BREEAM and Environmental Assessment Methods Amanda Gallagher EASLAR

1. Sustainable Communities and Environmental
Assessment Methods
REN NET Conference 27th February 2015
Amanda Gallagher
Easlár, BRE AssociateEaslár, BRE Associate

2. Contents
• Defining sustainability
• Why is sustainability important?
• How do we encourage and measure
sustainability?sustainability?
• BREEAM
• Greenprint/BREEAM Communities

3. Defining sustainability
• Aspects of definitions
often include:
• Society enduring in the
long term
• Living within limitsLiving within limits
• Understanding and
managing the
interconnections between
economy, society, and
environment
• The equitable distribution
of resources and
opportunities

4. Defining sustainability
• Brundtland Commission: "Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.”
• Lowell Center for Sustainable Production: "Sustainable• Lowell Center for Sustainable Production: "Sustainable
Production is the creation of goods and services using
processes and systems that are: non-polluting; conserving of
energy and natural resources; economically efficient; safe
and healthful for workers, communities, and consumers; and,
socially and creatively rewarding for all working people."

5. Why is sustainability important?
• One Plant Living
http://www.oneplanetliving.com/index.html
• If everyone in the world lived like an average
European we would needEuropean we would need
2.5 planets:
• If everyone in the world lived like an average North
American we would need: 3.9 Planets

6. One Planet Living - 10 Guiding Principles
Our climate is changing because of human-induced build up of CO2 in
the atmosphere
Waste from discarded products and packaging creates disposal
problems and squanders valuable resources
Travel by car and airplane is contributing to climate change, air and
noise pollution, and congestion
Destructive resources exploitation (e.g. in construction and
manufacturing) increases environmental damage and reduces benefits
to local communityto local community
Industrial agriculture produces food of uncertain quality, harms local
ecosystems, and may have high transport impacts
Local supplies of freshwater are often insufficient to meet human
needs, due to pollution, disruption of hydrological cycles, and depletion
Loss of biodiversity due to development in natural areas and over-
exploitation of natural resources
Local cultural heritage is being lost throughout the world due to
globalisation, resulting in loss of local identity and knowledge
Some in the industrialised world live in relative poverty, while many in
the developing world cannot meet their basic needs from what they
produce or sell
Rising wealth and greater health and happiness increasingly diverge,
raising questions about the true basis of well-being and contentment

7. 8th USA
14th IRL
28th UK
42nd
Japan
Ecological Footprint of Nations 2010
28th UK
Global
Average
Japan

8. What are the issues locally?
• Ireland imports 88% of its energy requirements
• High dependency on Fossil Fuels
• Fuel Poverty
• Rural Communities/Transport/Access
• Emigration and economic recession
• Housing Provision
• Aging population
• Ecological impact/environmental protection
• Water charges
• Town planning

9. Sustainability and Environmental Assessment
Tools
• Energy becoming increasingly important - BERs,
Building Regs, EU Directives
• Other issues in addition to energy - Water,
Materials, Health& Wellbeing, Waste, PollutionMaterials, Health& Wellbeing, Waste, Pollution
• Environmental Assessment Tools
– BREEAM - Environmental Assessment Method for
Buildings
– BREEAM Communities and Greenprint -
Sustainable Masterplanning

10. What is BREEAM?
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
• World’s leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings
• The BREEAM rating benchmark levels enable a client or other stakeholder to compare• The BREEAM rating benchmark levels enable a client or other stakeholder to compare
an individual building’s performance with other BREEAM rated buildings and the typical
sustainability performance of new or major refurbished non-domestic buildings in the
UK
• 4 key aims:
1. To mitigate the life cycle impacts of buildings on the environment
2. To enable buildings to be recognised according to their environmental benefits
3. To provide a credible, environmental label for buildings
4. To stimulate demand for sustainable buildings

11. Categories assessed within BREEAM
ManagementManagement
WaterWater
MaterialsMaterials
PollutionPollution
WasteWaste
EnergyEnergy
Health and
wellbeing
Health and
wellbeing
WasteWaste
TransportTransport
Land use &
ecology
Land use &
ecology

12. BREEAM Example Credits
Man Management Credits
Man 01 Sustainable Procurement 9
Man 02 Responsible Construction Practices 2
Man 03 Construction Site Impacts 5
Man 04 Stakeholder Participation 4
Man 12 Life Cycle Cost and Service Life Planning 3
Hea Health & Well-being Credits
Hea 01 Visual Comfort 3
Hea 02 Indoor Air Quality 4
Hea 03 Thermal Comfort 2
Tra Transport Credits
Tra 01 Public Transport Accessibility 3
Tra 02 Proximity to Amenities 1
Tra 03 Alternative modes of transport 2
Tra 04 Maximum Car Parking Capacity 2
Tra 05 Travel Plan 1
Wat Water Credits
Wat 01 Water Consumption 5
Wat 02 Water Monitoring 1
Hea 03 Thermal Comfort 2
Hea 04 Water Quality 1
Hea 05 Acoustic Performance 2
Hea 06 Safe Access 1
Hea 07 Hazards 1
Ene Energy Credits
Ene 01 Reduction of CO² Emissions 15
Ene 02 Energy Monitoring 1
Ene 03 External Lighting 1
Ene 04 Low and Zero Carbon Technology 2
Ene 05 Energy Efficient Cold Storage 3
Ene 6 Energy Efficient Transportation Systems 2
Ene 8 Energy Efficient Equipement 2
Wat 03 Water Leak Detection and Prevention 2
Wat 04 Water Efficient Equipment 1
Mat Materials Credits
Mat 01 Life Cycle Impacts 6
Mat 03 Responsible Sourcing 3
Mat 04 Insulation 1
Mat 05 Designing for Robustness 1
Wst Waste Credits
Wst 01 Construction waste management 3
Wst 02 Recycled aggregates 1
Wst 03 Operational Waste 1
Wst 04 Speculative Floor and Ceiling Finishes 1

