The RE 2020 is the new energy and environmental regulations for all new construction. It introduces environmental performance in new construction via life cycle analysis.
The RE2020 applies in several stages:
- initially, it concerns: individual houses and collective housing;
- secondly, it concerns: primary and secondary education offices and buildings;
- in a third step, it concerns specific tertiary buildings: hotels, shops, gymnasiums.
RE is broken down broadly into three areas: energy; comfort and carbon. ‘Energy’ relates mainly to the energy consumption required while the building is in operation, which is now based on CO2 emissions rather than kilowatt hours. This is referred to as ‘energy carbon impact’ in RE2020. ‘Comfort’ refers to the amount of discomfort permitted in hot weather. The regulations limit the maximum indoor temperature a building can reach during five consecutive hot summer days. ‘Carbon’ measurements are the climate-change impact of the construction itself, including the building materials and the construction process. This is known as the construction carbon impact, which will reduce significantly over the years, by 2025, 2028 and 2031.
