2000 Thermal Regulation

The new 2000 Thermal Regulation promulgated in November 2000 consists of a decree on the thermal characteristics of construction and an order relating to the thermal characteristics of new buildings and new additions to existing buildings. The new regulation "RT 2000" incorporates a general objective for the energy performance of the buildings and not merely constraints on particular aspects such as thermal insulation, thermal bridges, infiltration, etc. Space heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and domestic hot water are concerned (as is lighting in commercial and administrative buildings). The optimal combination can be chosen by building designers from among all possible solutions, thermal insulation, use of solar energy, high-performance space heating and cooling systems, etc., taking into account the practical constraints of the project and economic aspects. In the residential sector, energy consumption in new buildings should be reduced by 15% with respect to the 1989 regulations. In the commercial and tertiary sector, a performance improvement of 40% is expected (the previous regulation was much less severe). A complete building energy evaluation tool has been developed by the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment,- CSTB (Scientific and Technical Centre for Building) and is being distributed as free software among practitioners. For simple buildings such as single-family houses or typical administrative buildings, a simplified version of the thermal regulation is available as Technical Reference Solutions for which no complete evaluation is required. Based on the same methodology and evaluation tools, it is planned to update the "RT 2000"regulation in 2005.