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/ Why conduct such audits /
A building audit, in other words, a detailed assessment, is a tool serving a specific objective. It may aim to reassure the landlord regarding its potential use, to determine the longevity of the construction, or to identify the necessary works to ensure its proper functioning.
This is referred to as a technical audit.
However, it can also involve understanding its environmental impact and its actual energy consumption.
Reducing this consumption has become a legal obligation since the publication of the decree related to the Tertiary Eco-Energy Scheme, issued in 2019, stemming from the ELAN law published in 2014, which mandates a 60% reduction in energy consumption for tertiary building stock by 2050, compared to a reference year defined between 2010 and 2019.
This is where the energy audit comes into play.
/ How Audits are Conducted /
The technical audit aims to ensure the structural integrity of the building, its watertightness, the quality and condition of its equipment, its durability, and the safety of its occupants. Naturally, it also verifies regulatory compliance. The auditor begins with a visual inspection of the facade, exterior walls, roof, openings, etc. Subsequently, they examine the condition of the framework, foundations, coverings, roofing, and the heating, air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, and plumbing systems. These control measures can be undertaken preventively or correctively.
The energy audit aims to ascertain, in detail, a building's energy consumption to identify and implement measures for its reduction. It thus incorporates recommendations that form an improvement plan with a quantified cost. The conduct of such an audit is governed by European standard EN 16247.
Auditors employ two types of simulation to measure thermal exchanges within a building. Static thermal simulation relies on existing data (such as the composition of heat-loss walls, number of occupants, installed lighting power, air change rate, ventilation equipment power, and heating and air conditioning setpoint temperatures) to estimate consumption and identify potential heat losses, assuming interior temperatures are time-independent.
Dynamic thermal simulation, using specific software, estimates a building's heating and air conditioning needs by considering precise ambient meteorological data, occupancy scenarios, HVAC presets, and the evolution of interior temperature over a chosen period. This offers a more comprehensive approach than the static version.
It also enables, for instance, the prediction of future consumption by adjusting meteorological data.
/ Sinteo Experts /
The climate emergency, evolving regulations, and increasing energy prices place the profession of auditor specializing in tertiary buildings at the heart of contemporary challenges.
Our thermal engineers receive in-house training on our methodologies. They dedicate approximately 20% of their time to various sites, each presenting distinct challenges (e.g., commercial spaces, hospitality, offices), and subsequently develop both short-term and long-term scenarios.
Even a recent building with inherently good energy performance can exhibit excessive consumption.
The key challenge lies in the operational management of its equipment, specifically through effective regulation.