of the EduRénov plan and in partnership with the Banque des Territoires, the public authorities announced an additional 500 million euros for the energy renovation of schools in 2024 with a target of 40.000 establishments renovated within 10 years. A plan praised by ROCKWOOL, world leader in rock wool insulation solutions, which works for thermal and sound comfort, particularly in schools, in order to offer students and teachers the best working and learning conditions. Through his Guide to energy renovation dedicated to school buildings, ROCKWOOL deciphers the fundamental role of insulation in successful school renovation.

Any renovation starts with good insulation

The energy consumption of a building is due to two types of energy loss: part of the heat is evacuated by air renewal (VMC) and by infiltration but the majority is generally evacuated by the envelope of the building. uninsulated or poorly insulated building. Up to 80% of losses are the direct consequence of a lack of insulation. Good insulation reduces the energy consumption of the building, which will contribute to the preservation of resources and the fight against climate change, by avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. The continuity of the insulation must, however, be respected in order to guarantee the thermal performance of the overall building envelope.

To effectively improve the energy performance of school buildings, ROCKWOOL recommends comprehensive thermal renovation. More complete than thermal renovation by element, global thermal renovation makes it possible to treat in a single site the 8 work stations (roof insulation, insulation of walls, floors, windows, heating, hot water production and ventilation) which have a real impact on improving the energy performance of buildings.

How rock wool responds to the 3 major challenges of school energy renovation

The major challenges of school energy renovation are based on 3 pillars:

Protection of the environment and climate which involves reducing the carbon footprint of buildings.
Protection of people to sustainably guarantee students and teaching teams summer and winter comfort, optimal acoustics and fire safety in a safe and healthy environment.
Heritage protection and energy savings to sustainably reduce energy bills linked to buildings and invest more efficiently.

In order to respond to these fundamental issues, the ROCKWOOL Guide for school renovation details the advantages of rock wool: Thermal performance, fire resistance, acoustic performance, recyclability, durability, breathability, resistance to humidity. It is these intrinsic performances of rock wool which contribute to creating healthy, safer and more comfortable buildings for their occupants, while respecting the environment.

Durability, comfort, health and safety in the DNA of ROCKWOOL products

ROCKWOOL rock wool insulation is circular in nature, because it is made of rock, one of the most abundant raw materials on the planet, and has a lifespan of more than 65 years without losing its performance. ROCKWOOL products contain up to 75% non-virgin material and can be recycled infinitely thanks to Rockcycle. This ROCKWOOL service has a simple purpose: to recycle rock wool waste in order to create new insulation. This service has made it possible to collect and recycle more than 2.000 tonnes of rock wool on the French market, during the year 2023.

Beyond sustainability issues, rock wool offers fire, acoustic, thermal and air quality protection.

Fire protection: fire safety is an obligation within educational establishments. Rock wool is a naturally non-combustible material, which resists temperatures above 1.000°C.
Acoustic protection: ROCKWOOL rock wool has a high density which makes it excellent for noise absorption and sound attenuation. Impact noise, shock and vibrations coming from neighboring spaces are dampened. External noise pollution is also absorbed.
Thermal Protection: The high density of rock wool makes it more resistant to air flow and heat flux. By naturally preserving heat in winter and coolness in summer, ROCKWOOL insulation contributes to excellent thermal comfort and maintains its performance throughout the lifespan of the building.
Protection of air quality: It is important that construction products are not sources of emissions of pollutants into the air. ROCKWOOL rock wool products meet health criteria. Combined with good ventilation, rock wool contributes to improving indoor air quality and preserving the health and well-being of occupants.

>>> Download the Guide to energy renovation of school buildings

Nearly 10% of dilapidated establishments

Today, the share of schools and educational establishments showing significant dilapidation is estimated at 10%, while the share of educational establishments having already benefited from energy renovations is around 20%. The necessary adaptations are costly and sometimes difficult to implement but are done gradually. This was the case of the Bastide Haute school in Salon-de-Provence.

The work started in July 2022 and focused on the energy renovation and thermal insulation of the exterior of the establishment.

In order to meet all the challenges of energy renovation of school buildings, ROCKWOOL's Ecorock Duo and Rockfaçade Premium solutions were used on this site. Specially designed for insulating facades under plaster, Ecorock Duo double density rock wool panels cover 1.200 m2 of the building envelope. They provide fire safety, energy efficiency, optimal thermal and acoustic comfort and reduce the risk of condensation throughout the life of the building. “We are going to be close to expecting 40% energy savings for 2023,” explains Lydéric LOREAU, president of the E-Leven design office.

>>> Discover this project in video