30.06.2025
With Equans, Pays de l'Or turns its buildings into engines of energy transition!
On Monday June 30, Stéphan Rossignol, President of the Agglomération du Pays de l'Or, and Alain Gros, Director of the Grand Sud territory within Equans France's Buildings, Infrastructures & Services division, in the presence of the Agglomération's elected representatives and Equans France teams, inaugurated the work carried out on the Maison des Enfants site in Mauguio (34), as part of the Energy Performance Contract (CPE) signed in 2023. Over an eight-year period, this contract - one of the first of its kind in the Occitanie region - will enable the Agglomération to reduce its energy consumption by over 20%, representing almost 200 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per year, the equivalent of 23 circumnavigations of the earth by car! More broadly, this contract is part of an ambitious energy transition approach that the territory has been pursuing for several years.
A structuring project for exemplary public buildings
Signed for a period of eight years, the Energy Performance Contract covers the renovation of 27 buildings throughout the Pays de l'Or region, including crèches, leisure centers, waste collection centers, sports facilities and administrative buildings. The work, underway since June 2023, aims to thoroughly modernize technical installations, move away from fossil fuels, and sustainably reduce energy consumption. The project has mobilized several Equans France entities - Axima, Ineo and Equans Services Bâtiments & Infrastructures - around a global performance strategy, from construction to operation.A strong symbol of this transformation, two collective self-consumption photovoltaic power plants have been installed on the parking lots of the Maison des Enfants and the Unité de Production Culinaire (UPCI) in Mauguio. In all, 1,900 m² of photovoltaic panels have been installed, with a total output of 467 kWp. This local production supplies electricity to buildings located up to two kilometers away
including the Mauguio intercommunal swimming pool. The two photovoltaic power plants alone cover 41% of the electricity needs of the Mauguio sites, or 18% of the annual electricity consumption of the 27 buildings included in the EPC.
Photovoltaic power plant installed at the Maison des enfants in Mauguio (34).
At the same time, four heat pumps and two wood-fired boilers were installed to replace old gas-fired boilers in two crèches (the Pitchouns crèche in Palavas-les-Flots and the Mouettes crèche in Carnon), the sports hall and the Maison des enfants in Mauguio. These four sites, as well as the Mudaison waste collection center, also benefited from a switch to LED bulbs in order to
and a centralized hypervision system has been deployed to provide real-time monitoring of consumption for all buildings. This system makes it possible to identify any discrepancies in performance and optimize day-to-day use. An awareness-raising program is also run for users, with particular attention paid to children and public service employees, to make each site an exemplary place in terms of eco-actions.
As a result of all the work carried out by Equans France, the Agglomération will be able to reduce its primary energy consumption by more than 20% over the lifetime of the contract. In concrete energy terms, this corresponds to a reduction of almost 60% in gas consumption and 20% in electricity consumption on final energy consumption.
A lever of transformation for a resilient region
This contract is part of a broader commitment by the Pays de l'Or Agglomeration: that of a virtuous territory that combines sustainable development, energy sobriety and quality of life for its inhabitants. It is fully in line with the objectives set out in the Plan Climat Air Energie Territorial (PCAET), the local roadmap for accelerating the transition to a more sustainable energy and climate.
By equipping itself with sober, modern and intelligent infrastructures, Pays de l'Or is asserting its ambition to build a resilient territory. This project reflects a shared determination to meet the challenges of climate change without compromising quality of life, while at the same time making public buildings exemplary educational levers. The combination of technical know-how, public investment and
this is a concrete example of sustainable transformation on a local scale.
“ This energy performance contract is the perfect embodiment of the dynamic that we are promoting in our regional project: that of a Pays de l'Or resolutely committed to the ecological transition. It's not just a question of investing in modern equipment, but of producing concrete results. Reduced energy consumption, lower CO₂ emissions, local renewable energy production: all these indicators show that our conurbation is taking action. At a time of climate change, it is essential to preserve the attractiveness and quality of life of our territory, while making it more resilient. ”
“ Through this project, we are affirming our role as a key partner for local authorities in their decarbonization trajectory. Equans France is supporting the Pays de l'Or with concrete, sustainable solutions combining energy efficiency and renewable energy production. The installation of two collective self-consumption photovoltaic power plants, consumed locally by buildings located up to two kilometers from the sites, is an emblematic example. This type of scheme, which is still rare in France - fewer than 500 to date - illustrates our ability to innovate and act as close as possible to local needs. I would like to thank the Pays de l'Or urban area for the trust it has placed in us. ”
Pays de l'Or CPE key figures
Yvon Bourrel, Mayor of Mauguio, Sophie Crampagne, Vice-President in charge of Human Resources Human Resources, Stéphan Rossignol, President of the Agglomération du Pays de l'Or and Mayor of La Grande Motte, Sandrine Dubois Lambert, Vice-President in charge of Children and Youth and on the right: Alain Gros, Director of the Grand Sud territory, within the Buildings, Infrastructures & Services division of Equans France.
