To achieve the decarbonisation objective by 2050 implies, among other leverage aspects, optimising the use of existing constructed surface areas, making better use of the existing m² to limit or avoid the construction of new buildings.
The health crisis and its legacy, with, particularly, the rise of both telecommuting and having two residencies, have reinforced interest in considering the use of buildings in order to measure with more accuracy the changes underway and the potential that could result from them. But how to objectify this potential?
It turns out that a building void of human presence often uses electricity while its use of water is almost zero. Based on this fact, Apur approached the water company Eau de Paris, one of its partners, and proposed working on data on the consumption of drinking water in order to draft a new indicator of the rate of use by Parisian buildings.
This note presents the first results of this work with the analysis of the use of constructed spaces based on the average daily drinking water consumption for a “normal” year, during and after the health crisis. In 2017, the use of drinking water in Paris was 171.3 million m3 for an average daily consumption of drinking water of 145 litres per inhabitant and 38 litres per office worker. The comparison between the first quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2017 shows a drop in the use of drinking water of approximately 10% for housing and 20% for offices.
This work will be continued in the months to come with one or more indicators on the rate of water use in buildings being established and the publication of thematic notes on the office stock, facilities and the housing stock.
