Energy-saving contracting in the school and sports center in Oberhausen-Rheinhausen

Whether primary school, community school or high school: Numerous schools can sing a song about the backlog of investments at the federal government. In 2018 alone, around 25 billion euros in existing investment funds for federal, state and local governments remained unspent throughout Germany. A dramatic record – especially as the need for investment in refurbishment is increasing in many places. This affects not only schools, but also many other public institutions and urban planning measures. So why was this money not used? There are two main reasons for this: Firstly, the construction industry is running at high capacity and public-sector clients are struggling to find companies that are available. On the other hand, the planning offices of the federal, state and municipal governments are equally covered with work and do not have sufficient capacity to advance urgently needed projects – even when an important task such as the rehabilitation of schools is involved. As a partner for public institutions, contracting specialists offer the optimum solution for both challenges. This is impressively demonstrated by a project that a team from the Stuttgart branch of ENGIE Deutschland is currently implementing at the joint school Oberhausen-Rheinhausen.

School in Baden benefits from energy-saving contracting

With immediate effect, the experts are supporting the school and sports center in Oberhausen-Rheinhausen, a community of 9,500 people, with a holistic solution for the modernization of technology and buildings. Michael Paschek, project manager for energy management at the ENGIE branch office in Stuttgart, explains: "Around the school, we are implementing extended energy-saving contracting, in which we combine numerous services and solutions from the portfolio of ENGIE Deutschland." The model offers a whole bundle of advantages for the customer: primarily the relief of the local building authority and the guarantee that the planned savings will be achieved. The ENGIE team coordinates and implements all planned measures in the school and in the sports center from a single source. This applies to all activities relating to building technology as well as to special renovation activities in the swimming pool – from the renovation of the changing rooms to the replacement of the doors to the renovation of the tiles.

Successful community school with big savings

Of course, the specialists are also taking care of all the conventional energy measures. These include the installation of two combined heat and power stations and the renovation of the sanitary, ventilation, electrical and bath water systems in the sports hall and in the swimming pool. The 15-year contract includes an investment by ENGIE Deutschland as a contractor of approximately 4.48 million euros. The investment is refinanced by the energy costs saved. And they are quite remarkable: For the entire object, i.e. school and sports center, savings of 41 percent heat, 58 percent electricity and 68 percent CO2 are guaranteed; If the savings are not achieved, the school will receive compensation. In short: a lighthouse project aligned with the "Zero Carbon Transition as a Service" strategy of ENGIE Deutschland, which can serve as a model for many other schools.

Solution not only for schools

For about a year now, ENGIE's parent company, the French ENGIE Group, has been pursuing a forward-looking mission: "Zero Carbon Transition as a Service". "The most important strategic goal is to help our customers optimize their carbon footprint with low-carbon technologies and services," explains Michael Paschek. "In the spirit of our parent company, we therefore focus on industrial and commercial customers, especially municipalities and cities." The specialists from ENGIE Deutschland develop tailor-made solutions for the path to climate neutrality – not only for schools as in Oberhausen-Rheinhausen, but for all types of public institutions.