Get to Grips with BREEAM NC Version 7
BREEAM Version 7: Enhancing sustainability certification for new construction projects.
With the team having thrown themselves into the initial Consultation process last year, we were thrilled to get our hands on the BRE’s draft guidance for the upcoming BREEAM New Construction (NC) Version 7 (due to go live in Q4 this year) at the start of August.
(Note Version 7 is an updated version of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). It's designed to help developers and asset managers improve the sustainability of their projects.)
We’ve been through the guidance with a fine-toothed comb and are thrilled to see the intent to align certification across the life cycle of a building through to the operation phase and to further align with net zero targets.
Key takeaways:
Increased focus on operational energy performance. BREEAM NC 2018 introduced credits for carrying out operational energy modelling, however Version 7 while shift the focus onto the performance of this operational energy modelling with credits achieved by a calculation of Energy Use Intensity and Carbon Intensity against a benchmark. Design teams will have to accurately model operational energy usage and occupancy patterns. Shell and core developments will need to use reasonable assumptions.
Inclusion of a credit for Flexible Demand Side Response, as already included in BREEAM In Use. This will encourage developments to modify consumption patterns in response to the availability of clean energy from the grid.
Credits will be available for the installed controls of HVAC systems to improve operation and further close the design to performance gap.
Further significant changes are within the Life Cycle Assessment credits which are often critical for higher ratings. The scope of the Life Cycle Assessment will be expanded across the building life cycle, will also awarding credits based on embodied carbon performance compared against a baseline. The Life Cycle Assessment has become a key component in previous BREEAM versions, often becoming a race to complete ahead of planning submissions. Design teams will now also need to give more consideration to the recommendations to ensure embodied carbon reductions are achieved for maximum credits.
The ecology credits will be more closely aligned with upcoming Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, as required for planning requirements. This will further push project teams to consider biodiversity and improve ecological performance within developments.
BREEAM has always placed emphasis on the RIBA Stage timeline with a requirement to complete actions pre-planning. It is worth noting that these early-stage requirements remain and BREEAM should therefore always be considered early in the concept design stage.
Key timelines:
The deadline for feedback to the BRE is 30th September 2024. Following this, the BRE will finalise the latest iteration of BREEAM New Construction guidance. Registrations will open in the final quarter of 2024 (official date TBC). There will be a period where projects can still register under BREEAM Version 6. BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out and BREEAM In Use are due to be updated in 2025.
If you would like to learn more about BREEAM Version 7, or register upcoming schemes under current guidance, please get in touch with Matthew Ramsey or our planning team.
