Towards energy efficiency: the French tertiary sector is accelerating its pace

Accounting for 17% of final energy consumption in France, the tertiary sector must decarbonize and reduce its energy consumption to achieve carbon neutrality. Launched in 2022, the OPÉRAT platform, the Observatory of Energy Performance of Renovation and Tertiary Actions, operated by ADEME, annually collects the energy consumption of the tertiary sector subject to the Tertiary Eco Energy Scheme (DEET).

This represents nearly one billion m² in France. Materialized by the Elan law, the DEET aims to strengthen the energy efficiency of the tertiary sector, by setting a clear trajectory: to reduce their energy consumption by 40% by 2030, and by 60% by 2050[1]. ADEME presents an initial assessment of OPÉRAT, allowing us to take stock of the sector's energy consumption. In addition, ADEME provides an overview of its support for tertiary sector players engaged in an energy transition process.

The OPÉRAT platform, a means of action that meets the ambitions of DEET

Tertiary buildings represent 1,2 billion m2 and a consumption of 249 TWh on a national scale, with 37% of energy consumption of fossil origin (gas and oil). To accelerate the pace, the DEET sets the ambitious objectives mentioned above. To equip itself with a tool to measure the trajectory initiated, accelerate the initiatives taken and identify areas for improvement, ADEME has been managing the OPÉRAT platform for over a year. This allows owners and lessees of buildings, parts of buildings or groups of buildings subject to obligations of actions to reduce final energy consumption in buildings used for tertiary use, to comply with the regulatory provisions provided for[2]. A platform for collecting and monitoring energy consumption in the tertiary sector, OPÉRAT is a tool to support tertiary sector players in the energy transition.

Also, to measure progress and identify levers for acceleration, ADEME, in collaboration with the General Directorate for Planning, Housing and Nature, and the Sustainable Real Estate Observatory (OID), conducted the study "Energy performance of the tertiary sector: what assessment of the use of the OPÉRAT platform in 2022-2023?". This is based on declarations made from January 2022 to January 2024.

This results in major lessons for DEET, relating both to consumption and the characterization of the declared tertiary park, and to the appropriation of the OPÉRAT platform by users.

An average decrease of 22% in energy consumption was recorded. Between the decade 2010 and 2022, and without taking into account climate adjustment, energy consumption has therefore decreased by almost half of the 40% reduction target set for 2030 by the Elan law.
A first sectoral representation of the activities concerned by the DEET emerges. These are diversified: In terms of declared surface area, educational activities account for 21%, offices and public services for 17%, logistics for 14%, and health for 13%. The study allows us to obtain results on the nature, level and evolution of consumption over the years declared.
Taxable persons have massively mobilized: more than 50% of the total surface area of the tertiary park has been declared, i.e. nearly 600 million m² in France. Nearly 750.000 consumption declarations between 2022 and the beginning of 2024 have been recorded, making it possible to derive indicators for monitoring the evolution of consumption in the sector.

More than 13.000 private tertiary companies supported since 2021

For ever more efficient energy renovation, ADEME provides financial and technical support to companies in the sector through an engineering offer. Since 2021, ADEME has been experimenting, in mainland France and overseas territories, with an information and advice desk for small private tertiary companies. These desks are located as close as possible to the companies. They provide advice on energy efficiency and in particular on building renovation. They offer three types of actions:

Awareness, communication and activities to meet local businesses and publicize the system;
Information where the company can ask all its questions to an energy advisor;

Personalized diagnosis carried out by an energy advisor on the company's site.

Through the Entreprise booster, ADEME also provides financial and technical support to private sector companies through an engineering offer to reduce their energy bill and gain green value. An illustration of this support across the board is the Acquisition-Improvement assembly project, a typical model for a small real estate company: SAS TRIPLAN, as project owner, purchased buildings dating from 1992, with a cumulative surface area of 2.700 m2, which were not very energy efficient. A comprehensive renovation based on the General Contractor model, i.e. with studies and work, was carried out alongside ADEME through the Entreprise Booster scheme. The energy performance objective targeted after the work is to comply with the Tertiary Eco-Energy Decree 2050. The work was completed last April.

[1] Compared to a reference situation from the 2010s.

[2] Cf. articles L.111-10-3 and R.174-22 to R.174-32 of the construction and housing code.