New Construction /

UK

Information correct as of 19thApril 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.

‘As designed’ BRUKLs that aren’t generated by an accredited energy assessor - KBCN1620

'As designed' BRUKLs, which have not been generated by an accredited energy assessor, can still be accepted for consideration, provided they represent the final version submitted to Building Control. Please note that this exception can be found in the methodology section of subsequent versions of BREEAM UK New Construction.

‘Monitoring progress and providing feedback’ methodology section - KBCN1360

The words in bold are missing from the 'Monitoring progress and providing feedback' methodology section: '….during the Concept Design, Developed Design stages, and during the Technical Design stage (where appropriate or helpful for achieving the Man 03 BREEAM AP site credit), as defined by the RIBA Plan of Work 2013'. 
The additional text will be added to the manual re-issue.
 

2011 assessment registered under 2013 Building Regs - KBCN0538

If a project is registered to BREEAM New Construction 2011, however, building control have registered the building to Part L2A 2013 (England) / Part L2A 2014 (Wales) / Technical Booklet F2 2012 (Northern Ireland). Ene 01 should be assessed as follows: ENE 01 should be assessed using a BRUKL output based on the Part L2A 2010 regulations for England and Wales. This is because the benchmarks within the scheme were developed against the 2010 notional building and therefore to maintain consistency and comparability for all the projects registered to this scheme, the credits awarded should be compared with a building modelled against the 2010 Part L regulations. In order to achieve credits for the Ene 01 issue, the energy model should be run so that it displays results against the 2010 building regulations and this _brukl.inp file should be uploaded into the compliance checker for confirmation of the Ene 01 outputs for BREEAM NC 2011. As the building is registered to regulations Part L2A 2013 (England) /Part L2A 2014 (Wales) /Technical Booklet F2 2012 (Northern Ireland) /Technical Handbook 2010 Non Domestic, Section 6 Energy (Scotland), the software will also need to be run to display results for these regulations for Building Control. An alternative option would be to re-register the project using BREEAM NC 2018 and use the results of the updated regulations for your country to demonstrate compliance with Ene 01. Please note, for BREEAM NC 2018 assessments, the compliance checker website does not need to be used.

2030s weather files - KBCN000006

The Exeter University Prometheus project contains future weather files which cover the 2030s. These can be found here: https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/engineering/research/cee/research/prometheus/downloads/ 
13 09 2017 Hyperlink to Prometheus project updated. Applicability to BREEAM International schemes removed - (see  KBCN0732)

Acceptable alternative strategies to sub-metering by floor plate - KBCN00071

An alternative sub-metering strategy, not based on a by-floor-plate basis, would be acceptable provided that: - it provides an equivalent, or more useful level of detail than sub-metering by floor plate. - it divides the assessment in a logical manner which provides useful information to building management re: energy use. - the approach does not conflict with requirements for sub-metering other functional areas. The intent of sub-metering by floor plate is to allow a large homogenous function (such as office space) to be split up into smaller areas that will allow building management to monitor, identify and influence areas of high energy use.  Alternatives that also meet this intent are also acceptable.

Accessibility Index used to award credits - KBCN1078

Points awarded for Sustainable transport measures: Option 1 must be based on the existing Accessibility Index for the development site. Improvements to the availability of transport services implemented by the project team may be recognised under Option 2.

Accessibility of energy metering systems - KBCN0580

Energy metering systems should be accessible and the energy consuming end uses visible to building users, such as the facilities manager, where present, and/or other building occupants responsible for the management of the building.

