BREEAM Version 7: How it will impact the level of certification you are targeting

Exciting news – the pre-release BREEAM Version 7 manual is out. This will impact developments and the level of certification being targeted – so what do you need to know?

The much-anticipated BREEAM New Construction Version 7 will launch later this year. We have reviewed the newly published pre-release technical manuals (UK and International) and identified key updates property owners and developers should be aware of:

• Decarbonisation – a strengthened focus on reducing carbon over the life cycle of the building, with additional credits available for operational energy through use of CIBSE TM54 and NABERS, as well as an update to the Life Cycle Assessment process.
• Raising the bar – uplift to minimum standards especially those associated with BREEAM Excellent and Outstanding ratings, with continuation of focus on decarbonisation performance including refrigerant impact.
• Alignment – update to performance benchmarks to align with other BREEAM schemes, the English Biodiversity Net Gain law and other reporting frameworks such as GRESB and EU Taxonomy.
• Shell only step change – shell only assessments will no longer be able to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding due to lack of information available to clearly predict operational energy. Anticipated future updates to the BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out scheme will hopefully bridge this.

Ultimately, the certification process will become more rigorous, with complex analysis required to ensure targets are achieved – and that’s where we can help. At Verte, we are specialists in BREEAM – our Green Building Certification team has completed 150+ assessments and is currently involved in several BREEAM Outstanding projects.

If you would like to understand how BREEAM Version 7 will impact your developments and what will be required to secure the certification level you are targeting, please contact us – we’d love to hear from you: hello@verteltd.com