FAQ - High energy performance labels The thermal regulation 2005 (RT2005)

Facing the challenge of climate change, France has made ambitious commitments by signing the Kyoto Protocol entered into force since February 2005 : the government committed to reduce 2010 the emissions of carbon dioxide, a marker of greenhouse gas emissions, at the level of 1990.
The construction sector is among the economic sectors, the largest consumer of energy. It represents over 40% of national energy consumption and almost 20% of CO2.

The RT2005 policy is to encourage builders and contractors to take into account all possibilities of improving the energy performance of buildings in a written technical framework.

The RT2005 is a continuation of the RT2000. It takes over the regulatory structure and the principles that allow the client to choose the most economical solution to achieve the required performance.

The requirements are strengthened:

  • regarding the thermal insulation, there are about 10% losses through the walls and windows and around 20% losses through thermal bridges;
  • the reference of fossil fuel boiler becomes low temperature boiler and the one of the electric heating a radiant panel;
  • a better insulation of the distribution networks and more important energy earnings on the decreases of ventilation are required;
  • a particular reference has been made for heat pumps and for cooling equipments.

The thermal regulations 2005 (RT2005) attempt to allow the calculation and valuation of the bioclimatic construction tools as well as to reduce the heating requirements to insure a better summer comfort.

Thus in an individual house the windows in the south and the flaps are placed in reference. Taking into account the inertia of the actual building, it is much easier to value certain materials with a strong thermal inertia. To integrate the advantages of architectural features such as caps in the south as well as masks further away give the possibility to improve the efforts of design on the climatic environment of the building.

Green roofs are also calculable and their interest is completely valued.

Meanwhile, the thermal regulations (RT2005) enhance the inclusion of renewable energies.

Regarding solar energy, for some buildings, part of the hot water production is calculated by reference. For example, a house (using both electricity and fossil fuels) will be equipped with 2 square meters of solar collectors (or saving the equivalent energy equal to an additional insulation or more efficient heating system).

Regarding cooling consumption, they are integrated in the calculation methods. Thus, except in special cases, air-conditioned buildings will not have the right to consume more than an identical non-air conditioned building. The air-conditioned building should contain equipment and materials to reduce the heating and lighting consumption to in owed competition of the consumption of air conditioning.

In addition, a maximum limit of consumption expressed in primary energy for the consumption of conventional heating, cooling and production of hot water is introduced for residential buildings. This limitation is the same for the individual and collective and is declined by climatic zones and heating energies.

The limits of the thermal regulations 2005 (RT 2005) for residential buildings
Heating
Climate Zone
Consumption for heating, cooling and production of hot water in kWh per m²/year
 rt 2005
Fossil Fuels
H1
130
H2
110
H3
80
Electric Heating
heat pumps included
H1
250
H2
190
H3
130
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Low-energy House (BBC) Passive House Bioclimatic Architecture RT2005 High Energy Performance Label HPE & EnR Label BBC Effinergie® Label Energy-plus Building HQE® Approach Wood Construction Timber Framing External Insulation Mechanical Ventilation Ground-coupled Heat Exchanger Natural Ventilation Renewable Energy Geothermal Power ECS Solar Panels Photovoltaic Electricity Wind Turbine Cellulose Wadding Hemp Wood Fiber Straw Energy Performance Certificate Carbon Assessment Passive Building (BEPAS)