A heating network is mainly used for heating and domestic hot water on a district, town or conurbation scale. The network relies mainly on wood energy, but can also use geothermal, photovoltaic...
The heating network brings multiple advantages:
- Lower heating bills;
- Stabilization of the overall cost of heat;
- Massive use of renewable and recovered energy;
- Control of greenhouse gas emissions;
- Creation of local jobs that cannot be relocated;
- Securing supply and operation.
Key figures for the public heating network:
- 66% of the heat produced is of renewable or recovered origin
- 2,070,000 m² of buildings connected, including 39% housing, 35% commercial and 26% public facilities
- 13 power plants and 30 km of distribution network
Key figures for the public cooling network:
- 97% of cooling production is of renewable origin
- 745,000 m² of buildings connected, including 5.6% housing
- 13 power plants and 10 km of distribution network
Why connect to a heating network?
- Rates are competitive and fluctuate little
- Heat networks are powered by predominantly local, renewable and recovered energies
- Heat networks enable the creation of local, non-dislocatable jobs
- Supply is secure and reliable thanks to a 24-hour on-call service all year round
- Installations are managed by professionals, guaranteeing better energy and environmental performance of production systems
- The technical room for heat delivery to your building is modest in size, essentially comprising an exchanger and circulation pumps
Connection to a heating network
To find out if your home can be connected to a district heating network, use the search tool below:
Search by address
Enter your address to check if there's a district heating network near you and find out about possible connection conditions.
A classified heating network
In order to encourage the use of renewable heat, any network that is more than 50% based on renewable or recovered energy is classified. This means that within a defined geographical perimeter, new or renovated buildings are obliged to connect to this heat network.
A certified network
In 2023, the Metropole of Montpellier was awarded the "Écoréseau" label for its Réseau Montpellierrain de Chaleur et de Froid.
This label rewards communities with virtuous heating networks, based on various criteria:
- Environmental: network powered by more than 50% renewable and recovered energy (EnR&R) and whose distribution efficiency is greater than 80%;
- Economic: overall cost to the user lower than the reference solution (gas or fuel oil)
- Social: a transparent public service and the existence of a forum for consultation with subscribers and users.
By the end of 2022, almost 1.9 million m², including 10,270 homes, will be heated by the heating network. The heat distributed is mostly renewable (61% in 2022), enabling energy billing at a reduced VAT rate of 5.5%, disconnected from changes in the fossil fuel market, thus ensuring a genuine tariff shield for users of the urban network.
Subscribers' Committee
The role of the Subscribers' Committee created by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole is to encourage the expression and information of subscribers to the public service concerned via their representatives grouped into an association and institutional partners.
North Alco Heat Network (RCNA)
64 million worth of roadworks are to be carried out as part of the creation of an urban heating network to the north of Montpellier: Réseau de Chaleur Nord Alco (RCNA).
This renewable heat network will supply the neighborhoods between the CHU and La Mosson. Commissioning of the network is scheduled for the end of 2025, with a gradual connection of buildings wishing to join from 2026.
This new public service will enable:
- Reducing fuel poverty with stable energy prices and reduced VAT rates.
- Limiting our greenhouse gas emissions via high-efficiency renewable energy production facilities.
- To develop a local biomass industry through the creation of local jobs and supply on the scale of our region.
- To establish France's energy sovereignty.
The Metropole of Montpellier has entrusted the delegation of this public service to SA3M, which will carry out all the work and operate the facilities of this heating network.
Work begins from January 2024 until the second half of 2025. The new network will link the route de Ganges, site of the future biomass heating plant, to the Mosson district.
Key figures
- 13,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided/year
- More than 19,000 homes supplied
- 20,500 tonnes of wood consumed/year
- 30 sustainable jobs created