Accreditation – sampling and testing laboratories - KBCN1337

Analysis / testing laboratory NC 2016 or newer: Where an organisation used for the analysis of indoor air or emissions from building products is not accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, the organisation must be accredited, either by a national accreditation body, or by a member of any one of the following accreditation groups: European Cooperation for Accreditation International Accreditation Forum International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation The accreditation must specifically cover the analysis of indoor air or emissions from building products. Other schemes: Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is not required in the criteria. However, this KBCN has been applied to encourage a consistent approach towards accreditation. Accreditation by a national or internationally recognised organisation helps to ensure rigorous, consistent and reliable testing results. Sampling organisation If another organisation carries out sampling on behalf of the analysis / testing laboratory, this organisation does not need to be accredited to the above. However, they must provide a brief report justifying: This report is provided to the BREEAM assessor and submitted as supporting evidence for this issue. 
31-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
24-May-2022 Updated to differentiate between sampling and analysis requirements. 
07-May-2021 Added clarification regarding alternative qualifications. 
10-May-2021 Updated scheme applicability.

Accredited energy assessors – directories - KBCN1465

The directory of accredited energy assessors has moved. For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, accredited energy assessors can be found here: https://getting-new-energy-certificate.digital.communities.gov.uk/ For Scotland, accredited energy assessors can be found here: https://www.scottishepcregister.org.uk This will be updated in future manual re-issues. 
24 Aug 2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed

Achieving Exemplary level criteria using Route 2 - KBCN0928

The project’s appointed BREEAM assessor needs to submit a copy of the IMPACT file/model to BRE Global. Files/models should be submitted as a technical query entitled as ‘UK NC Mat 01 IMPACT model submission’, together with the completed IMPACT form (found on BREEAM Projects, under the UK New Construction 2014 ‘Supporting documents’) and with evidence demonstrating compliance with criterion 7 (demonstrate how the use of an IMPACT compliant software, or equivalent, has benefited the building in terms of measuring and reducing its environmental impact). Note that for IMPACT queries, we aim to provide the initial file/model review report within 4 weeks. Please allow for additional time for this in the process, as the BREEAM Assessor is likely to receive feedback regarding the file/model content, which will need to be addressed before submitting the BREEAM assessment report for Quality Assurance. When this review process is complete and the file/model is verified and approved by BRE Global, you will receive an approval confirmation for compliance with Route 2, which will allow the relevant exemplary credits to be awarded.

Acoustic performance in shell & core assessments - KBCN0235

The guidance below applies to all standard building types. For non-standard building types, a technical query should be submitted. BREEAM does not consider it appropriate to impose requirements on tenants in a shell and core development to carry out acoustic testing in accordance with the criteria, therefore this issue is to be assessed as follows: First credit: Indoor ambient noise level The focus of this criteria is to assess the acoustic performance of the external building fabric which is outside the control of the tenant. The criteria for indoor ambient noise level applies as normal. A Suitably Qualified Acoustician (SQA) must carry out an assessment of the built form specification, typical arrangement, and fit out specification for the building type and and any external factors that are likely to affect the indoor ambient noise levels. Where the layout is unknown, the acoustician must base their assessment on the most sensitive room type likely to be present in the building as a worst case. For example in a retail assessment where there are offices, the acoustician should make an assessment based the requirement for office buildings. Should the SQA determine that an augmented fit-out specification would be required to meet the BREEAM requirements, such details must be covered by one of the three Shell & Core options. First credit: Sound insulation This requirement does not apply to Shell and Core projects and the first credit can be assessed based on indoor ambient noise criteria only. Second credit: Reverberation time If it can be demonstrated that the building will not have any "areas used for speech" the second credit can be awarded by default. However, if this cannot be clearly evidenced due to the speculative nature of the development then this credit must be withheld. 
09/06/2020: Reference to meeting rooms has been removed, in accordance with the content of the technical manual
 

Acoustic performance: Schools with no music accommodation or a multi purpose hall - KBCN0340

Acoustic performance standards: Where the building does not contain any music accommodation or a multi purpose hall etc, the 3rd credit for this building type can be awarded by default.  

Acoustic requirements for care homes - KBCN1241

In order to meet compliance against issue Hea 05, assessment against Part E is necessary, even if compliance with Approved Document E is not required by Building Control. The multi-residential criteria are intended to reflect that the building occupants are comfortable and have an appropriate level of privacy. Although these are exempt from building regulations for care homes, for a development assessed as multi-residential, the criteria relevant to multi-residential buildings must be applied.

