The new E⁺C^- certification label indicates the use of best practices established for buildings with high energy and environmental performance levels.

The E⁺C^- is jointly composed of an Energy factor (evaluated via the “BEPOS” rating indicator) and a Carbon factor (evaluated via the “Carbon” indicator).
In order to account for the specific features of different building types, localities and costs incurred, buildings may achieve one of 4 possible performance levels for Energy and one of two possible levels for Carbon.

In this way, property developers may select the two indicators that are best suited to their particular project in order to participate in the trial scheme and/or obtain the certification label : for example, Energy level 2 and Carbon Level 1.

Obtaining the certification label is in no way conditional upon participation in the trial scheme. As such, a developer for a building having undergone an energy and environmental performance evaluation under the conditions necessary for the trial scheme may apply for evaluation directly with the trial scheme Observatory.

Certification bodies authorised to award the label

The E⁺C^- certification label is only awarded by one of 5 certification bodies having been approved to do so by the government :

Céquami for individual homes on isolated lots. More information : Convention (format pdf - 13.7 ko - 04/02/2019)
Cerqual for collective residences and grouped individual homes, as well as serviced housing units and care homes. More information : Convention (format pdf - 263.9 ko - 04/02/2019)
Certivéa for non-residential buildings. More information : Convention (format pdf - 263.1 ko - 04/02/2019)
Prestaterre CERTIFICATIONS for collective residences and individual homes. More information : Convention (format pdf - 1.5 Mo - 04/02/2019)
Promotelec Services for collective residences and individual homes. More information : Convention (format pdf - 254.2 ko - 04/02/2019)

Certification Label : Terms and Conditions

Prior to the compliance assessments described above, the operator having requested the certification label must provide the certification body with the following documents :

• plans and measurements for the construction project ;
• reports of standardised thermal and environmental studies, so that the certification body has access to all data modelling, calculation assumptions and performance calculations for each building, in particular regarding their energy performance across all applications and devices, _BEPOS Rating, greenhouse gas emissions throughout the building’s life cycle Eges, and GHG emissions for all products and equipment used during the construction process, Eges_PCE ;
• precise reference values and the software version used to calculate key indicators _BEPOS Rating, Eges and Eges_PCE ;

Upon receipt of a request for E⁺C^- certification, the certification body provides the requesting operator with acknowledgement of their application, indicating the operator’s engagement in the certification process and specifying the performance levels they aim to achieve.

Definitive attribution of the certification label may only occur after checks have been carried out to assess the building’s compliance with the label’s requirements ; these checks are carried out by the certification body based on the procedures outlined below, and no later than one year after the building work has been deemed complete.

Procedure for Compliance Checks

The certification body responsible for awarding the E⁺C^- label must carry out at least two compliance checks : 1 during the study phase and 1 during the site phase.

During the “Study” phase

Before the launch of the call for contracting tenders (at the latest), the certification body must verify the validity of the application, particularly :

1. that the building’s energy performances will satisfy the criteria for attribution of the label.
2. that environmental data modelling is complete, coherent and complies with the Energy Carbon reference framework, as well as the plausibility of results obtained.

If the application dossier complies with the requirements of the label at this stage, a “Study Phase” compliance certificate is issued.

During the “Site” phase

The applicant must inform the certification body of all modifications made to the initial project plan, along with calculations of their effects on previously-stated energy performance and GHG emissions levels. The certification body will then re-verify that the building’s thermal performance, GHG emissions level, materials, products, methods and equipment satisfy the necessary criteria for attribution of the label in terms of completeness, coherence, compliance with the reference framework and reliability of results.

The certification body will also carry out an on-site inspection before building work is deemed complete.
During this inspection, they will verify :

• the building’s layout and the environmental conditions indicated in the calculations ;
• via spot checks, that work being carried out is in compliance with the documents and models provided, as well as the correct use of materials, products and equipment (wall insulation, surface coatings, openings, installation of heating, air conditioning and hot water systems, ventilation, exterior installations and parking spaces). The inspection team will flag any aspects of the project that are not up to standard.

Should the inspection find one or several instances of non-compliance, the developer must commit to rectifying the situation as quickly as possible (no later than 12 months after building work has been officially completed).

At the outcome of the “site phase” compliance inspection, or once all non-compliance issues have been rectified, the certification body issues a certificate indicating that the project has met the necessary requirements for the certification label at the performance levels stated in the application.

Misuse of the Certification Label

Only property developers having been awarded a certification label by one of the 5 government-approved certification bodies may use the “label branding” in accordance with the official style guide set by the French government, which in particular forbids any modification of the proportion or colours of the logo and/or image. Any violation of the terms of use of the brand, particularly fraudulent use thereof, may result in counterfeiting charges being brought.

Terms of use for the EU Trademark no. 16605666 “ENERGIE POSITIVE & REDUCTION CARBONE E+C-” were registered with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on 18 March 2017.

Role of certification bodies in the Trial Scheme Observatory

As part of the trial scheme, during each of the two phases (study and site) the certification bodies provide the Observatory database with technical and economic data for each operation having applied for an E+C- certification label.
Certification bodies also provide the Observatory with recommendations regarding the architecture and operation of the trial scheme database.