Maximize Your BREEAM Score: A Practical Guide

Summary

This article provides a step-by-step guide to achieving BREEAM certification, emphasizing early planning, assessor collaboration, and leveraging innovation. It offers actionable insights for maximizing your BREEAM score and ensuring a smooth certification process. By following these tips, you can achieve a higher BREEAM rating and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

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** Main Story**

Achieving a high BREEAM rating reflects a commitment to sustainable building practices and can significantly enhance a project’s value. This guide provides actionable steps to maximize your BREEAM score.

1. Early Engagement is Key

Engage a licensed BREEAM assessor and Accredited Professional (AP) from the project’s outset. Their expertise is invaluable during the design phase, helping identify “easy win” credits and integrate BREEAM requirements seamlessly. This proactive approach avoids costly retrofits later. Securing an assessor early also grants you three easy credits, putting you well on your way to a “Pass” rating.

2. Selecting the Right Assessor

Not all assessors offer the same services for the same price. Thoroughly review proposals, ensuring transparency in fees and services offered. Understand what your investment covers to avoid unexpected costs. Choose an assessor who provides comprehensive support and collaborates effectively with your design team.

3. Maximize Assessor Collaboration

Your BREEAM assessor is your partner throughout the certification process. Utilize their expertise. Consult them on design choices, material selection, and any BREEAM-related challenges. Open communication ensures your project aligns with BREEAM criteria, maximizing your score. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, especially when clarification is needed. They can provide invaluable insights based on their experience and access to resources like the BREEAM Assessors Extranet. If they don’t have the answer, they can submit a technical query to BRE on your behalf.

4. Pre-Assessment Planning

Conduct a pre-assessment with your assessor to evaluate your project’s potential BREEAM rating. This crucial step identifies areas for improvement and allows you to set realistic targets. By addressing potential weaknesses early, you avoid surprises during the final assessment. This pre-assessment exercise will enable you to take proactive steps and achieve the best BREEAM rating.

5. Understanding BREEAM Criteria

Familiarize yourself with the BREEAM certification scheme and its categories, including energy efficiency, water management, materials, waste, and ecology. A thorough understanding of these criteria is essential for making informed design and construction decisions that optimize your BREEAM score. Resources like the BREEAM website provide detailed information on each category’s requirements.

6. Prioritize Early Assessments

Conduct essential assessments, such as the Sustainable Building Energy Model (SBEM) calculation, before commencing on-site work. Early assessments help you identify potential issues and adjust your strategy accordingly. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions and ensures a smoother certification process.

7. Design for BREEAM

Incorporate BREEAM considerations into the design process. Optimize building orientation for solar gain, integrate efficient shading solutions, and specify sustainable materials. By considering BREEAM from the outset, you create a building that is inherently sustainable, maximizing its performance and minimizing its environmental impact.

8. Evidence Documentation

Maintain clear and organized documentation of all evidence supporting your BREEAM compliance. This includes material specifications, construction waste management plans, and commissioning reports. Meticulous record-keeping simplifies the assessment process and ensures a smooth audit.

9. Innovation Opportunities

Explore innovative solutions that can enhance your BREEAM rating. Consider renewable energy technologies, rainwater harvesting systems, and smart building management solutions. Innovation demonstrates a commitment to sustainability beyond standard practices and can earn extra credits.

10. Final Certification

After completing the necessary assessments, your assessor submits the evidence to BRE for quality assurance and certification. BRE then issues the certificate and lists your project on the GreenBook Live database. Achieving BREEAM certification not only recognizes your commitment to sustainability but also adds value to your project.