31-42_breeam prospekt.qxd
05.03.2013
15:35 Uhr
Seite 34
Key features of BREEAM There are now BREEAM schemes for new buildings, existing buildings, refurbishment projects and large developments. They are assessed, rated and certified on a scale of ‘Pass’, ‘Good’, ‘Very Good’, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Outstanding’. More than 200,000 buildings have been BREEAM certified, with around a million registered for certification. The key features contributing to the scheme’s success include: Independence The BREEAM assessment process is based on an international network of more than 2600 fully trained and licensed, independent BREEAM Assessors. This approach gives added assurance that BREEAM rated buildings are genuinely as sustainable as they claim – and that the highest scoring buildings represent some of the best examples of sustainable design and construction in the world. Scientific rigour and regular updates The BRE Group, the originator of BREEAM, has been at the forefront of scientific research and development in the built environment sectors for more than 90 years and in recent decades has taken a leading role in sustainability issues. BREEAM is a tried and tested standard that has been proven in the marketplace. It is nevertheless regularly updated in line with new developments, evolving legislation, feedback from users, and consultations with professionals and experts around the industry. The current standard was launched in 2011 and the next update is due in 2013. Holistic approach The BREEAM assessment encompasses sustainability in its widest sense – not just energy use and carbon emissions, but also a wide range of issues concerned with water consumption, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management. Driver of sustainability The aim of BREEAM is not only to recognise and reward buildings with genuinely sustainable credentials, but also to improve sustainability in those buildings and in the built environment as a whole. The targets set by the BREEAM standard encourage and help developers and project teams to push beyond regulatory requirements for sustainability. Support for innovation In a survey conducted in the UK by BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association) for Schneider Electric, nearly nine out of ten (87%) of respondents said that BREEAM drives investment in innovative techniques and technologies. To further encourage innovation, additional credits are available as part of the BREEAM assessment for innovations that take forward some aspect of sustainability.
The Hive, Schneider Electric’s international headquarters in Paris, which achieved the first Outstanding rating under the new BREEAM In-Use International.