BBC Effinergie

BBC-effinergie® is a label identifying new buildings whose very low energy requirements help to meet the 2050 targets: dividing greenhouse gas emissions by four.
The ministerial order of 3 May 2007 sets out the regulatory requirements of the BBC (low-energy building) label, which the Grenelle Environment Forum adopted as the 2012 target for new buildings. It takes up the values defined by the Effinergie® association, namely a consumption target of 50 kWhep/m²/year (primary energy) for new residential buildings.
As the energy performance of buildings improves, heat lost through air renewal accounts for an ever greater share of the heating balance. What is more, an apartment building, a house or any building that is not airtight (unwanted infiltration) suffers from poorer air quality and occupant comfort, as well as a greater risk of condensation. A well-sealed building envelope ensures that air flows properly from the main living spaces to the service rooms, as intended by the ventilation system, so that air-management systems are genuinely effective.
The RT2005 thermal regulations set benchmark air-permeability targets for the building envelope and give recognition to a quality-driven approach to airtightness.