Decarbonization of the building industry
Expert's Report - The Tertiary Eco-Energy Scheme (DEET)
More than a new challenge, an opportunity to be seized!
Marc-André Merlet, Director of Energy Performance at EQUANS France and expert in the Eco-Energy Tertiary Scheme, explains;
What is the Tertiary Eco-Energy Scheme (DEET)?
Stemming from the application decrees of the 2018 ELAN law, it is a regulatory device that aims to gradually reduce energy consumption in tertiary buildings. The stakes are high because this represents 20% of energy in France, and a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. This measure applies to offices as well as public services, educational institutions, shops, hotels and restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, train stations, parking lots... in short, all tertiary buildings. The DEET also concerns all buildings when the total surface area for tertiary use is equal to or greater than 1000 m². This implies industrial buildings that most often include storage areas, air-conditioned or refrigerated warehouses, dining halls or offices.
What is the timetable for the implementation of this virtuous device?
The DEET aims to reduce energy consumption by 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040 and 60% by 2050. The timetable is therefore progressive, which is a guarantee that it will be properly implemented on the ground. But this objective must be based on a starting point. The first declaration of consumption will have to be registered by September 30, 2022 at the latest.
The tertiary eco-energy device leaves the owner free to opt for a target in absolute or relative value. In the first case, it is determined according to the type of building. In the second case, the energy reduction target is based on the actual consumption observed over a defined period. Adapted to old buildings, this method offers the advantage of setting the reference point to take into account, as of today, the investments made in recent years in energy efficiency. The objective is not to penalize actors already engaged in a virtuous approach. They will thus be able to take a reference year prior to major work carried out in recent years, such as the revision of insulation or the installation of a heating system. Thus, it will be possible to avoid that the effort required does not take them into account to achieve the objective of reducing consumption in 2030, 2040 and 2050;
Are there any obstacles to meeting this new regulatory requirement?
The DEET is a device. As is often the case, the administrative aspect is significant. Given the energy, environmental and economic stakes, monitoring its implementation will require method and expertise. In addition to the strategy chosen by each stakeholder, all the information needed to validate the indicators must be collected, identified, listed and allocated. Multiple factors will have to be taken into account: the composition of the building, its history, the history of its maintenance and renovation. To facilitate and harmonize these demanding procedures, the OPERAT digital platform is available.
It will be possible to model consumption through studies that are justified by a technical and operational mastery of the solutions deployed. This type of scientific approach must be carried out by experts in energy performance. EQUANS has been working on this since 2019 and the ELAN law can provide a reliable and tailor-made response. When it comes to energy efficiency in the tertiary sector, there are as many possible situations as there are buildings involved. It is therefore imperative to be agile in order to best meet the requirements of the DEET, with a solution covering the entire value chain.
A transition that is at the heart of EQUANS' DNA
The system should be seen as an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition in a very concrete way, as well as the industrial transition, because the field of application is vast. There is a huge economic potential to be transformed, particularly through digital technology. Supporting this triple transition is precisely at the heart of EQUANS' DNA;