Heat stroke over the city. With the explosion of gas and electricity prices, Tours now has to deal with a rather hefty energy bill. “It could rise to 10 million euros in 2023 against 5 million in 2019”, specifies the mayor (EELV) Emmanuel Denis. The city councilor, who was elected in 2020 on an ecological transition program, did not wait for the crisis to mobilize. “When we arrived, we implemented actions to reduce our municipal carbon emissions by 45% by 2030,” explains Martin Cohen, his assistant for ecological and energy transition.
To avoid the worst, the Indre-et-Loire prefecture has above all adopted, like other municipalities, an energy sobriety plan in December 2022. “Pure com!” as the former mayor (Radical Party) Christophe Bouchet, past in the opposition, believes? “We should save 500,000 euros in 2023!” replies Martin Cohen.
To reduce its consumption in the short term, the city first reviewed its uses. It has thus lowered the temperature of swimming pools and gymnasiums by one degree. And prohibits air conditioning below 28°C… Another common-sense measure: stopping three fountains, which saved 170,000 euros. Public lighting during the night, meanwhile, has been removed in three districts. “It has mainly created a feeling of insecurity among the inhabitants, deplores Christophe Bouchet. It would have been better to accelerate the LED equipment plan that I had adopted”. “We will finalize it with the replacement of 700 streetlights per year”, assures the deputy.
Pool water collected for irrigation
It is also by changing practices that Tours hopes to save money in the medium term. Adjusting heating on a case-by-case basis in municipal buildings should save 200,000 euros, while in sports centres, activities have been grouped together to optimize heating times. “With the delay in putting the rink back on ice, which used to take place in August, we will save 30,000 euros”, explains Martin Cohen.
The municipality will also equip its buildings with rainwater collectors and reuse that of the swimming pools for watering shrubs, which it will limit by improving the composition of the soil or by growing less greedy plants. “We have already planted 30,000 trees and a mini-forest in the courtyard of a school!” Said the deputy. “Except that nothing has been devised to store the water reprocessed by the treatment plant while, on the Cher, two dams could supply thousands of homes with electricity“deplores the elected opposition member Marion Nicolay Cabanne (Tours Us Gathers).
However, the municipality does not remain inactive. Evidenced by its program of energy renovation of public buildings, estimated at 185 million euros over ten years. The goal ? End with the thermal colanders, especially schools, three of which are being renovated. “New constructions are also planned, such as this kindergarten in wood-straw”, specifies Martin Cohen. “On the other hand, nothing has been considered in the sports field while the Sports Palace absorbs 15% of the expenses”, worries Christophe Bouchet.
The town hall is also announcing the connection by the end of the year to the biomass heating network of public buildings, including the town hall, and is also banking on the installation of photovoltaic panels, “which will make it possible to achieve 30,000 euros in savings per year”, assures Martin Cohen. Enough to give Tourangeaux the hope of not suffocating during the coming summers.
This article is taken from the special issue “Energy transition: let’s invest together!” available on newsstands June 29.