Acoustic standards for education buildings - KBCN0179

Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic design of schools, performance standards, February 2015 (BB93) contains revised acoustic standards for all school buildings so it can be used in lieu of earlier revisions/standards.    

Adaptation to climate change strategy study – timing - KBCN0533

Late consideration of the climate change adaptation strategy study, might reduce the study to a ‘paper exercise’, with minimal value to the project. However, if the assessor is satisfied that there is clear justification for the strategy being developed at a slightly later stage (i.e. early RIBA stage 3) AND there is clear evidence that the strategy has achieved the intended outcomes (i.e. the later consideration has been in no way detrimental to the outcomes of the strategy study/appraisal and the benefits can still be realised on the project), then this will be sufficient for compliance. In any case, all other requirements of the issue must be met for the credits to be awarded. The requirements for the timing of the climate change adaptation strategy are intended to ensure that the benefits of these strategies are realised through early consideration.

Additional default values for calculating DELC CO2e - KBCN0195

The following additional default values may be used, where system specific data is not available: Refrigerant recovery efficiency factor (%): - 95% Annual purge release factor (% refrigerant charge):- 0.5 (if the system does not require an annual purge, zero should be used).

Adoption of road in the development - KBCN0331

Where a development includes roads, these are often adopted by a statutory authority (for example the Highways agency or the local authority in the UK). Where the authority will be taking responsibility for the roads, the following guidance should be followed to determine if the water run-off from the roads needs to be considered as part of the assessment: Where the authority will NOT be taking responsibility for the roads, the BREEAM criteria should be followed for all drainage on site.  

Aftercare – speculative developments - KBCN0101

For speculative projects (i.e. where the end occupiers are unknown), the Aftercare issue will be filtered out. Any relevant minimum standard will not be applicable in such cases. Where the end-user is unknown it is not possible to demonstrate compliance with the Aftercare issue requirements.  

AI calculation – changes to public transport services during the assessment - KBCN1527

The AI is calculated as part of the design stage transport analysis and its value relates to the site location and to informing transport-related design decisions. This must be based on current information, including any planned and publicly-notified changes at the time the transport assessment is carried out. This should be used as the AI benchmark for the assessment. Where later, unforeseen changes to public transport availability are implemented before post-construction certification, the AI benchmark should not be updated at post-construction stage. Assessments should not be disadvantaged by, or benefit from such changes.

Air-conditioned spaces - KBCN00035

Air-conditioned spaces are assessed to ensure appropriate thermal comfort levels are achieved. Cooling capacity should be sufficient to comply with the requirements of CIBSE Guide A, however providing sufficient space to install additional capacity to meet the requirements at a later date in line with projected climate change scenarios is also acceptable. In addition, if it can be demonstrated that the air-conditioning system can achieve the thermal comfort criteria in accordance with CIBSE Guide A, Table 1.5, thermal modelling does not need to be carried out. The “time out of range” (TOR) metric should be reported as 0%.  

Alignment of RFO fit-out with New Construction shell only and shell and core assessments - KBCN0731

Where seeking a fully-fitted certificate for a shell only or shell & core project assessed against the BREEAM NC 2014 scheme, the advice provided within the scope section of the RFO manuals has been superseded. The original concept to provide ‘fully-fitted’ ratings and certificates following BREEAM New Construction shell or shell and core certificate has been dropped in favour of separate independent assessments, certificates and scores in the normal way. This is partly due to lack of demand and partly due to the complexities of mapping, managing and scoring one set of criteria against another at completely different stages. For a comprehensive BREEAM assessment of a project that has two separate construction stages, two separate BREEAM assessments should be undertaken. For example, a shell only BREEAM New Construction assessment, the same as Part 1 in BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-out (RFO), will have a certificate for the original design. Later on, the fit-out (RFO Parts 2, 3 and 4) can be undertaken and will have a separate certificate. The two separate certificates will then represent a comprehensive BREEAM assessment and best reflect the different scopes of the different project stages.     
This will be be updated in the next reissue of the technical manual.

