Quelle est la différence entre le Décret BACS et le Décret Tertiaire ?

The Décret BACS (Décret n° 2020-887) and the Décret Tertiaire (Décret n° 2019-771, also called the dispositif Éco Énergie Tertiaire) are two separate but complementary obligations. The Décret BACS mandates the installation of a GTB (Gestion Technique du Bâtiment) system — the building automation and control hardware — in non-residential buildings whose HVAC systems exceed a power threshold (290 kW, dropping to 70 kW in 2027). The Décret Tertiaire, by contrast, sets an energy-consumption reduction obligation: -40% by 2030, -50% by 2040, and -60% by 2050 for tertiary buildings over 1,000 m², reported each year on the OPERAT platform. In short, the Décret BACS dictates the equipment you must install, while the Décret Tertiaire dictates the energy results you must achieve. A compliant GTB is the practical tool that lets you meet both: it satisfies the Décret BACS directly and produces the monitoring data and savings needed for the Décret Tertiaire.

Qu'est-ce que la loi BACS impose exactement ?

There is no single "loi BACS" — the obligation comes from a décret (regulation), not a law: Décret n° 2020-887 of 20 July 2020, amended by Décret n° 2023-259 of 7 April 2023. It transposes Article 14 of the original EPBD (2018) and aligns with the recast EPBD Directive 2024/1275 Article 13. The décret requires owners of non-residential buildings to install and maintain a système d'automatisation et de contrôle (a GTB) that can continuously monitor energy use, log and analyse consumption, detect faults and losses of efficiency, and enable communication between the building's technical systems. The system must reach at least Class C of the EN ISO 52120-1 standard (formerly EN 15232). It is not enough to install the hardware once: the décret requires the system to be inspected and kept functional over time.

What happens if I miss the Décret BACS deadline?

The Décret BACS sets a legal obligation, so a non-compliant building is in breach from the deadline onward. The 290 kW threshold has applied to existing buildings since 1 January 2025, and the 70 kW threshold applies from 1 January 2027. Enforcement in France runs primarily through the building-control and energy-audit regime: non-compliance can be identified during mandatory inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems, during transactions, or through OPERAT reporting where the Décret Tertiaire also applies. Beyond the direct legal exposure, the practical risks are real: continued energy waste, higher operating costs, missed CEE funding windows, and a weaker position in any sale or lease where energy performance is scrutinised. Because GTB projects take months to scope, procure, and commission, owners above 70 kW who wait until 2027 are likely to be late.

Le Décret BACS s'applique-t-il aux bâtiments de moins de 290 kW ?

Yes — from 1 January 2027. The original 2020 décret set the threshold at HVAC systems above 290 kW, which has been in force for existing buildings since 1 January 2025. The 2023 amendment (Décret n° 2023-259) introduced a second, lower threshold of 70 kW that takes effect on 1 January 2027 and pulls a much larger share of the French building stock into scope. The relevant figure is the combined effective rated output of the building's heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and combined heating/cooling systems. A mid-sized office or retail unit with, say, an 80 kW heating plant is therefore in scope from 2027 even though it was exempt under the original threshold. France's 2027 date for the 70 kW tier is two years ahead of the EPBD default of 2029.

Le Décret BACS peut-il être financé par les CEE ?

Yes. The installation of a GTB can be partly funded through the Certificats d'Économies d'Énergie (CEE) scheme, using the standardised operation sheet fiche BAT-TH-116 ("Système de gestion technique du bâtiment pour le chauffage, l'eau chaude sanitaire, le refroidissement/climatisation, l'éclairage"). Depending on the building, the system class installed, and the prevailing CEE price, this can offset roughly 20–40% of the GTB installation cost. France's ADEME also publishes guidance, and where the Décret Tertiaire applies, the same GTB investment supports the OPERAT energy-reduction declarations — so a single project can satisfy two regulatory obligations and capture funding at the same time. Funding rules and CEE valuations change over time, so confirm current eligibility before budgeting.

Country Guide

BACS Requirements in France

France has been ahead of most EU member states in mandating building automation. The Décret BACS (2020, updated 2023) already requires GTB (Gestion Technique du Bâtiment) systems in non-residential buildings, with the first compliance deadline in January 2025.

The first Décret BACS deadline has passed

Since 1 January 2025, non-residential buildings with HVAC systems above 290 kW are required to have a GTB system (Gestion Technique du Bâtiment) under the Décret BACS. Buildings in this category without compliant automation are already non-compliant.

