The homes we live in are major consumers of energy and major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Home energy consumption in France has been subject to a legal limit since the 1980s under the Réglementation Thermique (RT) energy performance legislation. The current regulation is RT 2005.
The measures introduced under the French government’s Grenelle de l’Environnement environmental initiative go further still by requiring all new buildings to meet the BBC Bâtiments Basse Consommation (Low-Energy Buildings) standard with effect from 1 January 2013*. So what does this new standard mean? What benefits does it offer homeowners?
Bouygues Immobilier deciphers this new label for you.
*
These targets are defined in Article 4 of the “Grenelle 1” legislation of 3 August 2009.
The requirements of the BBC-Effinergie label
The Grenelle de l’Environnement aims to reduce the average consumption of primary energy in new buildings from the current 150 kWhEP/m²/year to 50 kWhEP/m²/year by 1 January 2013 (see below for explanations).
This point will therefore mark the transition from the Réglementation Thermique 2005 (RT 2005) to the BBC standard, lowering consumption to an estimated 33.33% of the previous level*. However, the maximum energy consumption value is weighted by the application of a coefficient to reflect:
- the climate zone: this ranges from 0.8 on the Mediterranean coast to 1.3 in North and North-Eastern France
- the altitude of the building: 0.1 is added to the coefficient for buildings at between 400 and 800 metres above sea level, and 0.2 for those above the 800-metre contour
So the maximum level of energy consumption permitted under the BBC standard ranges from 40 kWhEP/m²/year on the Côte d’Azur to 75 kWhEP/m²/year above 800 metres in the Vosges mountains.
The energy consumption covered by this standard is that related to heating, air conditioning, domestic hot water, lighting and “heating and ventilation equipment”, such as pumps and forced ventilation systems.
kWhEP/m²/year
This unit of measurement stands for “kilowatt hours of primary energy per square metre, per year”. For the purposes of this measurement, domestic consumption of the energy used for heating, domestic hot water, ventilation and lighting (of communal areas) is referred to as “primary energy”, that is to say naturally-occurring energy prior to processing of any kind (crude oil, uranium, wind power, etc.). |
(*based on a comparison between the RT 2005 (150kWhEP/m²/year) requirements and those of the BBC label (50kWhEP/m²/year) for home energy consumption.
So what does it mean in practice?
The eco-design of a BBC home provides you with guaranteed high energy performance thanks to:
- optimum insulation
- effective sealing of air leakage around vulnerable areas, such as windows and doors
- permanently-controlled ventilation for air comfort and quality
- a building orientation that maximises natural daylight
- the use of energy from renewable sources for heating, cooling and domestic hot water
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The BBC-Effinergie label
The legally-defined BBC standard adopts the values shown in the Effinergie® listing (www.effinergie.org). The label used to implement the BBC standard is the BBC-Effinergie label. This label is awarded by a number of certification bodies, including Cerqual (www.cerqual.fr) and Promotelec (www.promotelec.com).
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Legal notices (only in french)
(1) Réduction d'impôt, codifiée à l'article 199 septvicies du code général des impôts modifié par la loi de finances pour 2012, pour tout investissement locatif réalisé jusqu'au 31 décembre 2012, égale à 13 % du prix d'acquisition du bien retenu dans la limite de plafonds par mètre carré de surface habitable fixés par décret en fonction de la localisation du logement, et dans la limite maximale de 300.000 €. Cette réduction d'impôt est prise en compte pour le calcul du plafonnement global de certains avantages fiscaux visés à l'article 200-0 A du CGI. Nota : Le décret fixant les plafonds par mètre carré de surface habitable n'est pas encore paru à ce jour 16/01/12
(2) Valable pour tous les prêts à taux zéro émis à partir du 1er janvier 2012 pour l'acquisition de sa résidence principale neuve. Sous réserve de respecter les conditions fixées aux articles L 31-10-1 et suivants et R-31-10-1 et suivants du code de la construction relatifs aux conditions d'application du PTZ+ (conditions de ressources, de composition familiale et de localisation géographique à respecter). Sous réserve d'acceptation du dossier par l'établissement bancaire. Conditions disponibles en espace de vente ou sur bouygues-immobilier.com.
