Operat declaration: instructions for use

The OPERAT platform, managed by Ademe, is the Observatory of energy performance, renovation and actions in the tertiary sector. It is intended for the collection and monitoring of data on energy consumption, in accordance with the requirements of the tertiary decree (under the Tertiary Eco Energy system). Zoom on the OPERAT site, available since 2023, as well as on the declarations of the tertiary sector to be made in the short and long term.

 

OPERAT: what is it?

The tertiary decree issued in July 2019 introduces a gradual reduction in energy consumption for commercial buildings. This reduction is set at 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040 and 60% by 2050.

This decree applies to tertiary buildings whose exploited surface is equal to or greater than 1,000 m². To ensure compliance with these regulatory obligations, the Energy Transition Agency (Ademe) has set up a digital platform called OPERAT.

This OPERAT online platform is intended for owners and tenants of "buildings, parts of buildings or sets of buildings subject to the obligations of actions to reduce final energy consumption in buildings for tertiary use", as indicated by Ademe. Thus, all owners, lessors or occupants of the tertiary sector are required to declare the final energy consumption of each building they own or occupy via this platform.
 

 

OPERAT: three objectives

1. Meet regulatory requirements for data collection, including information on buildings, consumption levels, work plans, and monitoring of measures taken.
2. Ensure the follow-up of the achievement of the objectives set by the regulations in force.
3. Disseminate and highlight the data collected, strictly respecting the rules of confidentiality. This could allow, for example, the parties involved to compare the performance of their respective sets.

 

OPERAT declaration: how does it work?

To comply with the obligations, reporting entities must follow the following steps on the OPERAT platform, by first creating an account and providing the following information:

• Tertiary activities carried out
• The area of ​​each building or part of a building
• Annual energy consumption as of September 30 of the previous year (N-1)
• The reference year and the associated reference consumptions
• Indicators of intensity of use linked to the activities accommodated.

 

Then, they must declare the following:

• Their energy consumption data for the year 2022
• Their energy consumption data for the year 2021.

With regard to the reference year, it is important to note that it cannot go back before 2010. In addition, it must cover a full year of operation, which means that consumption data must be available for a period of 12 months.
 

 

Receipt of the Tertiary Eco Energy rating by OPERAT

After receiving this data, the OPERAT platform will produce a series of documents:

1. The adjustment based on the volume of activity, based on the specific indicators of intensity of use related to the activity in question.
2. Annual energy expenditure, adjusted according to climatic fluctuations and classified by energy source.
3. An overview of greenhouse gas emissions related to annual energy consumption.
4. An annual digital certification of energy performance helping those concerned to assess their position vis-à-vis their targets.
5. This certification offers a rating under the name “Eco Energy Tertiary”.

 

The next deadlines of the tertiary decree

Here is an overview of the main key dates that have passed:

• Until December 31, 2021: registration on OPERAT of various accounts, assets, annual consumption, and integration of information on consumption.
• April 2022: entry of baseline data and determination of goals based on this data.
• July 1, 2022: creation of the annual certification and launch of the first verification tools accessible to civil servants.
• September 30, 2022: deadline for submitting annual consumption for 2021 and 2020, and for providing basic data. However, a grace period has been granted to add or adjust records until December 31, 2022. In 2023, these declarations remain valid.

 

The upcoming OPERAT statement:

• September 30, 2023: deadline for declaring consumption for the year 2022.

 

The OPERAT platform will then confirm whether the objectives have been met in due time. Inspections every ten years will be carried out at the latest on the following dates:

• December 31, 2031
• December 31, 2041
• December 31, 2051.