An Overview of Sustainability Rating Systems
Real estate assets that do not meet new sustainability standards may be at a disadvantage in the marketplace. A sustainability system can contribute towards healthier environments and ecosystems for living and working; simultaneously driving down operating costs while increasing the lifetime value of the building and its assets.
Currently, there are a variety of international sustainability certification schemes that focus on building design, construction and operation, including BREEAM (UK), LEED (U.S.) and DGNB (Germany).
These green building rating system certifications concern themselves with a building’s environmental impact and subsequent sustainability. Choosing which certification system best fits your property or business requires a great deal of knowledge and insight into national and international green building criteria. This is where TÜV SÜD can help.
benefits of sustainability rating systems
Currently, accrediting your building as being environmentally sustainable is entirely voluntary. However, getting certified is essential for the continuous success of both your real estate and business investments.
In addition, becoming green building accredited allows you to enjoy the following benefits:
- Make significant savings - by swiftly identifying energy-saving measures, thereby improving the operational performance of your business.
- Mitigate risk – ensure that your business is both ecologically and economically solid through complying to both national and international legal conditions. If you involve TÜV SÜD’s advisors at the inception of your project, you can also expect to avert the significant costs that accompany unsound modernisation construction.
- Benefit from a competitive advantage – by attaining green building certification, your business will be recognised as a pioneer on an international stage. Naturally, this goes some way to bolstering your influence in negotiation situations.
- Secure your investments - green building accreditation acts as an international indicator of quality, consequently increasing the overall attractiveness of your property.
- Drastically improve the quality of your occupants’ lives – through demonstrating your commitment to sustainability, your building occupants will be more motivated to uphold your sustainable values, resulting in an improved inside environment for everyone.
OUr sustainability rating system services
TÜV SÜD has a global network of experts who facilitate the entire green building certification process. We help define your sustainability objectives and assess the feasibility of certification for your building, new or old. Our experts work alongside your team to explore alternative means of meeting the objectives of the building owners, budget constraints and certification requirements. Our sustainability green building rating system services include:
- Preliminary assessment and advisory
Our experts will guide you in determining your sustainability goals, ascertaining which of your properties would benefit from certification, choosing the most applicable sustainable rating system for your assets and instructing you on all the relevant criteria to achieve certification.
You can benefit from our first-class reports which are based on a pre-assessment analysis of your building structure, systems and energy use, thereby identifying fertile areas for development.
- Green building design review
Once a sustainable rating system has been chosen for your building, our advisors can assess the designs of your mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems in accordance with exact accreditation specifications in addition to appraising building materials and equipment.
This encompasses corroborating that a building’s equipment and systems (i.e. chillers, lighting design, pumps and motors) are designed, integrated and calibrated to perform in accordance with green buildings requirements.
Once approved, our experts will create a personalised compliance action plan for your building. This can also include the creation of 3D energy models and photorealistic lighting simulations as a means to predict how various systems use energy and available natural light in your constructions.
- On-site inspection
TÜV SÜD’s experts offer quality assurance by conducting periodic inspections of the site to ensure that the building construction is being carried out according to the design plan.
- Commissioning services
TÜV SÜD’s commissioning services help to ensure that the building design and construction are calibrated according to the building owner’s intentions. This also determines readiness for the formal certification process. In addition, we conduct post-occupancy surveys to track the effectiveness of sustainability measures.
- Facilitation for certification
TÜV SÜD facilitates communication between your company and the relevant green building council or certification body to help you attain certification.
This includes preparing all design and construction documents and contracts, as well as green building requirements, before submitting them to the relevant certification body.
- Training
Our sustainability experts can train building management teams in building systems maintenance and help to ensure that architects, owners and builders use eco-friendly designs, effectively.
the sustainability rating systems that we work with
There are many sustainability rating systems and certifications in the world today, a few of which are recognized internationally. We apply our expertise to both the recognized international standards and other national standards. Our knowledge covers the following:
- BREEAM (UK)
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is one of the most common and internationally recognized voluntary certification schemes for sustainability in buildings.
BREEAM assessments are carried out to test the performance of buildings over a wide range of criteria from energy to ecology, pollution, transport and more.
- LEED (US)
Another widely recognized green building program, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system requires objective evidence that specific requirements have been met in the areas of site sustainability, water efficiency and more.
The LEED certification uses a 100-point scale for rating and awards credits based on potential environmental impacts.
- DGNB (Germany)
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) rating system requires fulfillment of 50 different criteria from six quality sections: environmental quality, economic quality, sociocultural and functional quality, technical quality, process quality, and site quality.
It can be tailored to meet country-specific requirements while allowing for international benchmarking with worldwide certified buildings.
- Various green building standards
In addition to commonly used international standards, TÜV SÜD also has expertise in several national green building standards applicable to local markets.
Why to choose TÜV SÜD’s third-party sustainability rating systems for your business
Designing sustainable buildings calls for a thorough understanding of local cultures and environments, quality standards, environmental regulations, safety standards, building codes, and carbon tax regulations. TÜV SÜD’s experts excel in all of these fields.
When it comes to sustainability in real estate, we have decades of experience working on significant global projects including the Olympic Park and Athletes’ Village for the London 2012 Olympics. Our reputation for total independence means that you can rely on us to give you a completely objective evaluation of your prospects for sustainability certifications.