13. BREEAM Example Credits cont.
LE Land Use and Ecology Credits
LE 01 Site Selection 3
LE 02
Ecological Value of Site and Protection of
Ecological Features 1
LE 04 Enhancing Ecological Value 1
LE 05 Long Term Impact on Bio-diversity 1
Pol Pollution Credits
Pol 01 Impact of Refrigerants 4
Pol 02 NOx Emissions 3
Pol 03 Surface Water Run Off 5
Pol 04 Reduction Light Pollution 1Pol 04 Reduction Light Pollution 1
Pol 08 Noise attenuation 1
Credits
Man 01 Sustainable Procurement 1
Man 02
Man02 Responsible Construction
Practices 1
Hea 02 Water Meter 1
Hea 14 Indoor Air Quality 1
Ene 01 Reduction of CO2 Emissions 1
Tra 03 Alternative modes of transport 1
Wat 01 Water Consumption 1
Mat 01 Life Cycle Impacts 1
Mat 03 Responsible Sourcing of Materials 1
Wst 01 Construction Waste Management 1
Wst 02 Recycled Aggregates 1
Innovation

14. BREEAM Scoring
BREEAM Rating % Score
Outstanding 85%
Excellent 70%
Very Good 55%Very Good 55%
Good 45%
Pass 30%
Unclassified <30%
• In addition to achieving the required score, ‘minimum standards’ must also
be achieved for certification

15. BREEAM as a Requirement - UK & Northern Ireland
A number of key bodies have implement BREEAM as a
requirement, including:
• Local Authorities throughout the UK
• Scottish Government Health Directorates
• Scottish Funding Council
• Welsh Assembly Government
• Central Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

16. BREEAM Activity in Ireland
A number of Projects have achieved BREEAM ratings or are working towards
them in Ireland: -
• Prisons - Irish Prison Service have developed their own version of the
standard for all new build and major refurbishment projects.
Midlands Prison completed interim assessment.
• Universities - University College Dublin, University of Limerick, and
DiT Grangegorman using BREEAM on new build projectsDiT Grangegorman using BREEAM on new build projects
• Commercial Office Buildings - RDS Simmonscourt, Grand Canal
Square Offices
• Hospitals - Mater Hospital, National Forensic Mental Health Service
Hospital
• Council Offices - Roscommon Decentralised Offices, Dept of
Education Offices, Athlone
• Industrial/Multinationals - Danone, Diageo, Apple, Flavour
Manufacturing Wexford
• Utilities - Bord Gais Network Services, ESB HQ Dublin
Greenbooklive - http://www.greenbooklive.com

17. BREEAM in Ireland
• 18 Licensed Assessor Companies
• 7 BREEAM Accredited Professionals
• 12 Certified BREEAM Projects (post 2008)
• First BREEAM Outstanding Building - Diageo Project• First BREEAM Outstanding Building - Diageo Project
Phoenix Brewhouse
• 5 BREEAM Excellent Buildings, 3 Very Good, 2 Good
• 1 BREEAM In Use (Very Good Rating)

18. Case Study - Diageo Project Phoenix - BREEAM
Outstanding
• 1st BREEAM Outstanding Building in Ireland
• Final Score - 90.96%
• EPC - Zero Carbon Building (16 credits in Ene 01)
• Innovation credits for Water, Transport, Management, VOCs, CHP
• Highly efficient brewery in operation
• LEED Platinum

19. BREEAM Communities and GreenPrint Standards
• What are the BREEAM Communities and GreenPrint
Certification Standards?
SustainabilitySustainability Planning PolicyPlanning PolicySustainabilitySustainability
ObjectivesObjectives
Planning PolicyPlanning Policy
RequirementsRequirements
BREEAMBREEAM
CommunitiesCommunities
oror GreenPrintGreenPrint
StandardStandard

20. The Categories
Climate & Energy Resources Transport Ecology
Business Community Place Shaping Buildings

21. Enabling Sustainable Communities
• Reflects local variations and requirements
• Provides certainty and verification on a development’s
sustainability commitments
• Enables developers to address, and planners to
implement, planning policies and regulations with ease
• Provides platform for achieving BREEAM certification at
design & procurement and ultimately post constructiondesign & procurement and ultimately post construction
stage
• Reduces pressure on planning departments, helping
approval decisions to be made faster at lower cost and
with greater confidence

22. No grade <50%
Good 50% – 64%
GreenPrint Rating
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESOURCESBUILDINGS
Good 50% – 64%
Very Good 65% – 74%
Excellent 75% – 84%
Exemplar >84%
TRANSPORT
ECOLOGY
BUSINESS
PLACEMAKING
COMMUNITY

23. Contact details
Amanda Gallagher
Easlár
gallaghera@easlar.com
Tel: +353 879249221