BREEAM rating benchmarks

There are a number of elements that determine the overall performance of a new construction project assessed using BREEAM, these are as follows:

1. Scope of the assessment
2. The BREEAM rating level benchmarks
3. The minimum BREEAM standards
4. The environmental section weightings
5. The BREEAM assessment issues and credits

How these elements combine to produce a BREEAM rating for a newbuilding is summarised on the following pages. This is followed by a description and example describing the methodology for calculating a rating.

The BREEAM rating benchmarks for projects assessed using BREEAM International New Construction 2016 are as follows:

Table 4: BREEAM rating benchmarks

The BREEAM rating benchmarks enable a client and all other stakeholders to compare the performance of a building with other BREEAM rated buildings of the same type.buildings in the UK

In this respect each BREEAM rating broadly represents performance equivalent to:

1. Outstanding: Less than top 1% of buildings (innovator)
2. Excellent: Top 10% of buildings (best practice)
3. Very Good: Top 25% of buildings (advanced good practice)
4. Good: Top 50% of buildings (intermediate good practice)
5. Pass: Top 75% of buildings (standard good practice)

An unclassified BREEAM rating represents performance that is non-compliant with BREEAM, in terms of failing to meet either the BREEAM minimum standards of performance for key environmental issues or the overall threshold score required to achieve at least a Pass rating.

BREEAM International New Construction 2016
Reference: SD_TBD – Issue: 0.0 (draft)
Date: 23/12/2015
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