Legal basis

France has two overlapping regulatory drivers for building automation:

Décret BACS (Décret n° 2020-887, updated by Décret n° 2023-259) — requires GTB systems in non-residential buildings above certain thresholds. Already in force.
EPBD Directive 2024/1275 Article 13— the EU directive harmonising BACS requirements. France's Décret BACS already meets or exceeds most EPBD requirements.
Décret Tertiaire(Décret n° 2019-771) — energy reduction obligation requiring -40% by 2030, -50% by 2040, -60% by 2050 for tertiary buildings >1000 m². BACS is a key enabler.

Deadlines and thresholds

Threshold	Deadline	Status
HVAC >290 kW (new buildings)	8 April 2024	Passed
HVAC >290 kW (existing buildings)	1 January 2025	Passed
HVAC >70 kW (all non-residential)	1 January 2027	Approaching

France's 2027 deadline for the >70 kW threshold is two years earlier than the EPBD default (2029), making it one of the most aggressive timelines in the EU.

Which buildings are affected?

The Décret BACS applies to non-residential buildings (bâtiments tertiaires) where the combined nominal power of HVAC systems exceeds the threshold:

Offices and administrative buildings
Retail, shopping centres, and supermarkets
Hotels and tourism facilities
Hospitals and healthcare (ERP type U)
Schools, universities, and research facilities
Sports and cultural venues
Logistics and warehouses with conditioned space

Residential buildings are excluded.The Décret Tertiaire separately targets energy reduction in tertiary buildings >1000 m², creating dual compliance pressure that makes BACS investment doubly justified.

France-specific context

ADEME(Agence de la transition écologique) publishes guidance and administers CEE (Certificats d'Économies d'Énergie) which can offset BACS upgrade costs.
CEE programmes — energy savings certificates can fund 20–40% of GTB installation costs through standardised operations (fiches BAT-TH-116).
OPERAT platform — the national reporting platform for Décret Tertiaire compliance. BACS data feeds directly into annual energy declarations.
RT 2020 / RE 2020 — new construction regulations already require high-performance automation in tertiary buildings.

What should building owners do now?

Determine your HVAC nominal power. If it exceeds 70 kW, you are in scope for the January 2027 deadline.
Check Décret Tertiaire obligations.If your building is >1000 m², you have parallel energy reduction targets that BACS helps meet.
Explore CEE funding. Fiche BAT-TH-116 covers GTB installation and can significantly reduce net costs.
Plan for OPERAT reporting. Your GTB system should produce data compatible with annual energy declarations on the OPERAT platform.

What a compliant GTB must do

The Décret BACS does not just require “a system” — it requires one that reaches at least Class C of EN ISO 52120-1 (the standard formerly known as EN 15232). That standard ranks building automation into four classes, from Class A (high-performance) down to Class D (non-energy-efficient). Class C is the minimum acceptable level, so buildings sitting at Class D, or relying on simple time-clocks and standalone thermostats, are the primary upgrade targets.

A compliant GTB must be able to:

Continuously monitor, log, and analyse the building's energy consumption;
Benchmark consumption against expected performance and flag deviations or efficiency drift;
Detect faults in the technical building systems and alert operators;
Enable demand-based control of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and hot water;
Allow the different technical systems to communicate and be managed from a single interface.

Crucially, the obligation is ongoing. The décret requires the system to be inspected and kept functional over time — installing hardware once and letting it fall into disuse does not satisfy the regulation.

Sanctions, exemptions, and edge cases

Exemptions. The Décret BACS provides a limited carve-out: the obligation does not apply where a technical study demonstrates that the installation of a GTB is not technically or economically feasible — specifically, where the payback period for the system exceeds a defined threshold. This is a narrow, evidence-based exemption, not a general opt-out, and it must be documented.

Enforcement. Compliance is checked primarily through the existing regime of mandatory inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems, and, where the Décret Tertiaire also applies, through annual OPERAT declarations. A building that is in scope but has no compliant GTB after its deadline is in breach of the regulation.

Mixed-use buildings. Residential space is excluded, so a mixed-use building is assessed on its non-residential portion. The threshold test applies to the combined effective rated output of the HVAC systems serving that non-residential part.

Frequently asked questions

The most common questions on the Décret BACS, the Décret Tertiaire, deadlines, and funding in France.

