Energy57

Three game-changing recommendations to reduce energy consumption in cities

How can municipalities achieve significant energy savings? The Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia (Belgium) outlines a set of actions to tackle the energy crisis.

The recommendations, all available on the Union’s web section dedicated to energy, include measures for street lighting, public swimming pools and the use of computer equipment.

Energy measures for street and Christmas lighting

With an estimated cost of €79 million, the total consumption of municipal public lighting in Wallonia in 2021 amounted to 197 million kWh. The UVCW experts estimate that shutting off street lights for five hours every night would result in an overall saving of 44% of the total, that is to say €35 million of saving annually for the Walloon municipalities.

Tuning off Christmas lighting, however, would not necessarily achieve significant savings, explains the Union. By way of comparison, the city of Innsbruck, in Austria, estimates that Christmas lighting accounts for 0.0007% of total annual consumption. Nevertheless, despite the low energy impact, the city has decided to set an example by turning the lights off earlier in the evening and turning them on later in the morning.

Reducing swimming pool energy consumption

Referring to a practical guide published by the SPW on energy performance in Walloon swimming pools, the UVCW identifies potential savings to be made. These include better management of pool cooling and heating systems, especially given that public pools are open to swimmers only half of the time. By adopting such measures and others, energy savings may range from 5 to 15% of the total consumption.

Unplugging electronic devices

Keeping computers in standby mode does not result in massive savings, the UVCW shows. The game-changer, however, is whether computers are left powered on 24/7, or eight hours per day, five days a week. The difference in consumption is estimated at 453 %.

Pushed by an unfolding energy crisis, municipalities, cities and regions across Europe are deploying a wide range of actions to reduce energy consumption. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach across Europe, there is a common need to act. Only by acting simultaneously on the ground, in our streets and communities can we find a way out of this emerging crisis.

GRIFFON Axelle

Advisor – Environment and mobility

A small town in Normandy offers fleece jackets to school children as the heating temperature lowers to 19 ºC

While French local governments step up efforts to combat the energy crisis amid skyrocketing prices, some municipalities have adopted energy restraint measures.
 
In Périers, a small town in the Manche department with a population of over 2,000 inhabitants, its mayor Gabriel Daube has decided to cut costs by turning down the heating to 19 degrees in all municipal buildings, including its school. To compensate, each of the 350 school children will be offered a fleece jacket.
 
With a total budget of €6000, this initiative should be seen as an investment, explains Gabriel Daube. Périers is indeed expected to reduce its energy bill by €20,000 this winter. Additionally, those jackets will be produced in France to contribute to the local economy and production industry while reducing the town’s energy consumption costs.
 
This initiative complements a series of other long-term measures to decrease the town’s environmental footprint and energy bill, including in the field of public lighting and thermal insulation.

GRIFFON Axelle

Advisor – Environment and mobility

Welcome to the Saerbeck climate cooperative: when locals invest in a renewable and independent energy future

With its 7000 inhabitants, Saerbeck is a small German town with a big environmental ambition: to become an energy self-sufficient “climate community” by 2030. This will be achieved by maximising energy generation from renewable sources such as sun, wind, water and biomass as is consumed in private households and commercial enterprises.

Saerbeck has, since 2009, aimed to become the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia’s model climate municipality of the future. The municipal “climate concept” has since become part of the vocabulary of Saerbeck’s citizens and indeed all inhabitants are encouraged to participate in this effort to locally and sustainably produce all of households’ and enterprises’ energy needs.

In 2010, the municipality acquired an ammunition depot abandoned by the German armed forces. It is being transformed into an energy park with a mix of powerful photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, biogas plants and other innovative projects.

Currently, the Bioenergy Park produces about 2.5 times more renewable electricity than Saerbeck consumes. The CO2 footprint has thus been halved, although work still needs to be done to decarbonise transport and heating.

Threefold benefits: financial, environmental and educational

In the spirit of “thinking globally, acting locally”, Saerbeck’s citizens can directly participate and invest in these local energy projects through a citizens’ cooperative. As of 2020, the cooperative has turned a profit and has even distributed a dividend to its citizen-investors.

So far, almost 400 local shareholders have invested in the cooperative. Ultimately this means twice the benefit for locals: besides the local economic gains, the town is making a great contribution to global climate protection and local energy independence.
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All projects are accompanied by numerous educational projects: energy transition starts in the minds.  An experimental school at the Bioenergy Park shows students from all over the world how renewable energies work in reality and what they are good for.

GRIFFON Axelle

Advisor – Environment and mobility