New NF Habitat HQE version for a perfect balance between RE 2020 and overall quality

The new version of the standard, in effect from October 1, thus places particular emphasis on RE 2020, a major issue for the sector. Objective: to support the actors in a better appropriation of the new regulations, while ensuring to maintain the balance with all the criteria contributing to the overall quality of housing.

In addition, this new vintage also offers developers, landlords and builders the possibility of accessing specific certification profiles, allowing them to enhance their development strategies in line with emerging trends in the sector.

A new version of the repository to support and facilitate the implementation of the RE 2020, while maintaining a high level of overall quality

The 2020 RE, essential for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions from housing, will considerably change practices and design choices. In this respect, it represents a major challenge for all housing stakeholders. The NF Habitat - NF Habitat HQE standard supports them in this new context, around one objective: to facilitate the handling and implementation of the RE 2020, without ever reducing the overall quality of apartments and houses. To do this :

• The requirements of RE 2020 are fully integrated.
• The possible risk of underperformance is anticipated and limited: the elements likely to degrade certain quality criteria have been analyzed and identified (acoustics, hygrothermal comfort, etc.) and the requirements of the reference system adapted to act and avoid these underperformances.

In single-family homes, a new design review mission, associated with on-site verifications, has also been introduced, to verify and make the key design elements more reliable.

As for future buyers, they will have the assurance that their property has been designed and built in strict compliance with the RE 2020, in a comprehensive and supervised approach, taking into account all the quality criteria of housing: comfort, quality of life, respect for the environment and economic performance.

“Housing stakeholders must take a major turn to reduce carbon emissions and the energy consumption of structures. A major development, crystallized by the RE 2020, in force from next January for new constructions. A huge challenge for the entire industry. The challenge, with this new framework, is to provide the best possible support to the players in this transition, by helping them to fully appropriate this new regulation, without this ever being to the detriment of overall quality. " Pierre-Henri Julien - Managing Director of CERQUAL Qualitel Certification

Certification profiles to serve the players' quality strategy

The new version of the repository offers developers, donors and builders the possibility of making more specific commitments emerge, through profiles targeted on additional requirements to those of the NF Habitat - NF Habitat HQE base. Two types of profiles are available:

• A new personalized certification profile: actors who wish to strengthen their certification process on a specific axis, can select higher requirements to be achieved according to their concerns and strategic orientations.
• "Turnkey" thematic profiles: Indoor air, Circular economy - Biodiversity - Low carbon. Already accessible to developers or landlords, these profiles are now also offered to all professionals who build grouped houses. A new profile has also been created specifically for houses, individual or grouped: the “Living well” profile, which incorporates superior services that meet key concerns in terms of quality of life (water, acoustic and visual comfort, functionalities of places, services and transport, etc.).