Quelle est la différence entre le Décret BACS et le Décret Tertiaire ?: The Décret BACS (Décret n° 2020-887) and the Décret Tertiaire (Décret n° 2019-771, also called the dispositif Éco Énergie Tertiaire) are two separate but complementary obligations. The Décret BACS mandates the installation of a GTB (Gestion Technique du Bâtiment) system — the building automation and control hardware — in non-residential buildings whose HVAC systems exceed a power threshold (290 kW, dropping to 70 kW in 2027). The Décret Tertiaire, by contrast, sets an energy-consumption reduction obligation: -40% by 2030, -50% by 2040, and -60% by 2050 for tertiary buildings over 1,000 m², reported each year on the OPERAT platform. In short, the Décret BACS dictates the equipment you must install, while the Décret Tertiaire dictates the energy results you must achieve. A compliant GTB is the practical tool that lets you meet both: it satisfies the Décret BACS directly and produces the monitoring data and savings needed for the Décret Tertiaire.
Qu'est-ce que la loi BACS impose exactement ?: There is no single "loi BACS" — the obligation comes from a décret (regulation), not a law: Décret n° 2020-887 of 20 July 2020, amended by Décret n° 2023-259 of 7 April 2023. It transposes Article 14 of the original EPBD (2018) and aligns with the recast EPBD Directive 2024/1275 Article 13. The décret requires owners of non-residential buildings to install and maintain a système d'automatisation et de contrôle (a GTB) that can continuously monitor energy use, log and analyse consumption, detect faults and losses of efficiency, and enable communication between the building's technical systems. The system must reach at least Class C of the EN ISO 52120-1 standard (formerly EN 15232). It is not enough to install the hardware once: the décret requires the system to be inspected and kept functional over time.
What happens if I miss the Décret BACS deadline?: The Décret BACS sets a legal obligation, so a non-compliant building is in breach from the deadline onward. The 290 kW threshold has applied to existing buildings since 1 January 2025, and the 70 kW threshold applies from 1 January 2027. Enforcement in France runs primarily through the building-control and energy-audit regime: non-compliance can be identified during mandatory inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems, during transactions, or through OPERAT reporting where the Décret Tertiaire also applies. Beyond the direct legal exposure, the practical risks are real: continued energy waste, higher operating costs, missed CEE funding windows, and a weaker position in any sale or lease where energy performance is scrutinised. Because GTB projects take months to scope, procure, and commission, owners above 70 kW who wait until 2027 are likely to be late.
Le Décret BACS s'applique-t-il aux bâtiments de moins de 290 kW ?: Yes — from 1 January 2027. The original 2020 décret set the threshold at HVAC systems above 290 kW, which has been in force for existing buildings since 1 January 2025. The 2023 amendment (Décret n° 2023-259) introduced a second, lower threshold of 70 kW that takes effect on 1 January 2027 and pulls a much larger share of the French building stock into scope. The relevant figure is the combined effective rated output of the building's heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and combined heating/cooling systems. A mid-sized office or retail unit with, say, an 80 kW heating plant is therefore in scope from 2027 even though it was exempt under the original threshold. France's 2027 date for the 70 kW tier is two years ahead of the EPBD default of 2029.
Le Décret BACS peut-il être financé par les CEE ?: Yes. The installation of a GTB can be partly funded through the Certificats d'Économies d'Énergie (CEE) scheme, using the standardised operation sheet fiche BAT-TH-116 ("Système de gestion technique du bâtiment pour le chauffage, l'eau chaude sanitaire, le refroidissement/climatisation, l'éclairage"). Depending on the building, the system class installed, and the prevailing CEE price, this can offset roughly 20–40% of the GTB installation cost. France's ADEME also publishes guidance, and where the Décret Tertiaire applies, the same GTB investment supports the OPERAT energy-reduction declarations — so a single project can satisfy two regulatory obligations and capture funding at the same time. Funding rules and CEE valuations change over time, so confirm current eligibility before budgeting.

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Sources & assumptions

Legal context is based on Directive (EU) 2024/1275 Article 13, Décret n° 2020-887, Décret n° 2023-259, and Décret n° 2019-771. National implementation details may evolve. This page was last reviewed May 2026.

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Truth-first source policy

Official sources anchor legal and policy claims. Industry guidance can explain practical readiness, but it is not presented as law. Demo assumptions are labelled and must be replaced with verified project data before decisions.

Review source authority levels

This guide provides indicative planning information only. It does not constitute legal, engineering, or financial advice. Confirm requirements with qualified advisers and official sources (ADEME, DGEC, préfectures).