A European project

A project funded by Europe

To start its activity, PSEE has benefiteg from the ELENA technical assistance mechanism (European Local ENergy Assistance) dedicated to local energy projects. ELENA is a joint initiative by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission under InvestEU that provides technical assistance for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments targeting buildings and innovative urban transport.

So, for the period 2014-2017 (with an extension until 2019) PSEE received grants by the European Commission, ADEME and a loan by the European Investment Bank to renovate 2000 housing units : ELENA-ADEME-FEDER subsidies: € 4 M covering overheads
Picardie Region allowance: € 8 M covering initial renovation projects
European Investment Bank loan (Junker): € 35.5 M

PSEE regularly applies for ERDF program in order to benefit from European fundings :

Projects PI0027577 and NP0027576 : « Soutien financier à l’accompagnement technique proposé par le SPEE pour la rénovation énergétique globale des logements privés en Région Hauts-de-France »
Financial instrument « Fonds de prêts ECO-PTZ individuels – réhabilitation énergétique de l’habitat privé – propriétaires occupants à ressources modestes en Hauts-de-France »
Projet HDF005589 : « Soutien au dispositif d’accompagnement technique et financier proposé par la régie régionale du SPEE pour la rénovation énergétique globale des logements privés en Région Hauts-de-France (maisons individuelles et copropriétés) »

Hauts-de-France Pass Renovation, the technical and financial instrument designed by the regional Public Service for Energy Efficiency

Private period property in the Region of Picardie (France) accounts for 15% of its greenhouse gas emissions. To rise to the challenge of energy renovation across its property portfolio, the region of Picardie (France) has launched a pilot project with the Public Service for Energy Efficiency (PSEE) named Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation.

Founded on an innovative economic model, through a dedicated public fund, the PSEE advances the amount allocated to renovation works; beneficiaries repay this advance in whole or in part through financial savings generated on their energy bill.

Breaking with the public subsidy, the PSEE focusses on a virtuous, self-regulated economic model to help significantly reduce energy consumption in residential buildings and bring about local economic expansion. Since January 2020, Picardie Pass Rénovation became Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation.

An innovative and virtuous financial instrument

The first public operator to set up a third-party-financing mechanism, the PSEE thus seeks to implement an everlasting virtuous circle to bring about the expansion of the regional territory: reduced energy consumption across its property portfolio, combating the energy poverty, revival of the local economy in the construction sector and support for innovation.

Supporting business and jobs amongst regional construction professionals:
by increasing solvent demand for energy efficiency measures,
by playing the role of facilitator and the third party of choice, ensuring the quality of works undertaken for beneficiary households.
Supporting sector professionals as they broaden their expertise and their ability to innovate to attain a sufficient degree of energy performance in renovated buildings.
Turning energy savings, so financial savings, achieved through its energy renovation operations, into a resource enabling owner households to repay the advance granted, the key to this being a substantial reduction in final energy consumption of 40 to 75%.

For all owners, even landlords, of individual or collective housing

Turnkey technical support coupled with an all-inclusive financing solution, Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation is a drive clearly focussing on private owners and co-owners of period properties. The mechanism encompasses all phases of the renovation project:

Upstream, via custom technical support: information, personal advice, dwelling heat diagnosis, defining of the appropriate works schedule,
Meanwhile, via project management appointed for the works and an all-inclusive financial solution: consultation and selection of partner companies through tendering, site tracking, management and payment of bills from companies responsible for the renovation work,
Downstream, via personal tracking for 3 years: support for equipment use/maintenance, tracking of energy consumption, teaching on how to be green

Rénovation Soissons - Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation

Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation is granting owners an advance on works, for an average of € 43,000. Once the works have been done, the owner will repay the public body an amount less than or equal to the post-renovation energy savings (on average 40% of savings, for a posted target of 46% reduced final consumption). This advance on energy savings is granted at a rate of 2.5%, given over a maximum period of 15 years, for equipment, and up to 25 years for building insulation works.

No age to renovate !

"It was a craftsman who told us about the Pass Renovation. This service allowed us to find back a real comfort after having lived for a long time in a cold house ; and also to spend less on energy bills. Being able to reimburse 130 euros per month over 25 years is very practical, and then if we are gone in the meantime, the proceeds from the sale of the house will pay off the debt."

Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, a retired couple from Feuquières, also a beneficiary of ANAH financial aid

The security of a project management ...

"The device allowed us to finance part of the cost of the project technical management, so we didn't hesitate! This is an extra comfort not having to manage the work coordination yourself! And then, it was impossible to imagine that a bank would agree to finance 70,000 euros of work over a period of 25 years! That allows us to save energy, to smooth the cost of the work, to enhance our home and to gain considerably in living comfort, all, without tightening our belts."

Mr. & Mrs. Poncet, from Saint-Quentin

For the craftsmen : the opportunity for a new market and broadening of skills throughout the sector

By acting on demand and guaranteeing payment for works, the PSEE will contribute towards the emergence of a sustainable local market for dwelling energy renewal, its ultimate ambition to create hundreds of jobs which do not lead to relocation in the construction sector. More specifically, the PSEE will be used to :

Increase the dynamism and organisation of professionals in energy renovation by stimulating company groups and launching invitations to tender,
Structure and broaden training opportunities (training platforms at professional training schools in the region, «in pairs» meetings, etc.),
Forge everlasting partnerships with local professional networks to optimise local works opportunities and guarantee the energy performance sought.

