Electric recharging regulations for commercial buildings: what companies need to know

Electrification is no longer an option, it's an obligation. For companies operating in the commercial real estate sectorthe question of recharging electric vehicles is becoming an unavoidable regulatory issue. Between the requirements of the French Building Code, the effects of the Loi LOM and the changes brought about by the Décret Tertiaire, players have to navigate a dense and constantly evolving legal framework. Pre-equipment, installation of terminals, accessibility, minimum equipment rates... obligations vary according to the nature of the building, its date of construction, or its use. This article provides an overview of the regulations you need to know in order to remain compliant, anticipate investments and enhance the value of your commercial assets.

A growing regulatory framework for commercial buildings

Commercial property managers are faced with rapidly changing regulations. The objective is clear: to accelerate the electrification of parking facilities, in order to support the transition to electric vehicles, both within the company and for customers and visitors.

The LOM Act: an essential legal basis

Adopted at the end of 2019, the French Mobility Orientation Law (Loi d'Orientation des Mobilités - LOM ) will gradually require commercial real estate players to equip their parking lots with charging stations or, at the very least, to pre-equip them. This ambitious text applies to different types of buildings, depending on whether they are new, existing or renovated, with tailored requirements:

• For new commercial buildings with more than 10 parking spaces, 20% of the spaces must be pre-equipped for parking bays, with at least one bays actually installed.
• For existing buildings with more than 20 places, a 5% equipment requirement comes into force from January 1, 2025.
• In the case of major renovations (cost > 25% of the building's value), the rules applicable to new buildings apply.

Mixed-use parking lots (tertiary and residential) must apply a pro rata obligation, based on surface area or number of users.

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Building Code strengthens technical requirements

At the same time, the Construction and Housing Code (CCH) lays down strict rules for new commercial buildings. In addition to pre-equipment requirements, they also govern :

• Location of IRVE infrastructure (low-voltage switchboards, technical trenches).
• Electrical safety linked to the use of high-power terminals.
• The proportion of accessible PMR spaces, i.e. 2% of total spaces.

These technical standards guarantee that future IRVE installations will be reliable, scalable and compliant, while limiting the additional costs of retrofitting.

Property owners and managers must therefore take these constraints into account right from the design or renovation phase, or risk costly non-compliance, or even a ban on commissioning.

Pre-equipment vs. installation: understanding the regulatory difference

One of the most common confusions concerns the difference between pre-equipment and actual installation of terminals. Yet this distinction is essential if we are to correctly anticipate investments and meet legal obligations in commercial real estate.

Pre-equipment: preparation without installation

Pre-equipment consists of equipping parking spaces with the conduits, ducts, wiring and reservations required for future installation of charging stations. This is not yet operational equipment, but a passive device designed to facilitate and reduce the cost of future installation.

This obligation applies mainly to new commercial buildings:

• 20% of pitches must be pre-equipped.
• 2% of pitches must be accessible to people with reduced mobility (PRM) and also pre-equipped.

This pre-equipment enables building owners or users to deploy bollards on demand, without any major intervention on the parking lot structure.

Installation: meeting an immediate need

Effective installation involves the installation and commissioning of a functional charging station. It is required in the following cases:

• At least one terminal installed in new commercial buildings with more than 10 places.
• 5% active terminals in existing commercial buildings by 2025.
• Two terminals installed on delivery if the parking lot has more than 200 spaces.

This equipment must be compatible with IRVE standards, interoperable, communicative (OCPP protocol recommended) and easy to supervise. They must also be accessible and, in some cases, linked to a supervision system to ensure proper operation.

💡 Practical tip: pre-equipment can be integrated into the asset management strategy, while installation can be progressively financed by users or integrated into rental services.

This distinction enables managers to spread investment over time, while ensuring immediate site compliance.

Tertiary decree and IRVE: a strategic convergence

In addition to the specific obligations associated with recharging infrastructures, commercial real estate companies also have to deal with the Tertiary Decree, which imposes a gradual reduction in the energy consumption of commercial buildings. This text, which complements the LOM law, can be a lever for enhancing the value of charging stations, provided they are properly integrated into the overall energy strategy.

