In 2020, ADEME (Environment and Energy Management Agency) introduced its OPERAT platform, which translates as “Observatory of Energetic Performance, Renovation and Actions in the tertiary sector". This tool, associated with the Eco Energy Tertiary system, aims to collect all the data relating to the energy consumption of buildings concerned by the tertiary sector, in accordance with the targets established by the regulation (Tertiary Decree). One year after its launch, it is relevant to take stock of the use of this OPERAT platform.
The tertiary decree: what is it again?
The tertiary decree aims primarily to reduce the energy consumption of existing tertiary buildings. Accomplishing these goals of energy renovation can be done in two ways:
- Relatively: achieve energy savings compared to a reference year located between 2010 and 2019: -40% in 2030; -50% in 2040; -60% in 2050;
- Absolutely: achieve a target consumption specified by decree for each type of tertiary activity, reflecting ideal consumption for an efficient building of said category.
A schedule specifying the energy reductions to be made has been established.
The first digital declaration underwent two postponements:
- initially on September 30, 2022 due to the COVID-19 crisis,
- and then by December 31, 2022 to demonstrate flexibility towards a large proportion of latecomers: in September 2022, only 150 million m² out of the 550 million m² concerned had been declared, which represents a quarter of the total.
However, these latecomers were not subject to penalties, because 2022 was seen as a test year by the authorities.
This does not mean the absence of supervision. The ADEME OPERAT team begins sending emails to the entities concerned to inform them of any irregularities identified in their declarations.
The learning and handling phase of the Operat Ademe platform
To address energy performance issues, the platform OPERAT was designed to simplify the process of collecting and analyzing energy data from the tertiary sector. In accordance with the tertiary decree, owners or tenants were required to provide the following information on the platform from 2022:
- Details concerning their real estate and their activity
- Their energy consumption for the years 2020 and 2021
- The year chosen as reference
The deadline for this first online submission has been extended twice: initially to September 30, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then to December 31, 2022 to grant “tolerance” towards a large majority of latecomers.
As of September 2022, only 150 million m2 had been declared out of a total of nearly 550 million m2 affected, or around a quarter of the total area.
However, no sanctions were imposed on latecomers because the year 2022 was considered a “fine-tuning” period by the government.
However, this does not eliminate the need for monitoring. The first emails were sent by the ADEME OPERAT team to the parties concerned, to alert them in the event of an anomaly detected in their declarations.
Few latecomers on the Operat Ademe platform
Four months after the expiration of the first deadline, ADEME provided an estimate updated monthly to monitor the progress of registrations on the platform.
According to the data shared, at the end of April, 540 million m² subject to Tertiary Eco Energy regulations were registered on the Operat Platform. This reflects a slight proportion of 3% of latecomers, attesting to the effectiveness of the platform and the investment of the entities concerned in terms of energy. This registration corresponds to a total consumption of 84.8 TWh, distributed over 178,254 sites, and this, only for declarations for the year 2021, as specified by OPERAT.
How does the Operat Ademe platform work?
The OPERAT platform is not limited to simplifying the declaration of energy consumption. It offers various features:
- It makes climate adjustments on the gross consumption reported and integrates the conversion coefficients for each type of energy;
- It updates the calculation of the objectives as well as the energy savings to be made in relation to the current situation;
- It issues an annual certificate, calibrated according to your objectives.
This certificate is supplemented by a Tertiary Eco Energy rating reflecting your progress in efforts to reduce energy consumption. In addition to this certification, the platform makes it possible to consolidate data at the scale of a real estate complex based on all the declarations made, and to analyze the consumption trend of the tertiary sector concerned in France.
What's new in the Operat Ademe platform?
An update of the OPERAT platform is planned for 2023, and for the second half of the year, it will notably integrate an interface with third-party applications using APIs.
The deadline for declaring 2022 consumption on OPERAT is September 30, 2023. It is important to emphasize that throughout 2023, you can adjust the consumption data for the reference year on the OPERAT website. ADEME and reconsider your choices to align your strategy with future orders on absolute values.
Any non-compliance this year will be punished by a fine of 7,500 euros if formal notice does not result in any resolution. To make your procedures easier, ADEME offers you a guide, a presentation of the main steps, a section of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and testimonials in the form of experience sheets.
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