UM goes solar
Already committed to energy transition for a long time, the University of Montpellier is accelerating this process by investing in solar energy. Three photovoltaic power plants installed in Nîmes, Richter, and on the Saint-Priest campus will reduce the institution's environmental footprint while lowering its energy bill.
It's a very subtle change when viewed from below, but if you take a step back, you'll see a new reflection on the roofs of Building D on the Richter campus. It's the reflection of the solar panels that have just been installed and are now entering the testing phase. "This is the first of three power plants on UM campuses. It will soon be followed by two others that will be installed at the IUT in Nîmes and on the Saint-Priest campus," says Bernard Maurin, Vice President for Real Estate.
Three locations, three atmospheres
These three sites were not chosen at random for these installations. "To install solar panels on a building, not only do the roofs need to be well oriented, but they also need to be suitable for development. Typically, on the Triolet campus, there is a lot of technical equipment on the roofs that would complicate installation."
The electricity generated on the MoMa building will power the entire Richter campus, while the electricity generated at the Nîmes University Institute of Technology will also benefit the Faculty of Medicine located 1 kilometer away. This is made possible by the new national collective self-consumption scheme, which allows electricity production to be distributed across several buildings.
The power plant to be installed in Building 5 on the Saint-Priest campus will not be connected to other buildings, and for good reason: "its baseline consumption is high because it houses many clean rooms and computers, energy-intensive equipment specific to the research activity carried out there , " explains Bernard Maurin, who points out that these three different types of power plants will provide "a variety of field experience."
Paid off in 6 years
The establishment also took advantage of these projects to redo the waterproofing of certain roofs and reinforce their insulation, which also helps to limit energy loss in the buildings. These three photovoltaic power plants represent a total of 1,260 m² of panels located on the roof, with a capacity of 300 kWp, which will result in an annual production of approximately 400 MWh. " The €300,000 cost of the power plants was financed through the Objectives, Means and Performance Contract signed by the University with the State, with the other work being covered by the institution , " explains Bernard Maurin.
This initiative will enable UM to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, while also generating financial savings. "We estimate that this investment will pay for itself in just six years," says Bernard Maurin. While the project makes perfect sense from an ecological and economic standpoint, it also fits in with the UM's research and training missions. The research aspect will be explored on the Saint-Priest campus, where a team will take advantage of this installation to install its own panels, new models currently in the testing phase, whose full potential the researchers wish to explore. The training aspect will be carried out at the Nîmes University Institute of Technology, where students studying electrical engineering, industrial IT, and civil engineering will be able to work on production data to monitor the plant in real time.
Reduce your consumption
While photovoltaics are currently in the spotlight, this operation is part of the institution's overall energy transition strategy. "At the same time, UM is gradually reducing its CO2 emissions and its dependence on gas by connecting to various district heating networks, "adds Bernard Maurin. "This already represents half of its surface area (half a millionsquare meters)."This figure will soon reach two-thirds with the upcoming connection of the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Montpellier University Institute of Technology to the Nord-Alco heating network currently being built by the Montpellier metropolitan area."This choice also guarantees greater price stability and has prevented the institution from seeing its bill increase three or fourfold when gas prices skyrocketed,"explains the vice president in charge of real estate.
"All these developments are in line with the various actions planned in the UM's ecological transition master plan, a structuring document that frames the institution's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its activities," emphasizes Frédérique Carcaillet, Vice President for Environmental Issues.
" And while all these actions aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to our energy consumption, we must not forget that the most important thing is to reduce our consumption. The transition to lower-carbon energies goes hand in hand with energy efficiency, and this is everyone's business," insists Frédérique Carcaillet. At UM, we don't forget to turn off the lights.