All life cycle stages EPDs - KBCN0822

A third party, independently verified EN 15804 EPD that includes life cycle stages A, B and C may be considered a tier 1 EPD in the MAT 01 issue.

Alternative acoustic standards - KBCN0130

If alternative standards are deemed more appropriate to the function than those specified in the criteria, these can be used if confirmed and justified by the 'suitably qualified acoustician' and such written confirmation is submitted as supporting evidence for QA purposes.

Alternative calculation method - KBCN0547

Where it is not possible to use the standard approach to determine the building’s total water consumption, the assessment can be completed on an elemental basis. This applies even in cases where the Wat 01 Excel calculator tool has a section for a broader building type, but the defined activity areas do not match the specific project under assessment. For example, although Wat 01 calculator includes a retail calculator, bars and restaurants should be assessed using the alternative calculation method, as no relevant data is available for the specific activity within retail. Where the activity areas of the building under assessment do not allow using the relevant building type’s calculator, then the alternative calculation approach should be used.

Alternative method performance levels and credits - KBCN1007

Specifying water component performance levels according to the levels of the alternative calculation method does not equate directly to the number of credits achieved. For example, choosing all components with a level 3 performance will not equate to the achievement of 3 credits.

Alternative transport measures – Option 11 – restricted car parking - KBCN1135

Maximum car parking capacity criteria have not been included in this BREEAM Scheme. Consultations indicated that compliance was being achieved through projects conforming to external requirements and limitations (e.g. planning conditions or limited site area), rather than through actively seeking to reduce reliance on transport by private car. Therefore, restricting the number of car parking spaces cannot, generally, be considered as an 'alternative sustainable transport measure'. If, however, all the requirements 1-3 (below) can be clearly demonstrated, this may be considered compliant for 1 point: 1. The absence of standard car parking is a recommendation of the Travel Plan (as per the requirement of Option 11) 2. The development has an Accessibility Index greater than or equal to 25. 3. There is suitable access and sufficient site area to provide an appropriately-sized car park, but this has been consciously omitted to encourage the use of alternative, sustainable transport options. However, if the absence of standard car parking is due to site constraints or other factors, such as Planning restrictions or the proximity of a public car park or on-street parking, this cannot be considered as compliant for Option 11. 
10 06 2019 Updated to account for exceptional cases where this measure can be considered compliant.
   

Alternative weather files - KBCN1182

Different or newer weather files can be used instead of those referenced in the manual, as long as they achieve the aim of the credit. Weather files based on climate projections with higher temperatures than those specified in the relevant criteria, set a more robust standard for overheating and so they are acceptable. The alternative weather files need to include same variables as the specified weather files e.g. dry bulb & wet bulb temperature, wind speed & direction, solar altitude & azimuth, cloud cover etc. for each hour of the year. It is the role of the assessor or design team to verify this and ensure that meeting the BREEAM criteria does not become easier by using the alternative weather file.

Alternatives to BEMS - KBCN0149

It is acceptable for sub-meters to connect (or have potential to connect) to automated meter readers (AMR's) or similar systems, as an alternative to BEMS . The core intent of issue Ene 02 is the monitoring of energy use, therefore if an alternative system can achieve this,it would be considered acceptable provided this could be demonstrated.

Alternatives to composting - KBCN0465

In anaerobic digesters, organic waste is digested by micro-organisms which break down fats, oils and grease. Digesters where the only output is water that is safe to discharge into drains and sewers are acceptable alternatives to composting. Macerators which simply reduce solids into small pieces through a shredding or grinding process and flush the residue into the drainage system are not an acceptable alternative to composting.

