To maintain a flexible system BREEAM adopts a ‘balanced score-card’ approach to the assessment and rating of building performance. 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 off-set through compliance in another to achieve the target BREEAM rating.
However, to ensure that performance against fundamental environmental issues is not over-looked 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 2 below, applicable to that rating level complied with.
Table 2 Minimum BREEAM standards by rating level
| Minimum standards by BREEAM rating level | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BREEAM issue | PASS | GOOD | VERY GOOD | EXCELLENT | OUTSTANDING |
| Man 01: Sustainable procurement | One credit | One credit | One credit | One credit | Two credits |
| Man 02: Responsible construction practices | None | None | None | One credit | Two credits |
| Man 04: Stakeholder participation | None | None | None |
One credit (Building user information) |
One credit (Building user information) |
| Hea 01: Visual comfort | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only |
| Hea 04: Water quality | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only |
| Ene 01: Reduction of CO2 emissions | None | None | None | Six credits1Refer to technical section of for full information on requirements. | Ten credits1 |
| Ene 02: Energy monitoring | None | None |
One credit (First sub-metering credit) |
One credit (First sub-metering credit) |
One credit (First sub-metering credit) |
| Ene 04: Low or zero carbon technologies | None | None | None | One credit | One credit |
| Wat 01: Water consumption | None | One credit | One credit | One credit | Two credits |
| Wat 02: Water monitoring | None | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only | Criterion 1 only |
| Mat 03: Responsible Sourcing | Criterion 3 only | Criterion 3 only | Criterion 3 only | Criterion 3 only | Criterion 3 only |
| Wst 01: Construction waste management | None | None | None | None | One credit |
| Wst 03: Operational waste | None | None | None | One credit | One credit |
| LE 03: Mitigating ecological impact | None | None | One credit | One credit | One credit |