As the next mandatory annual consumption declaration on Ademe's Operat platform approaches (by September 30, 2025), the objectives for the latest absolute values are finally known.
Following the Absolute Value III decree, published in the official journal in December 2023, then Absolute Value IV in March 2024 and Absolute Value V in July 2024, a new decree has just been published.
100% of absolute values now known
This decree, known as "Absolute Value VI", sets the absolute value objectives to be achieved in 2030 for those subject to the Tertiary Decree, in the last missing activity categories:
- Shops (divided into 14 subcategories)
- Cinemas
- Funeral services
- Banks
“Administration and offices” subcategories of each activity category
The decree also includes the breakdown of absolute values in the overseas departments, for the latter categories.
14 subcategories are specified for the trade sector:
- Wholesale trade
- Shop-minimarket (sales area < 400m²)
- Trade - small supermarket (sales area between 400m² and 1000m²)
- Commerce - large supermarket (sales area between 1000m² and 3000m²)
- Trade - hypermarket (sales area greater than 3000m²)
- Commerce - large DIY store
- Trade - large specialist area (personal and leisure equipment)
- Trade - large specialist area (home equipment)
- Trade - large specialist area (automotive and motorcycle equipment)
- Commerce - common areas of shopping centers and shopping malls
- Retail trade and services (personal equipment and leisure)
- Retail trade and services (household equipment)
- Retail trade and services (food stores)
- Trade - covered markets and halls
A decree that was eagerly awaited, because commercial buildings represent 24 TWh, or 17% of the total consumption of subject tertiary buildings, according to a recent study by Ademe.
With this latest decree, 100% of the estimated consumption of the buildings subject to the regulation would be covered according to the Department of Housing, Urban Planning and Landscapes at the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
A new decree which profoundly modifies the application of the Tertiary Decree
The Tertiary Decree is now entering a new phase: after the 2030 objectives, all now known, it is time for actions and results:
The annual certificate, now integrated, is directly accessible in OPERAT for taxable persons and their representatives.
The certificate remains provisional until July 1, 2026 and its display, provided for in articles R.174-31 and R.174-32, is optional in the building until this date.
The new decree of August 1, 2025, published on September 6, also includes other new features:
- Replacement of Annex III of the “method” decree of 04/10/2020 by a new annex including the coefficients applicable for the climate adjustment method
- Introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a non-renewable primary energy, in the table of conversion factors into final energy (LNG=0.238)
What are the objectives of the Tertiary Decree?
For each category, these absolute values are intended to be representative of high-performance buildings in the activity category, both in terms of intrinsic performance of the building (insulation, system performance) and sobriety of use. Clearly, old buildings will have to respect, by 2030, the performance level of the 25% least efficient buildings, renovated to the RT 2012 standard.
They are based, for each category of activity, on two subsets of values:
- “HVAC” values (representative of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning consumption). They are established for 13 climate zones and 5 altitude categories, with a reference climate, depending on the zone in which the building is located.
- “USE” values (other consumption items, generally dependent on the intensity of use of the building), accompanied by a modulation formula to take into account the intensity of use of the building. That is to say the time range of the use in question in the building.
These objectives were established on the basis of different sources of information, and with the help of numerous contributions from stakeholders made as part of the consultation, whether in writing or during consultation meetings.
So for modulation are modified as follows:
“Modulated Crelat (Vr the modulation of the objectives according to the volume of activity, the formulas of m) 2030 = (1 – 0.4) × Cref × [Modulated Cabs (V) / Modulated Cabs (Vref)].
“Crelat modulated (V) 2040 = (1 – 0.5) × Cref × [Cabs modulated (V) / Cabs modulated (Vréf)].
“Crelat modulated (V) 2050 = (1 – 0.6) × Cref × [Cabs modulated (V) / Cabs modulated (Vréf)].
The Tertiary Decree demands results, leave nothing to chance to achieve your goals.
Energy audits are the key to establishing your tertiary decree strategy and prioritizing your investments based on:
your regulatory objectives (DEET, BACS Decree, APER law, LOM law, etc.)
energy performance action scenarios on uses, operation and building envelope
return on investment time in €, CO2, kWh
At Sobre Energie, our digital audits are integrated into our DATAMARC NEO energy management platform, within a dedicated module. You can then take action by carrying out renovations; our My Eco Performance module allows you to track changes in consumption and measure actual energy savings after the renovations.
How to comply with the Tertiary Decree?
Each year, subject buildings are assigned Tertiary Eco Energy ratings, attesting to their consumption reduction trajectory with a view to the 2030 deadline.
The first ratings were issued by Ademe in January 2025 for consumption declared on Operat for the year 2023. These ratings remain provisional until July 1, 2026.
in the event of architectural constraints (listed buildings)
technical constraints
disproportionate investments. How to achieve a return on investment time of more than ten years for the installation of technical building management systems (BMS), provides the new decree.
By September 30, 2026, those subject to it will have to prepare modulation files to be submitted on the Ademe Operat platform, to justify their inability to achieve the energy performance objective set for 2030.