Amenities – Access to cash - KBCN0359

An ATM inside a building would be acceptable provided that its opening hours are similar to those of the assessed building, regardless of whether there is a nominal charge for the service. Cash-back from the till in a retail outlet is not compliant. Access to cash should be available to the building users at all relevant times of the day. This should not require a prior purchase of goods and should provide access to other services, such as checking account balances.

Amenities – Assessed building is one of the listed amenities - KBCN0264

Where the assessed building is itself included in the list of amenities, that particular amenity criterion can be deemed to be met, e.g. a supermarket development itself meets the proximity to food outlet required for a Retail type building.

Amenities – Enhanced amenities duplicating existing amenities - KBCN1406

Following feedback, BRE accepts that it is unreasonable to expect assessors to determine whether a new amenity is significantly different to all existing amenities in the vicinity. Furthermore, the introduction of any new compliant amenity may increase choice in terms of the amenity itself and its location relative to other facilities and transport nodes. It cannot, therefore, be reasonably argued that this cannot meet the aim of this transport measure, in reducing the need for local car journeys. New (enhanced) amenities may, therefore, be considered on their own merits, without reference to existing amenities. 
Approach updated for all assessments 16/09/2021
Previous guidance for reference only:

Where an amenity is already present within the prescribed distance, a new amenity falling under the same category cannot be considered as an enhanced amenity, unless it provides a significantly different offering to the existing one. So, for example, if there was an existing fast food outlet and the development provided a new fast food outlet, this could not be considered, whereas a new grocery store or restaurant may be considered.

Note: This is applicable where the development itself could be considered an enhanced amenity, in line with KBCN0264

Assessors must use their discretion and justify the decision in their assessment report.

Amenities – Multi-residential assessments - KBCN0496

The single credits are awarded independently of each other i.e. you may have the four amenities within 500m but not the seven within a 1000m or vice versa.

Amenities – Pharmacy within hospital - KBCN0321

A publicly accessible pharmacy would typically be required in order to constitute a suitable amenity. If it can be confirmed that an internal pharmacy (in Northern Ireland this may also include an onsite controlled medical dispensary) will provide prescribed medicines for building users, this is acceptable.  

Amenities – Provided as part of a masterplan - KBCN1432

Where a masterplan scheme, undertaken by the same developer, includes a number of compliant amenities for Tra02, subject to meeting the criteria, these can be considered as 'new amenities' (rather than existing) for building level assessments on the site. A mixed-use masterplan supports the use of local amenities, without the need to travel by car. The ‘existing amenities’ criteria relate more to site selection.

Amenities – Sandwich van as a food outlet - KBCN0557

A food truck/ mobile catering service would not be sufficient to meet the criteria for this issue. The aim of this Issue is to assess the location of the built asset relative to amenities.

Amenities – Vending machine as a food outlet - KBCN0653

A vending machine can be considered as a food outlet if a range of items, as can be reasonably expected, are for sale to meet the needs of the building users and it is confirmed to be a permanent fixture.

ANC membership/registration scheme compliance route - KBCN0246

The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) registration scheme is only applicable to buildings covered in Approved Document E. It therefore covers Dwellings-Houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes and schools, and so would only apply to assessments that contain these room types. For these assessments, if the suitably qualified accoustician is a member of the ANC, they must also provide evidence to demonstrate that they are a full member of the ANC registration scheme. For all other building/room types, assessors can still demonstrate compliance by the other routes listed in the manual.

Applicability – industrial operational areas - KBCN1342

The aim of this issue is to encourage a healthy internal environment.  For the operational areas of industrial buildings, the internal environment is dictated by health and safety requirements.  This means that the BREEAM requirements should not be made applicable to them, and so the operational areas can be ignored in the assessment of Hea 02. 
10-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Applicability – retail and industrial office areas - KBCN00074

For industrial and retail buildings the 'potential for natural ventilation' requirements apply only to office areas. If a retail building does not contain any office areas, compliance is met by default. Whilst the requirements apply to permanently or semi-permanently occupied offices, small admin areas, which are used only occasionally, can be excluded. This also applies to shell only and shell and core projects, where it can be demonstrated that no office spaces will be provided, as part of the fit-out. 
11-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity and consistency.
15-Sep-2017 IRFO scheme applicability removed - please refer to KBCN0531.
19-Oct-2016 Clarification note added in relation to shell only and shell and core projects.
25-Oct-2016 Distinction between offices and small admin areas added.
 

