Practical guide for the BACS decree: deciphering the obligations and sanctions

You are not sure if the decree is affected? Do you have any doubts about the obligations linked to it? Here is a guide to everything you need to know about the BACS decree to help you see more clearly.

What does the BACS decree say?

The BACS decree aims to improve the energy performance of buildings by installing building automation and control systems for all tertiary buildings equipped with a heating or air conditioning system, whether or not combined with a ventilation system. , whose power is greater than 290 kW or 70 kW.

This decree is directly linked to the tertiary decree piloted by Ademe. This decree, published on October 1, 2019, imposes energy consumption reduction objectives for tertiary buildings of more than 1.000 m² in order to achieve a 40% reduction in consumption for 2030, then 50% for 2040 and 60% for 2050.

The BACS Decree, for “Building Automation and Control System”, which entered into force on July 21, 2021, requires owners of new or existing tertiary buildings, with technical systems whose equipment has a nominal power greater than 290 kW (for deadline of 2025) or greater than 70 kW (for the deadline of 2027), to install an energy management system.

For new buildings with a building permit filed one year after the publication of the decree, the implementation of regulations on technical systems is mandatory.

In the case of existing buildings, the implementation of regulation is mandatory when changing or installing a technical system.

Technical Building Management (BMS) stands out as the most appropriate solution to meet these obligations. Make sure that your GTB is classified A or B according to the NF EN ISO 52120-1:2022 standard, which specifies the energy performance criteria for buildings, integrating automation, regulation, and technical management.

The overall approach focuses on three principles:

• The building envelope: Guarantee an optimal energy supply to meet expectations in terms of comfort and safety.
• System quality: Rigorously evaluate the performance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to ensure an optimal indoor environment.
• Equipment operation: Minimize energy consumption by optimizing the operation of your equipment.

The equipment targeted by the BACS decree includes heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. Tertiary buildings must comply with these standards by installing a BMS system by January 1, 2025 for a nominal power exceeding 290 kW, and by January 1, 2027 for a nominal power exceeding 70 kW.

Bringing the building concerned into compliance can be facilitated by the CEE financing system. This can in fact take care of between 60 and 80% of the installation of a BMS system. This support depends on the typology of the building as well as its surface area.

GTB: an effective response to comply with the decree

To guarantee the monitoring of a building's energy consumption and adjust this consumption according to user needs, the adoption of Technical Building Management (BMS) proves to be an effective solution to meet the requirements of the BACS decree. The various equipment such as heating, air conditioning and ventilation transmit their data to the BMS, which can thus monitor the performance of the systems. By analyzing energy efficiency and continually comparing the results with predetermined references, GTB aims to identify possible energy losses and identifies potential areas for improvement. Thanks to interoperability with the various technical installations of the building, an in-depth analysis is possible.

The added value of this BMS system lies in its ability to optimize energy expenditure by controlling the associated costs. At the same time, this intelligent equipment plays a crucial role in ensuring the comfort of occupants, in particular thanks to the ability to anticipate incidents.