BREEAM International New Construction Version 6
Ene 01 Calculation Methodology (GN48)
Guidance Note 48 describes the calculation methodology for energy performance under the Ene 01 issue of BREEAM International New Construction Version 6. The methodology has been revised for the new version of the scheme and uses a triple metric approach that addresses energy demand, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. The aim of using this approach is to recognise and promote designs that minimise energy consumption in buildings, and reduce the carbon emissions from that energy use.
Current version: v1.1, published February 2022
BREEAM UK and Home Quality Mark
Ecology Assessment Issues Reporting Template (GN40)
The purpose of Guidance Note 40 is to help the Assessor relate the information generated during the project to the BREEAM or HQM ecology assessment issues in the scheme being used for assessment.
Either the Assessor, project team member or the Suitably Qualified Ecologist appointed by the project team can complete the reporting template. The completed document can then be used by the Assessor along with all relevant project documentation to assess for compliance with the BREEAM or HQM ecology assessment criteria.
Current version: v0.1, published June 2020
BREEAM UK New Construction 2018
Ene 01 Calculation Methodology (GN39)
The calculation methodology for determining energy performance in the BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 version has been revised for the 2018 version of the scheme. The methodology is based on compliance modelling and uses a triple metric approach that addresses energy demand, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The aim of using this approach is to enhance the ability of BREEAM to recognise and promote designs that minimise energy demand and consumption in buildings and then to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from that energy use. Guidance Note 39 sets out the new approach.
Current version: v1.0, published November 2019
BREEAM UK New Construction 2018
Scheme Assessment Timeline (GN37)
The purpose of Guidance Note 37 is to assist with optimising a project’s sustainability performance under the UK New Construction 2018 scheme. It outlines at which plan of works stage credits should be addressed and ideally when these should be considered by the design team, planner, contractors, owners, occupiers and other members of the project team to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating at the minimum cost. It demonstrates that where BREEAM advice is taken on too late within the design and construction phases a number of BREEAM credits may not be achieved or only at additional cost or disruption.
Current version: v1.0, published June 2018
BREEAM UK, CEEQUAL and HQM
Ecology Calculation Methodology – Route 2 (GN36)
This Guidance Note is applicable for BREEAM, CEEQUAL and HQM schemes used in the UK which opened for registrations from 2018 onwards. Guidance Note 36 sets out the calculation methodology and process used within the above schemes for the purpose of calculating a ‘change in ecological value’ resulting from a project being assessed.
Current version: v0.0 published May 2018
BREEAM UK, CEEQUAL and HQM
Ecology Calculation Methodology – Route 2, Appendix C (GN36)
Appendix C to Guidance Note 36, Habitat Type Classification and Reference Index
Current version: v0.0 published May 2018
BREEAM UK, CEEQUAL and HQM
Ecology Risk Evaluation Checklist (GN34)
This Guidance Note is the checklist for Ecology Risk Evaluation for the relevant assessment issue(s) in the BREEAM, CEEQUAL and HQM schemes in the United Kingdom.
Current version: v0.0 published June 2018
BREEAM UK New Construction 2018
Energy Prediction and Post Occupancy Assessment (GN32)
The gap between predicted and actual energy performance of new buildings is acknowledged to be significant. One aim of BREEAM is to encourage all those involved in the building design, construction, commissioning, facilities management and operation to take practical steps to close this performance gap. To this end, Guidance Note 32 describes the energy performance prediction and subsequent post-occupancy monitoring methodology for the BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 scheme.
Current version: v1.2, published November 2021
BREEAM UK Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit-Out 2014
Scheme Assessment Timeline (GN31)
The purpose of Guidance Note 31 is to assist with optimising a project’s sustainability performance under the 2014 UK Refurbishment and Fit-out scheme. It outlines at which RIBA stage credits should be addressed and ideally considered by the design team, planner, contractors, owners, occupiers and other members of the project team to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating at the minimum cost. It demonstrates that where BREEAM advice is taken on too late within the design and construction phases a number of BREEAM credits may not be achieved.
Some projects may have short timescales due to the nature of Refurbishment and Fit-Out works with considerable overlap between stages. Thus some actions will have to be completed at a later RIBA stage than indicated in this document. However, early decisions can create opportunities and minimise barriers that impact on the ability of project teams to meet BREEAM criteria at a later stage in the project.
Current version: v0.0, published July 2017
BREEAM International New Construction 2016
Scheme Assessment Timeline (GN30)
The purpose of Guidance Note 30 is to assist with optimising a project’s sustainability performance under the 2016 version of the International New construction scheme. It outlines at which stage of work credits should be addressed and ideally when these should be considered by the design team, planner, contractors, owners, occupiers and other members of the project team to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating at the minimum cost. It demonstrates that where BREEAM advice is taken on too late within the design and construction phases a number of BREEAM credits may not be achieved.
Current version: v0.0, published June 2017
BREEAM UK New Construction 2011
Scheme Assessment Timeline (GN19)
The purpose of Guidance Note 19 is to assist with optimising a project’s BREEAM performance under the 2011 version of the UK New Construction scheme. It outlines at which RIBA stage assessment issues should be considered and addressed by the project team, client and other stakeholders to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating for the best value. It demonstrates that where BREEAM and BREEAM-related advice is considered or acted on too late within the design and construction phase, the opportunity to achieve a more sustainable development is reduced and a number of assessment credits may not be achieved.
Current version: v0.0, published August 2014
BREEAM UK New Construction 2014
Surface Water Run-Off: Relating drainage reports to BREEAM (GN15)
The purpose of Guidance Note 15 is to assist BREEAM Assessors in relating the contents of a drainage report to the surface water run-off and minimising watercourse pollution criteria in the Pol 03 assessment issue (Surface water run-off and minimising water course pollution) of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 scheme. This template can be used by the BREEAM Assessor and the appropriate consultant as supporting evidence for their assessment of the building and award of BREEAM credits.
