It is urgent to accelerate energy renovations by favoring global and efficient renovations

In reality, there are only 45.000 global and efficient renovations each year, capable of significantly reducing the energy consumption of buildings after renovation, whereas 700.000 are needed: this is a multiplication by more than fifteen of the pace of renovations global and efficient that we must therefore aim for!

Insufficient renovations

A comprehensive and efficient renovation includes six essential work items: insulation of the walls, the roof, the low floor, replacement of exterior joinery, ventilation and heating systems. A global and efficient renovation allows a change of at least two energy classes. While it is theoretically possible to split up an overall renovation, in practice it is very difficult to achieve a BBC performance level (energy class B) in more than two renovation stages.

The French State devotes approximately 5 billion euros per year to the energy renovation of housing. This public expenditure fails to stimulate demand and to have a real impact on the rate of efficient renovation of housing. While 13,3% of homes undergo energy renovation work every year, only 0,14% (45.000 homes) undergo BBC renovation. More than half (56%) of renovations result in insignificant energy savings, less than 3%.

It is therefore necessary on the one hand to increase the public budget devoted to the energy renovation of housing and on the other hand to concentrate these sums on global and efficient renovations.

Develop the sector

Regarding social housing, Action Logement announced last month that it would invest 8 billion euros each year until 2040 to reduce carbon emissions by 55% (compared to 2019) from its portfolio of 1,1 million social housing. Action Logement thus wishes that 100% of its housing stock be in label C in 2030 and that 33% of the rehabilitations carried out in 2023 make it possible to reach the BBC Renovation level (label B).

“The challenge of renovation is far from being limited to a simple budgetary dimension. You first have to […] develop the sector and plan it. […] Without this preliminary work, any increase in the budget would be tantamount to opening credits which will not be spent” recently argued Olivier Klein, the delegate minister in charge of the city and housing.

Companies ready to take up the challenge

This is not the opinion of the CAPEB ('We do not lack arms') or the FFB, which regularly repeat that companies have trained their employees and are ready to accelerate in terms of energy renovation, as soon as the financing and control systems for these markets are long-lasting and simple.

Acorus, for its part, is able to independently carry out any global and efficient energy renovation project thanks to its mastery of all the necessary trades (RGE certified). In addition, Acorus already recruits nearly 200 technicians per year and could easily recruit two to three times as many people if the markets were sustainable and stable. Renovation companies are ready for the challenge!

First of all, many companies are specialists in work on occupied sites: guaranteeing the comfort of the occupants during the work is at the heart of their know-how. Next, nearly two-thirds of energy-efficient renovation work is work outside the housing, which disturbs the comfort of the occupants very little. Interventions in housing concern the boiler, sometimes the windows and ventilation. If this work is well organized, it can be done in a few days per dwelling, without damage.

Finally, the geo-temporal and collaborative planning of works, mastered by more and more companies trained in Lean Construction, is decisive for the successful completion of these complex projects.

I think we should aim for a rapid rise in demand for renovation to reach 10 million homes renovated each year in 1 years. The companies are ready and have mastered the specificities of this work. Funding must be increased, made permanent and targeted solely at comprehensive and efficient renovations. For this, it is appropriate, as is already the case in RE2020, for new works, to require companies to commit to the tonnes of carbon avoided (or the reduction in actual energy consumption). However, it will be necessary to move from a contract for renovation works by element with obligation of means to a contract for global and efficient renovation works with obligation or control of the result.

Tribune by Philippe Benquet, Chairman of the Acorus group (LinkedIn).