The energy performance of buildings is at the heart of European environmental policy, which, with the EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive), sets a common normative framework for EU member states. The revision of this directive introduces new requirements for reducing energy consumption, with an ambitious objective of zero emissions in new construction by 2030. In France, the 2020 Environmental Regulation (RE 2020) is a major regulatory development on the subject, to date the most demanding in Europe.
From the RT2012 to the RE2020: the evolution of thermal and environmental building standards
Since 1974, in the aftermath of the first oil shock, several thermal regulations have been put in place to encourage the construction of less energy-intensive buildings. The latest regulation on the matter, the RT2012 thermal regulation, was meant to meet the objectives of the 2007 Grenelle de l'environnement: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reach, by 2050, a quarter of what they were in 1990.
The RE2020 environmental regulation, for its part, is provided for by the ELAN law (Évolution du logement, de l'aménagement et du numérique). It goes beyond the RT2012 requirements on the energy performance of new buildings, but above all, it introduces the consideration of the entire life cycle of the building to measure its environmental impact: both in the construction phase and the operation phase.
The objectives of the RE2020
The RE2020 is part of a continuous drive, at both national and European level, to improve the comfort and energy performance of buildings. Its objectives are threefold:
- Accelerating the reduction of energy consumption in new buildings, notably through better insulation performance
- Reducing the environmental impact of new construction and of buildings in general by acting on levers at every stage of the building's life cycle: from materials and construction processes to energy consumption during the operation phase (heating and water, lighting, air conditioning)
- Offering occupants a living or working space adapted to climate change, with notably better resistance to heatwave episodes.
The new requirements of the RE2020
Thermal regulation (RT) has given way to an environmental regulation (RE), with more global objectives. The main innovations of the RE2020 thus lie:
- In the consideration of climate disruption and its effects on buildings, with the creation of a discomfort indicator for occupants
- In the broadened scope of energy assessment, which considers heating and cooling as well as ventilation, lighting and domestic hot water production, with a valuation of renewable energy sources
- In the consideration of the impact of manufacturing construction materials, with a valuation of bio-based materials.
RE2020 and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
One of the most important regulatory developments is the introduction into the RE2020 of life cycle assessment (LCA). With the RE2020 coming into force on 1 January 2022, carrying out an LCA to quantify the environmental impact of new buildings has become the norm. The RE2020 requires LCA for the single GHG emission indicator, with maximum thresholds not to be exceeded in order to limit the building's impact on climate change. But carrying out a full LCA allows builders to make informed choices by drawing on many other indicators, such as water pollution or waste generation.
Towards tighter RE2020 requirements
In 2022, the RE2020 applies first to the construction of single-family homes and multi-family housing, then to the construction of offices and primary and secondary education establishments. The standard broadens in a third phase to other types of buildings such as shops, gymnasiums, stations or hotels. Its requirements must also tighten in successive steps, with new obligations coming into force and tolerance thresholds being lowered in 2025, 2028 and 2031. Each step corresponds to a new carbon-impact reduction threshold, first of 15%, then 25% and finally 30%.
An update on building energy performance in Europe
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), in force since 2006, is the reference legislative instrument at European level. It includes a harmonised method for calculating the energy performance of buildings, common certification systems and standardised protocols for inspecting heating and air-conditioning systems. Member states remain free to set their own minimum energy consumption standards in their territories. The EPBD has been amended several times, in 2018 and 2021. The latest revisions concern the "zero emission" objective for all new buildings by 2030 (single-family homes included) and from 2027 for public-sector buildings.
The energy consumption of the building sector is a crucial issue and an essential lever for meeting the objectives of the Energy-Climate law. Reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 can only come through a change of scale in low-carbon and low-energy certification thresholds. While the RE2020 regulation only applies to new construction, renovation is another challenge not to be neglected. In the face of the climate emergency, it is the entire stock of housing and professional buildings that must meet the highest environmental requirements.