Reduce consumption against a reference year
- −40 % in 2030
- −50 % in 2040
- −60 % in 2050
The reference year must be selected from the permitted years and documented in accordance with the applicable regulations.
Tertiary Energy Efficiency · OPERAT
Tertiary-sector decree: prepare for the 30 September 2027 deadline
For local authorities, owners and operators of tertiary-sector buildings, the 2027 deadline requires early preparation: validate the data, check the targets and document any adjustments that may apply.
Key deadline30 September 2027Reference year and adjustment for economic disproportionality: checks to begin now.
Why does this date matter?
The Tertiary Energy Efficiency scheme, commonly known in France as the “décret tertiaire” (tertiary-sector decree), requires covered entities to monitor and reduce their final energy consumption. Data and targets are tracked on the OPERAT platform.
30 September 2027 is, in particular, the deadline for entering the reference year in OPERAT. If no reference year is entered, the reference consumption used will be that of the first full year of operation for which consumption data have been reported. The same date is also the deadline for submitting an adjustment based on economic disproportionality for the first decade.
Check now: OPERAT indicated that consumption data for 2025 had to be reported by 30 September 2026. If this declaration has not been made, check the account status and the available procedure for bringing it up to date.
Important: September 2027 is not the date by which all buildings must have achieved their energy-reduction target. The first ten-year target-assessment deadline is set for the end of 2031. However, decisions and supporting evidence prepared in advance can have long-term consequences for a building’s energy-reduction pathway.
Which buildings are covered?
The scheme applies to buildings, parts of buildings or groups of buildings used for tertiary-sector activities with a combined floor area of at least 1 000 m², subject to the rules and specific exceptions set out in the legislation. It applies to both public and private organisations, including offices, retail premises, educational establishments, administrative buildings and certain healthcare facilities.
The assessment must be carried out at the level of the covered functional entity (EFA) and the declared scope must be checked carefully: an entire building, part of a building or a group of buildings. Errors in scope or floor area can distort reported consumption and the targets displayed.
Targets to keep in mind
The scheme provides two methods for setting the final-energy-consumption reduction target:
Meet a consumption threshold
The target depends in particular on the activity carried out and the applicable regulatory parameters. It is expressed as final energy in kWh/m²/year, with rules specific to each activity category.
Check the applicable values for each activity in OPERAT and in the current ministerial orders.
The method should not be selected blindly: historical data, declared activities, usage-intensity indicators and the targets displayed by OPERAT must all be checked.
Adjustments: supporting evidence, not an automatic exemption
The regulations allow targets to be adjusted in certain circumstances. Each case must be assessed individually and supported by consistent, verifiable evidence.
Technical constraints
For example, a demonstrated technical impossibility or constraints arising from how the site operates. The relevant works and the constraint preventing them must be clearly identified.
Architectural or heritage constraints
For example, heritage requirements that restrict work on the building envelope or equipment. The constraints must be supported by evidence appropriate to the building.
Economic disproportionality
An adjustment may be considered where the cost of measures is clearly disproportionate to the expected energy savings, according to the methods and thresholds set out in the regulations. The calculation takes available financial support into account and distinguishes between types of action.
Activity levels and usage intensity
Usage-intensity indicators entered in OPERAT can affect the targets. They must reflect actual operating conditions and be supported by evidence in the event of an inspection.
Remember: Official sources explicitly associate 30 September 2027 with adjustments for economic disproportionality during the first decade. Other adjustments are subject to their own rules and evidence requirements; the same procedure or deadline should not be assumed to apply in every case.
What should you do before September 2027?
The best approach is to turn the regulatory deadline into a structured property-management plan. The following checklist can help a local authority or estate manager prepare.
Map the covered estate
List buildings, floor areas, activities, occupants and covered functional entities (EFAs); confirm how they are grouped and identify any mixed uses.
Check OPERAT data
Check reported annual consumption, bills and meters, energy types, floor areas and consistency of the years entered.
Verify the reference year
Review the available and permitted years, whether the data genuinely represent the activity, and the required supporting evidence. Do not let the reference year be selected by default because the deadline was missed.
Review the targets displayed
Compare Crelat and Cabs where both approaches are relevant, check the declared activities and usage-intensity indicators, and identify the gaps that need to be addressed.
Identify potential adjustments
For each relevant building, define the constraint, gather evidence and commission the necessary technical or economic studies. An adjustment does not replace the need for an action plan.
Build a reduction pathway
Prioritise measures such as equipment tuning and controls, energy monitoring, improved operation, lighting, heating, cooling, the building envelope and summer-comfort improvements.
Why not wait until 2027?
Starting late can leave too little time to validate data, gather evidence, carry out studies or make investment decisions. For public property portfolios, the process must also be coordinated with budgets, works contracts, operating contracts and multi-year investment plans.
Compliance is not just a matter of filing a declaration: the scheme requires annual consumption monitoring, target-setting and implementation of measures. OPERAT certificates provide a record of reported status and results over time.
The best strategy is to distinguish data-quality issues, regulatory parameters, possible adjustments and the works actually required. This avoids confusing a justified target adjustment with taking no energy-efficiency action.
Take action
Is your property portfolio ready for September 2027?
An initial review can identify missing data, targets that need checking, potential adjustments to document and measures to prioritise for each building.
Open the OPERAT platformOfficial sources and further reading
- OPERAT platform – ADEME
Official platform for reporting and tracking energy consumption in tertiary-sector buildings.
- Ministry for Ecological Transition – Tertiary Energy Efficiency
Overview of the scheme and its regulatory deadlines.
- Order of 10 April 2020 – current version, Légifrance
Rules governing targets, adjustments and technical documentation.
- Decree No. 2019-771 of 23 July 2019, Légifrance
Founding legislation for the Tertiary Energy Efficiency scheme.
Page prepared in October 2026. Check the current version of the rules and deadlines before making decisions or submitting regulatory documentation.