RE2020: Performance data for new buildings accessible as open data

Data from the Observatory for Energy and Environmental Performance (OPEE) of new buildings is now freely accessible on the data.gouv.fr platform. This opening should facilitate the analysis of the results obtained by buildings subject to the 2020 environmental regulations (RE2020).

Led by the Ministry with the support of the Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), the Observatory gathers information submitted as part of regulatory certifications. It allows for monitoring the levels of energy and environmental performance achieved, as well as the evolution of construction practices and solutions.

Measuring the effects of RE2020 on new construction

The RE2020, which came into effect in 2022, pursues three main objectives:

• reduce energy consumption in new buildings;
• reduce their carbon footprint over their entire life cycle;
• to improve their comfort during periods of intense heat in order to better adapt them to climate change.

The information collected should in particular allow us to observe the technical choices made by project owners and designers, and then to assess their impact on the regulatory performance of buildings.

The publication of open data also comes as the next steps in strengthening the RE2020 approach. It should help to document the results already obtained and to support the skills development of the sector.

Which operations are affected?

This first publication concerns completed operations for which a declaration attesting to the conformity of the works has been submitted.

Four categories of buildings are currently covered:

• detached or semi-detached houses;
• collective housing;
• the offices;
• primary and secondary educational establishments.

The information can be used at several levels of detail: project, building, zone, group, or component. Documentation accompanies the files to facilitate understanding and reuse.

Data from regulatory studies

The Observatory collects the information contained in the standardized summaries of energy and environmental studies transmitted on the RE2020 regulatory portal.

According to official documentation, the files are stripped of their personal data before publication. They also undergo structuring and consolidation work carried out by the CSTB on behalf of the Directorate General for Planning, Housing and Nature (DGALN).

The files and their documentation can be viewed on the official OPEE dataset.

A tool for studies, research and innovation

Project owners, design offices, architects, manufacturers, researchers and public actors can use this data to compare practices, study performance achieved or develop new analytical tools.

The ministry thus wishes to promote the sharing of feedback, strengthen transparency on the performance of new construction and improve the evaluation of public policies related to the decarbonization of buildings.

The statistical significance of the results should nevertheless be assessed with caution. The official platform specifies that the regulatory models submitted represent only a portion of the new building projects carried out in France.