Martigny 15 992 hab

Martigny is situated in a bend in the Rhône in the Canton of Valais. The town has been investing in energy savings and efficient plant and network management for twenty years now. Creation of the CREM, Energy and Municipal Research Centre, has made the town internationally famous as an urban laboratory.

Martigny and its energy policy

Due to the actions and projects carried out on its territory, Martigny was awarded the “Cité de l’Energie” label in April 2004. This label contributed to the setting up of a strict energy policy with the objectives of promoting and developing renewable energies, improving energy efficiency (district heating network, municipal buildings, etc.) and raising awareness amongst the local population. The town is pursuing its commitment to energy efficiency with the intention of obtaining the European Energy Award® Gold label.
Martigny’s investment in renewable energies has resulted in two hydroelectric power stations producing 21 million kWh of electricity per year and participation in various wind energy projects.
As far as energy efficiency is concerned, a master energy plan was set up to co-ordinate the development of grid-bound energy (electricity, gas and district heating). Continued monitoring of the performance of the district heating network using remote measurements enables its energy efficiency to be improved. Martigny is currently studying the possibility of connecting a wood-fired, or even a geothermal, power station to the district heating network.
Information concerning action undertaken as a result of the the energy policy is communicated via press conferences, leaflets and a citizen’s advice service.

Buildings exhibiting posters in Martigny in 2007

The “Ecole du Bourg” school, the Town Hall, the “Ecole de ville C” school, the “Midi” gymnasium, and the Depot of Martigny Industrial and Technical Services”

Participants in Display®

The CREM is heavily involved in the management of the Display® project throughout Switzerland, mandated by the organisation SwissEnergie pour les communes. It is also responsible for managing the campaign on a local level, mandated by the elected representatives, predominantly the President and the Town Councillor in charge of the “Water-Energy” Commission, in collaboration with the managers of the town technical services.
All local actors including municipal employees, managers of the town services, those responsible for cleaning the buildings as well as each and every citizen are involved in the Display® Campaign.
The press, local radio and television stations have proved to be good means of relaying information concerning the Display® Campaign.

Population and municipal employees support the initiative

The Display® communication campaign is used to reinforce the Cité de l’Energie label, the vehicle for all communication concerning energy in Martigny. The Display® campaign was launched on 12th April 2007 during a press conference. On this occasion, elected representatives presented their energy policy and action plan for the coming years. On the same day, thirty Cité de l’Energie flags were flown in and around Martigny. The event was also the occasion to unveil the Martigny Cité de l’Energie poster, a copy of which was sent to each household.
Display® posters for all the buildings were exhibited in the Town Hall during the press conference. The simplicity of the posters means that they can be easily understood.
An “EnergyBox” and an energy saving guide were sent to each home as part of a campaign to raise awareness about energy savings which was launched at the end of 2006. Each home also received a voucher with which to collect free “low energy” bulbs ; 4,000 bulbs were claimed in this way.

Results, monitoring, objectives

The performances of the five buildings participating in the Display® Campaign vary in accordance with, amongst other things, their dates of construction. Exhibition of the initial posters made it possible to highlight energy intensive buildings and raise awareness amongst elected representatives. Following expert appraisals, the first renovation works were carried out. They enabled CO2 emissions to be reduced by 23.5 tonnes.
An appropriate computer tool
[(www.webnergie.ch)] involving the participation of the building caretakers is used for monitoring energy use on a weekly basis. The annual results of this monitoring are contained in an energy policy report, published in the accounts and available to elected representatives and the general public. The excellent co-ordination between the different actors is facilitated by the publication of this annual report.
A seminar entitled “Building renovation” aimed at building owners was held in October 2007. It brought owners and professionals from the building renovation industry into direct contact in the aim of motivating the owners to invest in renovation measures. The Display® exhibition put on by the town was presented once more on this occasion.
As part of its continuous improvement policy, the town exhibits double “Before-After renovation” Display® labels, accompanied by a description of the building and the works carried out.
The main objective of the Display® Campaign in Martigny is to reduce the use of energy in public buildings.
The second objective is to raise awareness amongst the population. One of the town’s intentions is to make the use of double “Before-After renovation” posters systematic in order to show the population that its use of energy can be reduced even with minimal investment. The posters mentioned above give advice concerning renovation ; they describe the action taken and the results obtained. The expected impact is a change in individual behaviour so that everyone participates in the energy saving programme. The final objective is to motivate private owners to follow the municipal approach. This action will be possible through the use of certification, expert appraisals and rehabilitation in collaboration with municipal engineers and staff and with private consultants.

Resources

Financing for the Display® Campaign is provided by the municipal budget allocated to the local energy policy implementation and is managed by Martigny’s “Water-Energy” commission.

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