To date, more than 700 local companies and craftsmen have joined the Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation mechanism.

Adapting to the realities of artisanal businesses

"In general, in the context of calls for tenders, there is no advance. However, this is the case for the Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation: the company can benefit from a 30% deposit at the start of the project, which prevents it from releasing cash flow. And that is the crux of the matter for us as contractors. At the beginning, we were a little sceptical, but today we are starting our third Hauts-de-France Pass Renovation project: all the down payments are done very quickly!"

Jean-Philippe Poncet, Idéal Concept Fermetures, Saint-Quentin (02), FFB member

Dynamise the territory with energy renovation

"This service is very beneficial to encourage people to do renovations, it helps decision-making. Administrative ease, permanent link with a local technician in charge of the support on the territory, quick payment at the end of the work ... Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation brings dynamism to the building sector. This is a real plus for saving energy and it is very safe for us as a contractor."

Gérard Babron, Roofer, Epaux-Bézu (02) and member of Globe 21 (Local Group for the Ecological Building of the 21st Century)

For local authorities : a mechanism for renovating private period properties across the territory and combating the precarious nature of energy

For partner local authorities, the PSEE is an additional tool to serve the success of their initiatives and policies in terms of energy transition and home improvement.

The PSEE directly involves voluntary local authorities in implementing Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation. PSEE partners and third parties trusted for how they are managed, they are becoming the relays on the ground for:*

Notifying and detecting potential beneficiaries,
Deploying support close at hand at the heart of territories,
Mobilising local companies and craftsmen.

For the PSEE, energy renewal for period properties in rural settings is a significant imperative, especially in towns with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. The authorities may also benefit from the mechanism for renewal of their municipal housings.

For community-owned housing also!

"As an elected representative, it is in our interest to promote and publicise “Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation” because it responds to real issues in our territories, against fuel poverty and unsanitary housing. It is also a solution that responds to the challenges of the energy transition. Local authorities are experiencing a constant decline in state endowments, and will soon no longer be able to subsidize anything. With Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation, the financing of energy renovation is not based on a subsidy, but on a loan from third-party financing which engages the owner's responsibility. It is an empowerment process that can really encourage another behaviour in terms of energy consumption."

Grégory Labille, Mayor of Ham (80)

For players in innovation : potential for experimenting and new openings

The energy renovation of a home is not an end in itself, but a new stage in the life of the home and its inhabitants. Once the energy renovations are complete, it is up to the owners to properly use and maintain the new facilities. And also, to adopt the right actions on a daily basis, to avoid unnecessary waste and consumption. For this but also to verify that the renovation has made it possible to achieve the objectives set in terms of energy consumption, Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation continues to support owners for three years.

The PSEE is forging partnerships with innovative regional ecosystems, to help speed up the territory’s energy transition, including :

Hauts-de-France Pass Rénovation provides its subscribers with several tools as part of its support as part of its support after renovation work, the advantage being to be able to compare the energy spending of each dwelling year after year, such as QUARTHOME, a Home Energy Monitoring System (HEMS). Composed of a tablet, an electricity transmitter, weather sensor, comfort sensor and gas transmitter, the kit allows owners to better understand their consumption, monitor it and reduce it if necessary, the interest being to be able to compare year after year the energy expenditure of each dwelling. 34% of our subscribers are equipped with this HEMS.
The data analysis reported during this support after renovation work takes into account certain factors such as climatic conditions, housing constraints, actual occupancy by its inhabitants, winter and summer comfort, the performance of the insulation installed and equipment operation. A personalized study is carried out for each dwelling allowing a more accurate analysis of the consumption of the dwelling and its owners.

Energy label and evolution before / after renovation

Energy poverty

Before work, energy labels were mostly classified in D, E, F or G representing significant energy consumption for the housing concerned (many old housing, built before 1975, very energy intensive, etc.). After work, we see a bigger number of dwellings with labels classified in A, B and C.

According to the law of July 12, 2010 on the national commitment to the environment, “a person in a situation of energy poverty who experiences particular difficulties in his home in having the supply of energy necessary to meet his basic needs due to the unsuitability of its resources or its living conditions ”.

According to the Abbé Pierre foundation, nearly 1/3 of households in the former Picardy region are in energy poverty, more than 60% of which is due to their houses themselves. Getting out of fuel poverty must therefore remain one of the priority objectives of Pass Rénovation accompaniment.

From the ANAH point of view, it is considered that projects achieving at least 35% of energy savings, leaving F or G label by gaining at least 2 energy classes allow households to get out of energy poverty. .

Thus, the PSEE, by allowing significant energy savings, is a tool for getting out of energy precariousness:

26% of subscribers were in a precarious situation before the works
91% of these homes are no longer classified as F or G label
63% of these homes have gained at least 2 energy classes, which allows their inhabitants to escape energy poverty.

Efficiency, BBC Renovation