The winning trio for energy renovation
Environment, economy, and comfort. This could be the motto for the extensive energy renovation project launched by the University of Montpellier. This unprecedented operation began last April with the renovation of the largest building on the Triolet campus, putting into practice the institution's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint.
It is one of the largest buildings at UM and undoubtedly the most imposing on the Triolet campus. Housing six lecture halls, 43 seminar rooms, and the Language Department, Building 5—with its capacity for 2,000 students—is therefore the first stage in this energy renovation project, which is unprecedented in the history of the University. This is all the more symbolic given that " it was within these walls that the very first class in the history of this campus was held in 1964," says Bernard Maurin, Vice President for Real Estate and Sustainable Development.
All winners
Begun last April, the work, led by the real estate department, focuses mainly on the building envelope: insulation of walls and roof, replacement of windows."We have three objectives for this first phase of work," says the Vice President. We aim to halve energy consumption, thereby reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, but also to cut operating costs, for example by installing LED lighting with motion detectors.
"Beyond the environmental and economic benefits, we also want to improve comfort and working and studying conditions, particularly in summer and winter. It's a win-win situation for everyone. " These renovations are also an opportunity to address other issues such as accessibility for people with reduced mobility through the installation of elevators, and compliance with the latest safety standards. As for the cost, it amountsto"approximately €8.5 million, financed under the State-Region plan contract with a contribution from the University," explains Bernard Maurin.
A gradual rehabilitation
The renovation of Building 5 comes just a few months after the opening of the Village des Sciences A. This low-energy building was constructed in accordance with the latest environmental standards and is also part of this real estate transition, one of the objectives of which, through the renovation of existing buildings or the construction of new ones, remains the reduction of our carbon footprint.
A second major energy renovation project will begin at the Nîmes and Montpellier-Sète University Institutes of Technology. This will be followed by similar projects on other campuses: the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Institute of Botany in the city center, the Physics Laboratories, and Science Village B on Triolet.
The choice of energy transition
This real estate investment is in line with the University of Montpellier's energy supply, which consists of 50% renewable electricity, for example. "The contract with our supplier guarantees that for every kilowatt-hour consumed, they feed half a kilowatt-hour of wind or solar power back into the grid," continues Bernard Maurin.
The Richter campus has also just been connected to the metropolitan heating network, supplied by the two wood-fired heating plants in Antigone and Polygone, with 100% regional supply and ultra-efficient smoke treatment. "These buildings were previously heated with gas, and this contributes to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions while decreasing our dependence on this fossil fuel, but also to lowering operating costs by benefiting from a reduced VAT rate and the elimination of maintenance for eight boilers."
With the other sites already connected (including the IUT and the Faculty of Medicine in Nîmes, and the Triolet campus), almost half of the UM's 500,000m² are connected to eco-labeled heating networks or networks that mainly use renewable energy. "We seize the opportunity to make this type of connection whenever possible, particularly through partnerships with local authorities. It is a key part of the institution's energy transition strategy. "