The Mouansoise Valimmo Reim has built a solid reputation as a pioneer in responsible real estate. Since 2015, the property company, which manages some 450,000m2 of tertiary buildings for 450 tenants – offices, shops, professional activities, logistics, leisure – in France has delivered to the Sophia Antipolis technology park, Les Aqueduscs, positive energy office buildings offering solar self-consumption on the fifth facade [la toiture ou ombrières sur les parkings, ndlr] and battery energy storage.
Its expertise has continued to grow over the course of its projects (Garden Space, Belvédère, etc.) and also extends to the renovation of buildings such asEcopolisex-WTC, to name only his Sophipolitan achievements. In the latter case, the upgraded technical installations associated with the installation of photovoltaic power plants for self-consumption allow Ecopolis to respect energy efficiency standards and benefit free of charge from the energy produced on site.
Responsible real estate
For Valimmo Reim, this choice of responsible real estate is paying off and has been reinforced by regulatory developments (RT2020, Zero Net Artificialization, Lom law, BACS decree, etc.) and the surge in energy prices.
“We are meeting the requirements of an increasingly contrite legal framework for our construction and real estate professions”assures François Moison, president of the fund management company, approved by the Financial Markets Authority which integrates the entire real estate value chain – from development to construction and marketing including rental management, of buildings and funds.
Invoice controlled
Another advantage is that the photovoltaic plant produces and delivers electricity consumed on site for the five uses of energy consumption: lighting, heating, air conditioning, lifting, ventilation and domestic hot water. The energy produced on site is not re-invoiced because its price is initially integrated into the construction or renovation of the building.
Above all, this relieves the electricity network – which at the end of the network in Paca has experienced some breakdowns. While protecting tenants from skyrocketing energy costs. “In the office tertiary sector, the bill is divided by five in 2022 thanks to simple self-consumption. Ecopoliss, we went from €58 to €44 per m2 per year, thanks to the work on the energy aspect and by providing electrical outlets for our tenants who can recharge their vehicles free of charge (Lom law)…”
Additional electricity is made available to tenants for their own uses: computers, coffee machines, etc.
Regulatory developments
Clean, sober, regulatory… we understand that Valimmo Reim is fighting to extend simple self-consumption to all commercial, artisanal and industrial activities. Yes, but that’s where the problem lies because the notion of an internal building network only concerns the tertiary office sector. So, “On retail activity bars, you need a meter per tenant and assuming that we install photovoltaic panels on a roof, we cannot make the electricity produced available to tenants. We are obliged to resell it to EDF. Result: between taxes, subscription, meter, it is more expensive because it is subject to the market.” And contributes to the possible saturation of the Paca network.
And François Moison elaborates: “Having satellite photovoltaic power plants would make it possible to relieve the network, especially since the Alpes-Maritimes are at the end of the national network and RTE, the manager of the French electricity transmission network – foresees an increase in electricity consumption of up to ‘to 45% by 2035. If we want to ban fossil energy while meeting the needs of electric mobility, production, etc., it is clear that electrical energy cannot come only from nuclear power plants .”
His proposal aims to open up self-consumption to the real estate stock. This additional energy production would help relieve congestion on the electricity network, decarbonize our economy and allow it to be more competitive.
“The technical know-how is there and the fifth facade is available, he insists. To do this, it is necessary to converge the environment, town planning and energy codes in French law. We must continue to make regulatory changes and work with legislators and elected officials to raise awareness of self-consumption. “
In a collective and economic interest.
Internal network of buildings
One Enedis meter per tenant company. This seems logical. But that was before 2017 and the Hydrocarbons law which gives legal existence to the internal network of buildings.
A single electricity delivery point is enough and all tenants can consume the electricity produced on site without eliminating the contribution to Enedis and the financing of the collective electricity system. But this only concerns the office tertiary sector. In industry, commerce or crafts, each company/tenant must be connected to the network.
