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Regulation · Tertiary Decree

Tertiary Decree & OPERAT: obligations, timeline and action levers

What your buildings must achieve by 2030, how to report on OPERAT, and which investments actually impact your score.

A
Arthur Bouton
CEO, Solyance Development
March 2025 6 min read

Le Tertiary Decree impose des requirements de réduction des consommations énergétiques à tous les bâtiments tertiaires de plus de 1 000 m². La plateforme OPERAT, gérée par l'ADEME, est l'outil de déclaration officiel. Voici ce que ça implique concrètement pour votre organisation.

What the Tertiary Decree says

Le décret n°2019-771 du 23 juillet 2019, dit Tertiary Decree, impose aux propriétaires et occupants de bâtiments tertiaires de plus de 1 000 m² de réduire leurs consommations énergétiques selon un timeline précis :

-40%
Objectif 2030
compared to the reference year
-50%
Objectif 2040
compared to the reference year
-60%
Objectif 2050
compared to the reference year

These targets can be met either relative (reduction vs. reference year 2010-2019) or absolute (target consumption in kWh/m²/year by activity type). Most favorable applies.

OPERAT: the reporting platform

OPERAT (Observatoire de la Performance Énergétique, de la renovation et des Actions du tertiary) est la plateforme gérée par l'ADEME sur laquelle les assujettis doivent déclarer annuellement leurs consommations énergétiques.

⚠️ Deadline not to miss

The first OPERAT declaration was due September 30, 2022. Declarations are then annual (N-1 data). Failure to declare exposes to a formal notice and publication on public register — which large CSRD-subject companies cannot afford.

To declare on OPERAT, you must: identify subject buildings, collect consumption by energy vector (electricity, gas, oil, etc.), define reference year, and report surfaces and activities. Work that can be complex for multi-site portfolios.

Who is affected?

The decree applies to:

How to reach the objectives?

Le décret ne prescrit pas de technologies — il fixe des résultats. En pratique, les leviers les plus efficaces pour atteindre -40% d'ici 2030 sont, par ordre de profitability décroissante :

01
LED lighting
Réduction immédiate de 40 à 60% de la consumption d'lighting. return on investment 2-4 years. Lever le plus rapide à déployer.
02
GTB / automatisation
Steering fin du heating, climatisation, ventilation. savings de 15-30% sur les consommations HVAC sans toucher à l'enveloppe.
03
Photovoltaic self-consumption
Réduit la consumption d'énergie primaire du réseau. Valorisable dans le calcul OPERAT selon la méthode retenue.
04
Building envelope renovation
insulation, remplacement des menuiseries, traitement des ponts thermiques. IRR plus long mais gains durables.

Our approach is to model the impact of each lever on your OPERAT consumption before investing. Some PV projects, for example, have no OPERAT impact if electricity is sold back rather than self-consumed — this kind of nuance radically changes the trade-off.

Important point on renewable production deduction: Le Tertiary Decree permet de déduire la production d'énergie renouvelable générée sur le site des consommations déclarées. Un project PV en autoconsommation peut donc à la fois générer des revenus et améliorer votre score OPERAT — sous réserve d'une modélisation correcte.

Frequently asked questions

Is my building subject to the Tertiary Decree?
Si votre building (ou la partie à usage tertiary) dépasse 1 000 m², oui. Cela inclut bureaux, commerces, entrepôts avec activité tertiary, hôtels, healthcare facilities, bâtiments publics. Le seuil s'apprécie par entité fonctionnelle, pas par propriété.
What's at risk if not declared in OPERAT?
The ELAN law provides for a formal notice, then publication on a public register (name & shame). For companies subject to CSRD or listed, it's a significant reputational risk. Monetary penalties are also provided for by the decree.
Does a PV project improve my OPERAT score?
Yes, subject to conditions. Electricity produced and self-consumed on-site can be deducted from reported consumption. However, a full sell-back installation has no OPERAT impact. The self-consumption / sell-back trade-off must therefore address this issue.
How to calculate my reference year?
You freely choose a year between 2010 and 2019 as reference (most representative of your normal activity). ADEME recommends avoiding atypical years (work, Covid crisis, etc.). We help you identify the optimal year in your billing history.
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