the essential
The community aims to see its 71 buildings self-sufficient in energy requirements and display zero carbon footprint by 2035. In the meantime, a significant investment has been made in Aquavallon, the largest energy bill in the Agglomeration.
President Christian Teyssèdre had arranged to meet the media in the Aquavallon complex’s engine room. To talk about energy savings in the very site that costs him the most in terms of energy. With its two boilers, Aquavallon is the most important consumer of all the buildings in the urban area. “It’s simple, the Géraldini swimming pool in Onet and Aquavallon is 50% of the overall bill.”
To combat the explosion of these bills, the Agglo recruited Sabine Izard, energy officer since 2022, to study the possibility of carrying out this project. In Aquavallon, this resulted in an investment of 500,000 euros to install “degré bleu” in particular.
A machine that, to put it simply, optimally preheats the water reinjected into the pools as part of the renewal (i.e. approximately 30 liters per user according to current standards). Added to this is the recovery of this water, which will be reused for cleaning purposes, the improvement of the air heating system (a very energy-intensive item), the replacement of the bed columns, the relamping of the pool LEDs, etc. “With this investment, we will make a saving of 37%, which is enormous, we will have the return on investment from the second year”rejoices Christian Teyssèdre.
“Collective self-consumption”
The latter thus wants to continue this vast energy renovation plan by targeting in particular, in addition to the swimming pools, the town hall and the museums and the music school, for which one million euros have been invested. For work concerning heating, lighting… Isothermal cover on the Géralidini basin, replacement of joinery, replacement of boiler at the music school, insulation work, modifications of heating systems, etc., are all avenues.
“Two million are planned for 2025 with the aim of reducing the electricity bill by 37% ” continues the mayor who affirms: “Our goal is to achieve building autonomy and zero carbon footprint by 2035, particularly through the deployment of photovoltaics. We are going to invest heavily in an approach that can be described as collective self-consumption, because it is crucial for the future. And we will be able to do this thanks to our self-financing capabilities. “And to predict returns on investment over six or seven years. “What we have achieved since 2019 is the equivalent of the consumption of 1,000 inhabitants.” And the Agglo will display, between 2019 and 2023, a 25% reduction in gas consumption and a 13% reduction in electricity consumption, i.e. an average of 20% reduction.
Consideration is currently being given to including municipal buildings in the urban area, in particular through the creation of a large heating network. “And always with this concern to maintain a quality public service, or even to improve it, as we do in Aquavallon or in Géraldini ” says Christian Teyssèdre.
