SPIE supports its customers on all fronts of the energy transition, from the most innovative to the most advanced, in areas including the development of renewable energies, energy efficiency in buildings, electromobility, agrivoltaics, thermal recycling of waste, and aquathermy.
“
Using geothermal
energy to heat our
schools drives the
energy transition
while significantly
cutting costs.”
For the past ten years or so, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional authority has been investing heavily to heat secondary schools with more sustainable energies – especially geothermal energy.
In February 2022, the Lycée des Métiers Condorcet in Arcachon was the ninth school to switch from gas to geothermal energy. In practical terms, this means that the school is now connected to the network of a neighbouring industrial site whose activity involves extracting a considerable amount of hot water from deep underground. An exchanger then steps in to recover the heat from the water and inject it into our boiler. SPIE installed the new system from A to Z, and is now in charge of its operation and maintenance. This was a natural choice, as the Group’s long standing partnership with the regional authority has already given it experience in 30 secondary schools. And we in turn have gained a very good understanding of SPIE’s expertise, particularly its most decisive skills in the field of geothermal energy, such as HVAC engineering, electricity and control.
It is important to bear in mind that geothermal energy is free – other than the cost associated with recovering it. For schools like Condorcet in Arcachon, where heating accounts for 60% to 65% of the energy bill, that means it is very financially advantageous. More importantly, it has reduced the school’s annual CO2 emissions from approximately 230 tonnes to just 12 tonnes today! This is a powerful driver for meeting our commitment to dividing emissions from the region’s high schools by at least four – and hopefully by as much as six or seven – by 2050. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is fortunate in that more than 80% of its secondary schools are located in the immediate vicinity of geothermal sources. We aim to take full advantage of this and to equip all the schools concerned in the coming years.
The connection of Jean Condorcet High School to the geothermal network in Bordeaux.
SPIE carried out all the installations of the new system and is responsible for its operation and maintenance.
