Everything you need to know about RE2020 regulations

The principles of RE2020

The principles of RE2020 are based on the Law on Energy Transition for Green Growth and the Law on Evolution of Housing, Development and Digital. Compared to RT2012, RE2020 introduces stricter requirements to address climate change by targeting the construction of positive energy buildings. The environmental requirement of a building's sustainability and longevity states that it should fit into its environment without harming it. 

RE2020 regulations

The RE2020 regulations are aimed at buildings intended for collective and individual housing, schools, offices and service buildings. The guiding principle of RE2020 is to make buildings as energy efficient as possible while meeting the needs of their users and guaranteeing them a good quality of life. The builds are therefore designed to guarantee excellent thermal performance to withstand hot and cold temperatures and to minimise energy consumption. 

Reduction of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions

RE2020 follows the French Government's overall mission to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon emissions in light of the pledges made to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. RE2022 regulations are intended to help reduce the climate impact of new buildings during their construction and use. Even until very recently, this sector alone was responsible for more than 40% of French energy consumption and emitted nearly 20% of the country's greenhouse gases.  

Choose bio-sourced materials with a low carbon footprint

During a building's construction phase, the requirement is to use bio-sourced materials with a low carbon footprint. Construction sites will reduce the use of fossil fuels consumed by machinery and control their recycling of materials and water consumption. Emphasis should also be placed on bioclimatic design to improve insulation and, in turn, energy efficiency.  

A building must be capable of perfect inertia so as not to depend on any energy source to keep the interior at the right temperature. The users' quality of life is key. 

The benefits of the RE2020 regulations

Buildings built according to the RE2020 regulations have multiple economic and ecological advantages. Perfectly insulated thermally and acoustically, these builds offer a constant comfortable indoor temperature all year round and a very pleasant ambience. They require no or very little air conditioning or heating, which significantly brings down energy bills. They help protect the planet by drastically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. 

The cost of new constructions built to 2022 standards is on average 10% higher. This sum is depreciated over a period of 8 to 12 years depending in particular on the materials used. Using low or zero energy, these buildings will be highly sought after in the future. As such, they will be very valuable in the tomorrow's world.