AN ENERGY OBSERVATORY FOR FRANCE'S MEDITERRANEAN AREA

Objectif

Following a initial overview of energy resources prepared for 1985-1988, the Regional Energy Agency (ARENE) decided to launch a second study phase to include everyone involved in energy and environmental policy.
In this second phase of the regional energy scheme, ARENE wanted to bring together all the local groups involved in order to create a "statistical observatory" to be known as "TEPACA" (Energy Resource Information Centre for the Provence Alpes-Cote d'Azur Region) as a vehicle for achieving a real strategic objective. Four priorities were established to supplement the information gathered between 1985 and 1988 :
* analyzing the structure of consumption in the services and residential sectors.
* including local groups and SMEs in regional energy policy and measuring the effect of these activities on the industrial fabric.
* completing the regional data base.
* completing the overview of energy flows.
In addition to statistical modelling, ARENE's work within the energy plan has opened the way for a good number of positive achievements :
COMMENTS AND REFORMS
The realisation that expenditure on energy had been swallowing up a significant proportion of its operating budget made the region decide to undertake a series of actions in the following areas :
- Thermal renovation : of the 175 secondary schools in the region, 41 have already benefited from work of this type, with ARENE itself fulfilling the role of technical adviser.
- Publication of a guide on energy management at municipal level to direct elected representatives and technicians in setting up boards and selecting investments. This handbook is circulated to all French municipalities. The software package COMPENE (energy compatibility) has, within the same educational perspective, been invested with the three-fold task of informing, managing and serving as a vehicle for communication between ARENE and the municipalities.
*Energy audits. In the area of social housing, ARENE has also made an agreement with the regional HLM association to carry out energy assessments.
* Assistance to energy boards. This concerns the creation of a procedure allowing companies
- specifically small and medium-sized industries
- to call on outside assistance for complex feasibility studies
The first phase of the regional plan had revealed the difference in energy economy performance by comparing the substantial growth in energy consumption (2.8% per annum) to that of economic activity (1.5% per annum). However, the lack of information for entire sections of consumer sectors (services and residential) in many cases undermined the reliability of these results.
The second stage has provided information of a different type. Recent studies have confirmed the fragile nature of the structure of a regional industrial fabric hinging on activities which are in decline. The dynamism of certain centres will depend, above all, on demographic factors. Within this context, ARENE recommends avoiding overall general programmes which are less effective and, instead, concentrating resources on selective endeavours capable of generating a dynamic situation in highly qualified sectors.
Much more effective than a simple set of statistics, TEPACA was an attempt to achieve a synthesis between regional summaries developed at national level and all the local information which had not yet been processed using a single methodology.
These energy consumption "accounts" were developed from a collection of all the data available for the 1985-1988 period. The results produced indicators at three levels :
* global consumption broken down into individual energy forms.
* indicators of equipment and activities for individual user groups.
* unit consumption indicators per product or calculation unit (housing, m3, bed, person, etc.).
By cross-referencing these three types of information, ARENE was able to draw up a much more detailed reference grid and, consequently, one which is more representative of the specific features of the region.
FOUR TARGET AREAS
The information system has been broken down according to type of equipment, use and/or decision maker. This approach facilitates the study of the consumption of four target area sectors : secondary schools, municipalities, social housing (HLM) and industry.

Programme(s)

ENG-THERMIE 1 - Programme (EEC) for the promotion of energy technology in Europe (THERMIE), 1990-1994

Thème(s)

Data not available

Appel à propositions

Data not available

Régime de financement

DEM - Demonstration contracts

Coordinateur

AGENCE REGIONALE DE L'ENERGIE (ARENE)

Contribution de l’UE

Aucune donnée

Adresse

RUE HENRI BARBUSSE 2
13241 Marseille Cedex
France

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