Certification Green or Blue?

Are you interested in certification of your urban district or your building? Then you have a choice: Here are the three most known certification systems.

• DGNB (German Sustainable Certification System), and for federal buildings in Germany BNB (Rating System for Sustainable Building), Germany
• LEED (Leadership in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), USA
• BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology), Great Britain

BREEAM is the eldest of all certification systems and has already been established in the UK since 1990. The US American System LEED has existed since 1998 and the German DGNB label has been developed since 2007. Almost simultaneously with the DGNB and in close cooperation the rating system for sustainable buildings from the Federal Ministry (BNB) has been developed and is used exclusively for federal buildings only. There are also several country-specific systems, such as HQE (Haute Qualité Environmentale) in France, MINERGIE in Switzerland or CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency) in Japan.

Almost all certification organisations strive for internationalisation. Thus, with DGNB, LEED and BREEAM buildings and urban areas can be certified worldwide. Some organisations offer country-specific conditions and rules within adapted systems and country based branches, while others are organised centrally in the home country.

Which certification system is eligible for your project can be easily checked by us as a specialized team of experts. BLAUSTUDIO will assist you with advice and assistance in the selection process.

The available certification systems differ not only by year of development and country of origin but also provide different approaches and content in the evaluation.

While LEED is based on a rather additive evaluation methodology (“Green Building”) DGNB established a balance between environmental, economic and social criteria (“Blue Building”) from the beginning on. The mission statement of the three classic pillars of sustainability was systematically implemented in a complex assessment structure forcing projects to respect all three columns.

In addition, DGNB integrated the entire life cycle of the building in the system. That is why it is called the 2nd generation certification system. Both, the life cycle analysis (LCA) and a corresponding life-cycle cost calculation (LCC), are important components of the system.

The procedures in the certification process are similar for all systems. Usually, a preliminary certificate can already be achieved during the planning phase and be used for marketing purposes. In addition, the pre-certification serves also the definition of objectives for a project and the evaluation of the planning stage. After completion of a project the complete documentation will be handed in and evaluated by the certification body. Only then a certificate can be issued.

In all systems a specially trained Auditor (DGNB, BNB), Accredited Professional (LEED) or Assessor (BREEAM) will conduct a project and takes care of the communication with the respective certification body. He or she will compile the required documentation and, where appropriate, will look at substantive issues arising from the project itself. Ideally the Auditor, AP or Assessor will be part of the project from the beginning on to exploit its full potential time- and cost-neutral. Appropriate evidence also may, but need not, be provided by the Auditor, AP or Assessor.

In any case each project will be checked after submission of documentation by an independent body of certification. This ensures that the project will be objectively assessed and a high level of transparency and comparability is reached. A certification can also support both the target definition of a project and the project team in achieving their goals. The added value of certification results, apart from the protection of the environment, in a better rentability, lower operating costs and higher acceptance by users.

Due to the high presence of the German Sustainable Building System in Germany and more and more also abroad as well as its holistic life cycle approach the German system is exemplified elaborated here. For buildings following user profiles are available:

• Educational buildings
• New offices
• Existing offices
• Retail buildings
• Hotels
• Industrial buildings
• Healthcare
• Laboratories
• Tenant fit-out
• Mixed use buildings
• Residential buildings
• Dwellings
• Assembly buildings

An international version which has been adapted for different countries and will be developed further is also available. The system for new office buildings is also available in English language.

Depending on the building type a number of criteria is used for the evaluation; simplifications or deviating different details take into account the particular typology. For the profile of new office and administrative buildings a total of around 40 criteria is used in the current version.

An evaluation matrix includes all criteria with their performance levels and weightings within the system. That way single measures can easily be shown in their effect on different criteria in the course of the planning.

A total performance level of 80% or more represents the highest grade (Gold), from 65% a silver grade will be given and 50% of criteria fulfilled leads to a bronze certification. In addition to these main requirements there are so-called secondary requirements. A gold certificate for example only allows minimum achievment of silver performance level in all main criteria groups. This approach leads to high level performance in all columns of sustainability without neglecting one of these.

Apart from buildings DGNB also provides certification for urban districts. So far three variants exist:

• New urban (mixed) districts
• Industrial locations
• New business districts

In all districts a minimum size of 2 acres gross land is needed for certification. The district must have a minimum of two building sites, public or publicly accessible spaces and an appropriate infrastructure. Beyond it is important to have a residential component of between ten and a maximum of ninety percent (neighborhoods), primarily industrially used areas (industrial sites) or differentiated use structure and crosslinking of the neighborhood with the environment (commercial locations).

Due to the in relation to buildings relatively long development times of whole districts three phases have been included in the certification process. In each phase an entry is possible:

• Pre-Certification: Design Phase (Validity 3 Years)
• Certification Planning/Services: At 25% of completion of services infrastructure (Validity 5 years)
• Certification District: At 75% of completion of buildings (Validity not limited)

45 criteria from the fields of ecology, economy, social and functional quality, technical quality and process quality are included in the certification. According to the building certification system the long-term effect of a planning plays a key role. Again, life cycle assessment and life cycle costs are evaluated.

In many cases clients or planning teams ask for the cost of a “Gold building”. We usually answer: It depends! Firstly the typology and aim of the project play a role, on the other hand, the current status of the project and its quality affect the cost and feasibility for a certification.

Usually certified projects get by with very little additional cost compared to non-certified buildings. A study carried out by the BNB about certified projects showed a maximum cost increase of 2%, but usually much less.

This contrasts with significant potential through operational savings, better rentability and higher user acceptance. Basically, the sooner the objectives of a certification are clearly defined and supported by the entire project team, the cheaper the requirements can be met.

How do you meet as a prospective customer now the target of a successful certification?

You need a goal to which all parties participate equally, a qualified Auditor (AP or Assessor depending on your system to be applied) for the accompaniment of the project and a contract with the certification body.

BLAUSTUDIO supports you in advance and during the certification with the following scope:

• Support with the selection of the adequate certification system and profile
• Perform a preliminary evaluation (Quick-Check) according to DGNB, BNB, LEED, BREEAM and other systems to verify the achievable award
• Full audit of buildings and neighborhood developments according to DGNB or BNB
• Support for the contract development, the selection of planning and / or construction services and teams as well as the coordination of special planners
• Creation of documents of evidence required by DGNB, BNB, LEED, BREEAM or other certification systems and related calculations and optimisation work

Do you have questions or a possible project? Please contact us at any time!