BACS Decree: An extension of the deadline for your commercial buildings!

Extension of the deadline for compliance with requirements regarding building automation and control systems (BACS), temperature control systems, and insulation of heating and cooling distribution networks in commercial buildings

Decree No. 2025-1343 of December 26, 2025, amended the implementation schedule for requirements concerning automation and control systems, temperature control systems for heating and cooling systems, and thermal insulation of heating and cooling distribution networks applicable to existing commercial buildings.

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"BACS" Systems

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The owner(s) of a building’s heating or air conditioning systems are subject to these requirements.

This requirement, which was originally set to take effect on January 1, 2027, for existing commercial buildings (i.e., those for which a building permit was filed before April 8, 2024) equipped with a system having a rated output of more than 70 kW and less than 290 kW, has been postponed until January¹, 2030.

It must therefore be implemented according to the following schedule:

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The guide on the “BACS Decree” explains that this system corresponds to a building management system (BMS). It is designed to control and monitor the management of all technical building systems (heating, air conditioning, ventilation, domestic hot water, as well as lighting, blinds, security systems, etc.).  Under the decree, it is also mandatory to install devices for monitoring, recording, and analyzing energy production and consumption data from technical systems, a function that complements usage regulation.

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Temperature control system

Decree No. 2025-1343 of December 26, 2025, also amends the Energy Code to change the deadline for installing a heating and cooling temperature control system in existing buildings or parts of buildings used for commercial purposes* and in residential buildings.

Thus, this requirement applies:

· Effective January 1, 2027, for buildings or parts of buildings for which a building permit application or a prior declaration is filed on or after that date (unchanged).

· Effective January 1, 2030, for existing buildings or parts of buildings, instead of January 1, 2027 (new).

As a reminder, heating systems connected to a building automation and control system (BACS) are deemed to comply with this requirement.

These systems must automatically regulate the heating/cooling temperature on a per-room basis—or, where appropriate, on a per-heating/cooling-zone basis—at least once per hour.

It is noted that this requirement does not apply:

· standalone heating appliances for which fuel supply is not automated due to technical limitations;

· heating or cooling systems in premises for which the owner provides a study demonstrating that the installation of a local temperature control system is not feasible with a payback period of less than ten years.

Insulation of piping systems

Finally, Decree No. 2025-1343 of December 26, 2025, amends the effective date of the requirement to insulate heating and cooling distribution systems in existing buildings or parts of buildings used for commercial* or residential purposes.

For these buildings, this requirement takes effect on January 1, 2030, rather than January 1, 2027. It still takes effect on January 1, 2027, for so-called “new” buildings—that is, those for which a building permit application or a prior declaration is filed on or after that date.

This applies to any heat distribution system used for heating or domestic hot water that is located outdoors or outside the heated space, and any cooling distribution system used for cooling that is located outdoors or outside the cooled space, particularly in a building or part of a building where tertiary sector activities* are carried out.

The characteristics required for this insulation are defined by decree.

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^{* including both commercial and non-commercial entities, and including those owned by legal entities in the primary sector (natural resource extraction) or the secondary sector (manufacturing).}