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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Owning and enjoying a BBC home means year-round comfort… and much lower energy bills!
There are also a number of tax advantages associated with the award of this label:
- a higher interest-free mortgage (PTZ) advance
- a tax allowance equivalent to 40% of loan interest over 7 years
- a greater Scellier tax reduction than that available for standard homes from 2011 onwards
