DPE: everything you need to know about the reform of the system
On July 1, 2024, the rules will change for becoming a professional in energy performance diagnostics and energy audits for F and G housing. The AFNOR group is strengthening its training program and certification system. So that you can be at the top of your game.
Energy efficiency
In 2023, the public authorities decided to revamp the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) system, which assesses the energy efficiency of a property prior to its sale or rental. You are familiar with the end product: your home's energy label, graded from A to G, with the most energy-intensive categories (those with the highest energy consumption) facing a ban on rental. The aim of this reform is to make the method more reliable and consolidate the skills of diagnosticians, with the ministry hoping to make them key players in the energy transition policy.
On July 1, 2024, new rules will come into effect, covering the training required to become a professional diagnostician (and to upgrade your skills along the way), the certification assessments that this training leads to, and the extension of this EPC certification to energy audits. Any collective or individual dwelling that is being sold or rented and that obtains an F or G label (pending E in 2025 and D in 2034) is subject to an energy audit. In short, these are "energy-inefficient buildings." The purpose of this audit is to lead to renovation work to reduce energy loss. It has nothing to do with the energy audit required of large companies every four years, nor with the ISO 50001 certification audit.
More in-person classes, tougher certification exams
In terms of training, the new system significantly increases the minimum duration of initial training: 56 hours for the EPC without mention (the terms "without mention" and "with mention" reflect the distinction between EPCs by batch in buildings used primarily for residential purposes and EPCs for all buildings). Part of the practical training is held in person, with hours spent in the field in real or converted buildings or parts of buildings. AFNOR Compétences has already aligned itself with this foundation, with several modules, including this one in initial training valid after July 1, 2024 for unmarked items, and this one for the mention.
AFNOR Compétences also organizes the new mentoring program, which is part of the reform and involves two real and comprehensive assignments to be completed during the first 12 months of the cycle. Continuing education courses are also available for diagnosticians who are required to prepare their roadmap for the second to seventh year after obtaining certification. Whether it is AFNOR Compétences or another organization, all training organizations must include a training test case, i.e., a scenario in which a diagnosis is made based on the information provided.
In terms of certification, the requirements are also becoming stricter. The exam will still consist of a theoretical part and a practical part, but as of July 1, 2024, the theoretical part will include a face-to-face exam with a set duration (90 minutes for the non-specialized exam plus 45 minutes for the specialized exam). It will still be a multiple-choice test, but the level of difficulty will be the same across all certification bodies, as the questions will be drawn from a national database. A pass mark of 75% will be required.
The practical exam will take the form of a simulation until December 31, 2025. Starting January 1, 2026, it must be conducted on a real or converted building. AFNOR Certification offers certification for individuals. "DPE without mention" as reviewed here and " DPE with honors "here. Once the exam has been passed and certification obtained, the diagnostician must undergo checks, both documentary and in the field ("on site"), bearing in mind that "at cruising speed, an EPC professional carries out around twenty assignments per month," says Séverine Micheau, who monitors the issue at AFNOR Certification and was the government and professional federations' point of contact for organizing the reform. It should be noted that the entire chain is affected by the strengthening of this system: owners, real estate agents, property managers, notaries, professionals, etc. "Everyone must work together and contribute to the quality of EPCs by taking a responsible approach, the first step being to provide professionals with the technical data on the building so that they can prepare for the assignment," explains Séverine Micheau.
An extension to the energy audit
Regarding the extension of certification for energy audits of F and G housing, what AFNOR Certification offers here The decree of December 20, 2023 introduces a new requirement: to hold a valid EPC certification for at least two years during the last three years and to have completed energy audit training. AFNOR Compétences offers this training course can be found here , but it is of course also possible to use another training organization that complies with regulatory requirements in order to register for the certification process.
The work of certified diagnosticians performing energy audits is subject to checks carried out by certification bodies and regulated by a decree dated June 14, 2024. Finally, it should be noted that the market for "energy efficiency" audits is open to players other than diagnosticians: engineering firms and architectural firms, for which a qualification is required, as well as certification from a technical advisor.
One last point to bear in mind: best practices for EPC assessors will soon be set in stone in the form of a standard, similar to the asbestos assessment standard. Work will be undertaken in this regard with AFNOR Standardization, involving all stakeholders: public authorities, professional federations, training organizations, and certification bodies. A kick-off meeting will be held at the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion on October 3, 2024.
