- The Regulation replaces the Thermal Regulations 2000 and 2005, introducing more stringent regulations of thermal insulation and heating systems.
RT 2005 required 15% improvement of thermal efficiency (compared to a building constructed following the guidelines of RT2000) and applied to new buildings. It also created a labelling system to identify energy efficient buildings and introduces measures to discourage air-conditioned buildings in France. Calculations now include natural lighting and renewable energy sources. RT 2012 strengthens the existing requirements (and lays down the following main requirements:Minimum energy efficiency requirement for the 'bioclimatic need' - 'Biomax' of the building (isolation, efficiency of heating and lighting systems) - Maximum average primary energy consumption of the building below 50 kWh/m²/year - 'Cmax'
- Summer comfort requirement (maximum interior temperature for 5 consecutive summer days) to encourage bioclimatic architecture
Additional requirements and guidelines are set for: the general building quality, living comfort, preference for renewable energies, good energy use of the building, potential for energy production beyond self-sufficient production.
Overall, the RT 2012 aims at reducing the primary energy consumption in buildings by 150bn kWh between 2013 and 2020 and reducing the CO2 emissions by 13m-35m tonnes of CO2 (depending on the method) between 2013 and 2020.