Current version: v0.2, published November 2014
BREEAM UK New Construction 2014
Scheme Assessment Timeline (GN14)
The purpose of Guidance Note 14 is to assist with optimising a project’s BREEAM performance under the 2014 version of the UK New Construction scheme. It outlines at which RIBA stage assessment issues should be considered and addressed by the project team, client and other stakeholders to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating for the best value. It demonstrates that where BREEAM and BREEAM-related advice is considered or acted on too late within the design and construction phase, the opportunity to achieve a more sustainable development is reduced and a number of assessment credits may not be achieved.
Current version: 0.0, published April 2016
Assessing Health and Wellbeing in Buildings
Alignment between BREEAM USA and Fitwel
This document provides assistance for those wishing to obtain both a certified BREEAM USA In-Use rating and a Fitwel rating. It provides guidance on the areas where assessment under one method can result in efficiencies in assessment under another. It outlines how certified BREEAM USA In-Use credits may be used to demonstrate compliance with Fitwel and identifies areas where design teams can demonstrate compliance using the same evidence for both programs.
BREEAM UK & International New Construction
Relating Ecologist’s Report and BREEAM New Construction (GN13)
The purpose of Guidance Note 13 is to help the BREEAM Assessor relate the content of the ecologist’s report to the BREEAM Land Use and Ecology section criteria (assessment issues LE 02, LE 03 (UK only), LE 04 and LE 05). This guidance note is to be used for registered BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 and International New Construction 2016 assessments, where an ecologist has been appointed by the client and they have produced an ecology report for the proposed development.
Current version: v1.1, published April 2016
Assessing Health and Wellbeing in Buildings
Alignment between BREEAM and the WELL Building Standard
This document provides assistance for those wishing to obtain both a certified BREEAM rating and WELL Certification. It provides guidance on the areas where assessment under one method can result in efficiencies in assessment under the other. It outlines how credits awarded in a certified BREEAM assessment may be used to demonstrate compliance with WELL features post occupation and identifies areas where project teams can demonstrate compliance using the same evidence for both schemes.
Current version: v2.0, published January 2018
Green Guide to Specification, Certified Environmental Profiles and BREEAM
The selection and procurement of construction materials makes a major contribution to the life cycle impacts of a building across the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability.
Much is talked about materials selection and many sources of information are available mostly at the level of an individual material. Through BREEAM, BRE has encouraged a more whole building level consideration of materials through the use of robust and science-based approaches and BRE’s Green Guide ratings and Environmental Profiles Certification scheme have been at the forefront of the environmental assessment of the built environment using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, the current focus on whole building LCAs reflects a strategic shift in the approach taken in sustainability assessment of the built environment within the BREEAM family, and the implications of this shift on the future of Green Guide ratings and Environmental Profiles Certification are described in this document.
New Methodology for Generating BREEAM Category Weightings
In order to reflect current circumstances, BRE has recently carried out a process of reviewing and updating the BREEAM scheme category weightings. This involved the development of a new, independently peer reviewed, weightings methodology that has subsequently been implemented to derive new consensus-based category weightings for use in recently updated BREEAM schemes operated by BRE Global.
This briefing paper provides an overview of the new weightings methodology, which will be used to generate consensus-based category weightings for all BREEAM schemes moving forward. It provides a means of regularly reviewing weightings in a way that ensures a high level of transparency
Assessing Carbon Emissions in BREEAM
Often the forerunner of regulation, and continually challenging the industry to go beyond standard practice and innovate, BREEAM has been driving reductions in building energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions since the first scheme was launched in 1990. A recent analysis of assessment data showed that BREEAM assessed buildings achieve an average 22% reduction in CO2 emissions, and over the next five years, BRE has committed to work with industry to deliver over 9,000 certified buildings with emissions savings in excess of 900,000 tonnes of CO2.
This briefing paper gives an overview of how the schemes and assessment methodologies have evolved in response to changes in industry knowledge and practice, how they might develop in future, and how BREEAM assessed buildings perform in terms of predicted carbon emissions savings.
Health & Wellbeing in BREEAM
A key focus of BREEAM is the impact that a building or other asset has on the health and wellbeing of its occupants, visitors, neighbours and those involved in its procurement and construction. Since the first scheme was launched to address the design and construction of offices in 1990, improving indoor environmental quality and occupant health has been one of the main objectives of BREEAM.
With BREEAM in its 25th year as the world’s foremost environmental assessment methodology for the built environment, this guide has been produced to provide an overview of how BREEAM continues to drive best practice and address the impacts of the built environment on health and wellbeing.
Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience: Managing Climate Change Risk Through BREEAM
Since the 1990s, BREEAM has been at the forefront of the resilience movement; embedding within its core key drivers for the design, construction and operation of a built environment that not only helps to mitigate climate change, but is also well adapted to manage its associated risks.
As the longest standing sustainability assessment method and rating system for the built environment, there is a BREEAM scheme for any type of building; new or existing, anywhere in the world.
Sustainability Bites?
The impact of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for commercial real estate lending
In recent years sustainability risks and drivers have had a transformational impact on the way in which equity investors approach direct real estate investment and management. One of the greatest drivers we’re now seeing in the UK is the introduction of regulatory Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
This paper sets out the current thinking from the Better Buildings Partnership regarding the risks associated with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for commercial real estate lenders and the practical steps lenders can take to mitigate such risks. We also touch on some of the wider sustainability considerations lenders may wish to take into account and the value creation opportunities they offer.
