In France, the ELAN law and its tertiary decree have made it mandatory for professionals to set up an energy audit. Every four years, this involves calculating the company's overall energy consumption and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions. This calculation makes it possible to measure the evolution of the company's savings in comparison with the standard year selected. The decree distinguishes between two main calculation methods: relative and absolute. To ensure that you improve the results of this calculation between each audit, you'll need to use energy-saving solutions.
The role of energy consumption calculation
The purpose of calculating energy consumption under the tertiary sector decree is to monitor the company's efforts and progress in its commitment to limiting consumption.
As a reminder, the tertiary decree of the Elan law aims to reduce the consumption of tertiary buildings by 60% by the year 2050. To achieve this, three date tiers have been selected: 2030, 2040 and 2050. The 2030 stage should mark a 40% reduction in consumption.
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Energy consumption calculation methods
To successfully calculate a company's energy consumption, the tertiary decree proposes two calculation methods:
The relative method: this involves selecting a reference year between 2010 and 2019, adjusted for climatic variations. This reference year will serve as the basis for the calculation. To establish the calculation, the professional will then need to obtain his company's consumption reference level expressed in kWh/m² of floor area (Cref). This is calculated by multiplying the floor area consumption by the target (for 2030, 0.6 corresponds to 40% energy savings).
The absolute method: this involves reaching pre-determined thresholds for each stage. The thresholds are calculated by adding together the company's thermal environment (HVAC) in relation to its local climatic conditions, and the consumption related to its activity (USE).
Solutions to improve your tertiary decree audit results
Once you've completed your first tertiary sector decree audit, you'll need to implement solutions to reduce your energy consumption by the first milestone of 2030.
This may involve methods such as the application of a cool roof coating to control air conditioning use, or thermal optimization of buildings through insulation.
