BREEAM Certification: A Guide

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive guide to achieving BREEAM certification for data centers. It outlines the key benefits, the core principles and categories BREEAM assesses, and actionable steps for successful implementation. By following these strategies, data centers can enhance their sustainability, reduce operational costs, and gain a competitive edge.

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** Main Story**

Okay, so you’re thinking about BREEAM certification for your data center? Smart move. In today’s climate, it’s pretty much essential, not just a nice-to-have. BREEAM gives you a solid framework to cut down on your environmental impact while boosting efficiency and your market value too. Think of it as a win-win.

Let’s break down the process step-by-step.

Understanding BREEAM and Why It Matters

BREEAM, or the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, is basically the gold standard for sustainability assessment. It’s not just a general thing; they’ve got a specific approach tailored for data centers, which is great because we all know they have pretty unique challenges. But what’s in it for you?

• Lower Bills: BREEAM pushes for energy efficiency. That means less juice and water guzzled, which translates directly to lower operational costs. I mean, who doesn’t want to save money? Some studies even hint at power savings between 20-30% compared to standard designs. Not bad, eh?

• Better Reputation: Being BREEAM certified is like wearing a green badge of honor. It tells clients and investors that you’re serious about sustainability. And honestly, these days, more and more people are prioritizing companies with solid green credentials. It’s a competitive edge, plain and simple.

• Stay Ahead of the Curve: Environmental regulations are only going to get stricter. BREEAM helps you align with them, and sometimes even exceed them. That means less risk of fines, and you can potentially avoid rising carbon taxes. Smart, right?

• Future-Proofing: BREEAM makes you think about things like flood risk and thermal modeling, ensuring your data center can handle whatever climate change throws its way. It’s about long-term viability. I remember one data center manager telling me, ‘We didn’t think about flood risks and we were down for almost a week when the nearby river flooded. Now it’s built into our assessment’.

Breaking Down the BREEAM Assessment

The BREEAM assessment takes a holistic view, looking at nine key areas. It’s science-based, so you know it’s rigorous.

• Energy (19%): This is the big one, focusing on energy efficiency and incorporating renewable energy sources. Get this right, and you’re well on your way.

• Management (12%): How are you running things? This looks at operational practices, commissioning, and ongoing sustainability management.

• Health and Wellbeing (15%): Happy workers are productive workers, right? This category prioritizes comfort and good indoor air quality.

• Transport: Encouraging employees to use greener transportation options.

• Water: Are you being smart about water usage and conservation?

• Materials: What’s the environmental impact of the stuff you’re building with?

• Waste: Reducing waste and disposing of it responsibly.

• Land Use and Ecology: How’s your data center affecting the surrounding environment?

• Pollution: Minimizing noise, air, and water pollution.

Also, BREEAM uses data-center-specific metrics like PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) and WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) to really drill down into your operational performance.

Picking the Right BREEAM Scheme

There are different BREEAM schemes depending on what stage your data center is at.

• New Construction: If you’re building from scratch, this one’s for you. It looks at design and construction factors.

• In-Use: For existing data centers. It’s all about assessing your actual operational data and how you’re performing day-to-day.

• Refurbishment and Fit-out: If you’re renovating or upgrading, this scheme focuses on sustainable refurbishment practices.

Choosing the right scheme is crucial. It makes sure the assessment is relevant to your specific needs and goals.

Making BREEAM Happen

Getting BREEAM certification isn’t just about ticking boxes. It requires a proactive approach.

• Get in Early: Think about BREEAM from the very beginning, during the initial design phase. Trying to retrofit later can be a pain and expensive, I’m sure we can all agree on that.

• Call in the Experts: Work with BREEAM-certified assessors and sustainability consultants. They can help you create a strategy that’s tailored to your situation.

• Focus on the Big Wins: Prioritize areas that have the highest weighting and where you can make the biggest impact, like energy efficiency and management practices.

• Keep an Eye on Things: Track your performance throughout the entire project. This helps you prove compliance and spot areas where you can improve.

Assessment and Certification

Once you’ve put in the work, a BREEAM assessor will come in and evaluate your data center against the scheme’s criteria. If you pass, you’ll get a BREEAM certification rating, ranging from Pass to Outstanding.

In the end, BREEAM certification isn’t just about environmental responsibility; it’s an investment in your data center’s future. You get to minimize your environmental footprint while unlocking financial and market benefits. So, why not take the plunge?

Keep in mind this guide is relevant as of today, May 3, 2025. BREEAM standards and regulations might change, so always check the latest BREEAM documentation for the most up-to-date information, you don’t want to miss a change.