The Tertiary Decree: objectives and scope

Coming into force in 2019, the Tertiary Decree requires all tertiary buildings over 1,000 m² :

• A 40% reduction in energy consumption by 2030,
• 50% by 2040,
• And 60% by 2050.

It concerns both owners and operators, and involves the annual declaration of energy consumption on the OPERAT platform.

If poorly managed, the installation of electric charging stations can have a major impact on a building's consumption, compromising the achievement of objectives. Conversely, intelligent management of IRVEs enables charging to be controlled, optimized during off-peak hours and integrated into a smart charging or photovoltaic self-consumption system.

Towards a synergy between IRVE and energy performance

The key is not to consider charging stations as a mere functional addition, but as a link in the energy performance plan. To achieve this, we recommend :

• Supervise IRVE consumption via a centralized platform.
• Integrate recharging into the building energy management system (BEMS).
• Focus on controllable bollards, capable of adapting to peaks and troughs in demand.
• Produce part of the energy required via solar power and direct charging accordingly.

By proceeding in this way, commercial building managers can not only comply with the Loi LOM, but also gain energy performance points, reducing their exposure to regulatory risk and enhancing the value of their real estate assets. and enhance the value of their real estate assets with a view to sustainability.

How to comply: key steps and best practices

Complying with regulations on recharging electric vehicles in commercial buildings involves much more than simply installing a few charging points. It's a structuring project that needs to be integrated into the long-term management of the building. Here are the essential steps for effective compliance, with no unpleasant surprises.

Step 1: Perform a technical audit of your site

First and foremost, it is essential to evaluate :

• The number of parking spaces concerned,
• Thestate of the existing electrical network (main LV board, capacity, infrastructure),
• Equipment already installed, if any,
• Opportunities for development in the short, medium and long term.

This audit enables us to determine the level of pre-equipment required, identify any technical constraints (overloading, trenches, ventilation, etc.) and define priority locations for the installation of bollards.

Step 2: Design a scalable strategy

There's no need to install everything at once: it's advisable to prepare the ground for gradual installations, depending on actual demand, parking lot occupancy rates or tenant needs.

To do this:

• Provide for widespread pre-equipment (minimum 20% of spaces) when building or renovating.
• Install a few operational kiosks in phase 1, then plan additional rollouts.
• Integrate a monitoring system from the outset, to track usage and identify areas for optimization.

A step-by-step approach optimizes costs while complying with regulations from the earliest stages of the project.

Step 3: Choose a reliable, compliant IRVE operator

The technical partner is a key success factor. He must be able to :

• Supply equipment that complies with IRVE standards,
• Certified installation (qualified IRVE technicians),
• Offer secure supervision and regulatory support (reporting, alerts, updates).

💡 With Bump, you benefit from an all-in-one offer for tertiary real estate companies:

• Technical audit of the site,
• Pre-fitting and installation of terminals,
• Secure, centralized supervision,
• Preventive maintenance,
• Ready-to-use regulatory reporting, compatible with your OPERAT and CSR obligations.

It's the ideal solution for combining simplicity, compliance and profitability in the management of your commercial parking lots.

Commercial real estate: anticipating electric recharging means enhancing the value of your assets

Far from being an administrative constraint, the regulations governing electric recharging are in fact an opportunity to transform commercial real estate. By integrating compliant and intelligent IRVE infrastructures today, real estate :

• meet the requirements of the LOM Act, the French Building Code and the Decree on Tertiary Buildings, or even the BREEAM label.
• provide their customers or lessees with a reliable, scalable recharging service,
• and prepare their real estate for tomorrow's mobility, while enhancing the value of their assets.

Buildings that are able to offer well-designed, well-supervised and well-integrated charging stations as part of their energy performance will be more attractive, more resilient and better equipped to meet new market expectations.

And with a partner like Bump, capable of providing auditing, installation, supervision and maintenance, you no longer have to choose between regulatory compliance and management simplicity: you get both.

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