Summary of changes between BREEAM 2011 and 2014

01st October 2014

Summary of changes between BREEAM 2011 and 2014

Hannan Associates Building Services Consultants

Last Updated 141001Summary of changes between BREEAM 2011 and 2014 (updated)

1.0 Introduction This brief document highlights the key changes identified following the release of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 technical manual.

It is nearly three years since the last major change to the Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM). The progression from BREEAM 2008 to 2011 heralded a significant step change in the direction and focus of the approach, requiring greater detail and evidential proof.

BREEAM 2014 is set to raise the bar to a whole new level through the reclassification of evidence types, the recognition of passive design and the delineation of construction practices such as shell and core, shell only and fit-out assessments.

2.0 BREEAM 2014 / 2011 Comparison

2.1 Fully Fitted / Shell Only / Shell and Core

The key change to BREEAM 2014 and potentially the most significant for shell and core development, relates to the removal of the Green Lease and Green Building Guide evidence options. The BRE have confirmed that fit-out works will be assessed along with refurbishments under the forthcoming BREEAM Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit Out scheme slated for release during the second half of 2014.

The shell and core assessment option is only available for the following non-domestic building types:

Office

Retail

Industrial

2.2 Environmental weighting

Each BREEAM issue is assessed by a category percentage score based on the number of credits achieved over those available within a category, and an environmental weighting applied (as shown in Table 1).

The environmental weighting for BREEAM 2014 has been significantly altered from 2011 to take into account the delineation of fit-out level. The weighting categories are now separated into three specific types as per section 2.1, this separation aims to reflect the value of each category following the filtration of credits that are specifically related to fit-out works, thus maximising the potential BREEAM rating.

The major weighting change under the standard fully fitted approach relates to the Energy section which has seen a reduction from 19% to a 15% contribution to the total score.

The draft environmental weightings are as follows:

Issue Category Fully fitted out Shell only Shell and

core only Management 12%  12.5%  11% Health and Wellbeing 15%  10%  10.50% Energy 15%  14.5%  15% Transport 9%  11.5%  10% Water 7%  4%  7.50% Materials 13.5%  17.5%  14.50% Waste 8.5%  11%  9.50% Land Use and Ecology 10%  13%  11% Pollution 10%  6%  11% Innovation 10%  10%  10% 

Table 1: Draft environmental weighting

2.3 BREEAM Rating Benchmarks

The BREEAM ratings remain untouched from the 2011 version as indicated in the table below:

BREEAM Rating % Score Outstanding ≥ 85 Excellent ≥ 70 Very good ≥ 55 Good ≥ 45 Pass ≥ 30 Unclassified < 30

2.4 BREEAM Sections

2.4.1 Management

The Management section has been comprehensively revamped with many of the existing credits incorporated into the vast Man 01, separated and redistributed throughout the Management section.

Under the new scheme Commissioning and Aftercare have been given their own specific credit sections with increased emphasis on the operation of the building post BREEAM certification.

2.4.2 Health and Wellbeing

The credit Hea 04 ‘Water Quality’ has been removed and replaced by Hea 03 ‘Safe containment in laboratories’.

2.4.3 Energy

The Energy section has been significantly altered in line with the change in Building Regulations towards a fabric first approach.

Ene 01 ‘Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions’ continues to utilise the Energy Performance Ratio for New Constructions (EPRNC) as per 2011, however the number of credits available has been reduced from 15 to 12, the number of credits required to achieve Excellent has been reduced from 6 to 5 (however the EPRNC required to gain each credit has become greater) and finally the Excellent minimum standard 25% reduction in CO2 emissions arising from regulated building energy consumption has been removed.

The inclusion of Passive Design within the rebadged Ene 04 ‘Low Carbon Design’ credit in place of LZC technologies, recognises the requirement for renewable energy technologies within Building Regulations and marks a movement towards a ‘Mean’ design philosophy consistent with the Energy Hierarchy.

