Minimum standards
To maintain a flexible system BREEAM adopts a 'balanced scorecard' approach to the assessment and rating of a project. This means that to achieve a particular level of performance the majority of BREEAM credits can be traded, i.e. non-compliance in one area can be offset through compliance in another to achieve the target BREEAM rating.
However, to ensure that performance against fundamental environmental issues is not overlooked in pursuit of a particular rating, BREEAM sets minimum standards of performance in key areas, e.g. energy, water, waste etc. It is important to bear in mind that these are minimum acceptable levels of performance and in that respect they should not necessarily be viewed as levels that are representative of best practice for a BREEAM rating level.
To achieve a particular BREEAM rating, the minimum overall percentage score must be achieved and the minimum standards, detailed in Table 4, applicable to that rating level complied with.
Table 4: Minimum BREEAM standards by rating level
| BREEAM issue | Minimum standards by BREEAM rating level | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Good | Very Good | Excellent | Outstanding | |
| Man 03 Responsible construction practices |
Criterion 2 only (Health and Safety) |
Criterion 2 only (Health and Safety) |
Criterion 2 only (Health and Safety) |
One credit (Considerate construction) |
Two credits (Considerate construction) |
| Man 04 Commissioning and handover | None | None | None |
Criterion 10 (Building or home user guide) |
Criterion 10 (Building or home user guide) |
| Man 05 Aftercare | None | None | None | One credit (Seasonal commissioning) | One credit (Seasonal commissioning) |
| Hea 01 Visual comfort | Criterion 1 only (High frequency ballast) | Criterion 1 only (High frequency ballast) | Criterion 1 only (High frequency ballast) | Criterion 1 only (High frequency ballast) | Criterion 1 only (High frequency ballast) |
| Hea 02 Indoor air quality | Criterion 1 only (No asbestos) | Criterion 1 only (No asbestos) | Criterion 1 only (No asbestos) | Criterion 1 only (No asbestos) | Criterion 1 only (No asbestos) |
| Hea 06 Accessibility | None | None | None | None | Two credits (Inclusive and accessible design - residential buildings and residential institutions only) |
| Hea 08 Private space | None | None | None | None | One credit |
| Hea 09 Water quality | Criterion 1 only (minimise legionellosis risk) | Criterion 1 only (minimise legionellosis risk) | Criterion 1 only (minimise legionellosis risk) | Criterion 1 only (minimise legionellosis risk) | Criterion 1 only (minimise legionellosis risk) |
| Ene 01 Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions | None | None | None |
Four credits (Energy performance) OR Four credits (Prediction of operational energy consumption)* |
Six credits (Energy performance) AND Four credits (Prediction of operational energy consumption) |
| Ene 02a 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 (mains water meter) | Criterion 1 only (mains water meter) | Criterion 1 only (mains water meter) | Criterion 1 only (mains water meter) |
| Mat 03 Responsible sourcing of construction products | Criterion 1 only (Legal timber) | Criterion 1 only (Legal timber) | Criterion 1 only (Legal timber) | Criterion 1 only (Legal timber) | Criterion 1 only (Legal timber) |
| Wst 01 Construction waste management | None | None | None | None | One credit |
| None | None | None | One credit | One credit | |
|
* For the 'Prediction of operational energy consumption' in Ene 01, it must be demonstrated that the operational energy performance has been substantially improved. |
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