RE 2020 AND Tertiary Decree, new buildings are now subject to double regulations.
The first concerns the carbon impact of the building on its life cycle from its construction, the second its proper operation to optimize its energy consumption.
What about RE 2020?
RE 2020 is the environmental regulation for new buildings. It replaces the old thermal regulation RT 2012. Entering into force on January 1, 2022 , it concerns all new buildings, housing (individual and collective) and tertiary. For the tertiary sector, it will apply to offices and educational buildings for which the building permit is filed from 1 .
- RT 2012=50 kWh/m2/year of energy consumption
- RE 2020= Positive energy building which must produce more energy than it consumes. That is to say a 30% improvement in energy requirements compared to RT 2012, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
The monitoring indicator is the average greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings estimated over their entire life cycle, by building typology.
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RE 2020 and Tertiary Decree
This is a popular idea, but false: new buildings would not be subject to the Tertiary Decree. On the contrary, even new tertiary buildings are subject. They will therefore have to transmit their consumption data each year in OPERAT, the Ademe platform and achieve targets for reducing this consumption by 2030, 2040 and 2050.
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- Their reference consumption (CRef) will be that of their 1st full year of operation.
- Their consumption objective will be set in absolute value (Cabs), according to the NAF code for the building category. The 2030 objectives in absolute value are based on RT 2012, so a new building, subject to the more restrictive RE 2020, should in theory achieve them without problem.
It is in fact better designed, insulated, produces renewable energies whose self-consumption reduces the building's energy consumption accordingly.
Be careful, because good construction does not necessarily ensure good operation. A poorly operated new building which overconsumes may not achieve the objectives of the Tertiary Decree.
=) Our article on the fundamentals of the Tertiary Decree
The ministry and Ademe therefore recommend adopting “ energy sobriety” in your consumption:
- Adopt efficient control and active management of equipment
- Adapting premises to energy-saving use and encouraging occupants to adopt virtuous behavior
- Avoid developing economic models that go against the reduction of energy consumption.
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Horizon 2040 and 2050
Guaranteeing the energy efficiency of your building, through good operation and training of occupants, is essential. Because regulatory requirements will become more restrictive in the future.
RE 2020 will be reviewed every 3 years until 2031. 3 milestones are planned in 2025, 2028 and 2031 which constitute steps to raise requirements.
Likewise, the consumption reduction objectives of the Tertiary Decree will be reviewed, first in 2030, then in 2040.
The system provides in fact that “ the decrees defining the absolute values are taken at the start of each decade, taking into consideration in particular:
- The energy consumption of new buildings in their category of activity;
- The developments encountered at the level of each of the categories of activities concerned;
- Best Available Techniques (BAT) at the start of each decade.
By 2030, the new absolute values will be set for the 2040 objective. Likewise in 2040, the objectives in absolute values for the 2050 horizon.
These new values, currently set on the RT 2012, will have to take into account after 2030 the consumption of new buildings, therefore based on the RE 2020 revised upwards.
Ambitious energy objectives, which will concern new buildings constructed after 2022, but also existing buildings which will have to step up their reduction efforts.