2.4.4 Materials

The materials section has gained a new credit titled Mat 06 ‘Material efficiency’ which aims to optimise material usage during the RIBA Stages 1 ‘Preparation’, 2 ‘Concept Design’, 3 ‘Developed Design’, 4 ‘Technical Design’ and 6 ‘Construction’. This will include procurement and waste utilisation.

2.4.5 Waste

The waste section sees the inclusion of two new credits Wst 05 ‘Adaptation to climate change’ and Wst 06 ‘Functional adaptability’.

The former aims to recognise and encourage measures taken to mitigate the impact of extreme weather conditions arising from climate change over the lifespan of the building through a climate change adaptation strategy appraisal. The latter aims to future proof the building through a functional adaptation strategy appraisal.

2.4.6 Land Use & Ecology

The Land Use and Ecology section remains almost untouched under the new scheme. Site selection and the importance of developing low ecological value sites has increased. Fewer credits are available for enhancing site ecology and credits cannot be awarded for a nominal change in ecological value of a site.

2.4.7 Pollution

The Pollution section remains almost unchanged except for minor simplifications and updated standards.

Pol 02 ‘NOx emissions’ now requires all buildings (except Industrial) to assess the NOx emissions associated with both hot water and space heating, where water heating uses 10% or greater of the total heating demand.

Summary of changes between BREEAM 2011 and 2014

Hannan Associates Building Services Consultants

Last Updated 141001Summary of changes between BREEAM 2011 and 2014 (updated)

2.5 Evidence

The Evidence section for each issue now lists the 'specific evidence' required only. 'The BREEAM evidential requirements' section provides guidance on the types of 'general evidence' that can be used in combination with 'specific evidence' to demonstrate that all criteria have been complied with.

The three evidence types now available to the project team are as follows:

1. General evidence, 2. Specific evidence, and 3. Other evidence.

2.6 BREEAM AP / Sustainability Champion

BREEAM 2014 maintains the BREEAM Accredited Professional credits in the new guise of an accredited ‘Sustainability Champion’. The Sustainability Champion emphasises the need for BREEAM design to become an integral role of the project team. This approach encourages a holistic view of sustainability, the identification of ‘quick wins’ (including specific free credits) at an early stage of project design and allows organisations to develop an understanding of how BREEAM works with and augments their own unique sustainability requirements. The ‘Sustainability Champion’ supports and guides the project team towards the targeted BREEAM rating in the most effective manner in terms of both cost and sustainability value.

2.7 Simple Buildings

The Simple Buildings Criteria have been integrated within the main scheme document. It is assumed that the pre-assessment and scoring and report tools will filter the relevant credits / criterion from the assessment as per the shell and core scoring system under BREEAM 2011.

2.8 Minimum standards

As per with the previous BREEAM methodologies, there are a number of issues within specific categories which have been set as minimum standards, i.e. a minimum number of credits that must be achieved in order for a particular BREEAM rating level. These have been altered in line with the reorganisation of credits as follows:

Minimum Standards by BREEAM Rating Level

BREEAM Issue

PASS GOOD VERY GOOD

EXCELLENT OUTSTANDING

Man 03: Responsible construction practices

None None None One credit (Considerate construction)

Two credits (Considerate construction)

Man 04: Commissioning and handover

None None None Criterion 9 (Building User Guide)

Criterion 9 (Building User Guide)

Man 5: Aftercare

None None None One credit (Seasonal commissioning

One credit (Seasonal commissioning)

Ene 01: Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions

None None None Five credits Eight credits

Ene 02: Energy monitoring

None None One credit (First sub-metering credit)

One credit (First sub-metering credit)

One credit (First sub-metering credit)

Wat 01: Water consumption

None One credit

One credit One credit Two credits

Wat 02: Water monitoring

None Criterion 1 only

Criterion 1 only

Criterion 1 only Criterion 1 only

Mat 03: Responsible sourcing of materials

Criterion 1 only

Criterion 1 only

Criterion 1 only

Criterion 1 only Criterion 1 only

Wst 01: Construction waste management

None None None None One credit

Wst 03: Operational waste

None None None One credit One credit

LE 03: Minimising impact on existing site ecology

None None One credit One credit One credit

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Matthew Dal ley Sustainability Consultant

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