Applicability of flow control devices - KBCN00057

The criteria are applicable to the cold water supply only and include cold taps, WCs and urinals. Any solution implemented to achieve compliance with this Issue should effectively mitigate the risk of hot-water scalding in showers, in the event that the cold water supply is shut off. 
06/03/18 - Wording amended to make the guidance more outcome-driven and to account for solutions other than not providing flow-control devices on the supply pipework to shower areas.

Applicability of prerequisite - KBCN1072

The prerequisite must be met in order to award any credits where refrigerants are used. It is also applicable when the 'leak detection' credit is awarded on the basis of the refrigerant charge being less than 6kg. For refurbishment projects, this pre-requisite applies only to newly specified or upgraded systems in the scope of works. 
10.08.22 Added clarification for RFO projects.

Applicable amenities for different building types - KBCN1269

The guidance for Healthcare buildings does not identify childcare facilities or a school as an applicable amenity. Where these can be demonstrated to be of benefit to the occupants of the assessed healthcare building (staff), this amenity can be considered as applicable. Likewise, if it can be demonstrated that an amenity, not applicable to a particular building type, would provide a tangible benefit to the occupants of the assessed building, please submit details and justification to BREEAM for review.

Applying internal partition sound insulation criteria to internal doors - KBCN0665

Where sound insulation criteria apply to internal partitions the calculations do need to include any doors which are part of the wall in question. While sound insulation performance of a typical door will be lower than for a typical wall, with careful design, specification and detailing, this can be overcome. 

Applying the requirements to shell only + shell and core assessments - KBCN00075

A Suitably Qualified Acoustician (SQA) must carry out a quantifiable assessment of the specification of the built form, construction and any external factors that are likely to affect the indoor ambient noise levels. From this assessment, the SQA must confirm that the developer’s scope of works will enable a future tenant utilising a typical fit-out and specification to meet the levels required to demonstrate compliance with the BREEAM criteria. Where the specific room functions and areas within the building are yet to be defined, the acoustician’s assessment should demonstrate that the criteria for the most sensitive room type likely to be present in the building is capable of being achieved. Where the typical fit out would include a range of requirements (e.g. offices with a mix of open plan, cellular offices, meeting rooms and breakout areas; or retail with sales floor, stock/storage, office and staff rest areas), the acoustician should make an assessment based on a speculative layout and outline specification to determine whether the requirements of the relevant best practice standard are achievable and include examples of the most sensitive room types. Where the majority of a building’s floor plan will require high performance acoustic environments (e.g. classroom/seminar buildings), then the BREEAM requirements must be achieved for the entire shell where specific layouts are not determined by the built form. Post-construction testing is not required subject to confirmation from the project team that the built form, construction and any external factors have not changed from those used in the SQA's assessment. 
14-Feb-2024 - Scheme applicability updated. Clarified applicability to shell only assessments. Title updated.
09-Aug-2019 - Updated applicability to UK NC 2018
08-Dec-2017 - Clarification added regarding post-construction evidence.
   

Apportioning foundations where not all floors are assessed - KBCN0643

Where a development does not include all the storeys of a building, not all of the aggregates used in the building foundations need to be included in the assessment.  Any apportioning must be justified and calculated by a structural engineer, and it is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure that the process used is appropriate, robust and meets the aim of the credit issue.

Approach to thermal model when using BMS - KBCN0169

Where there are smart systems such as BMS in place, modelling must consider normal operating conditions, with the heating and cooling system in operation regardless of the control strategy. In order for the design team to size the heating/cooling plant, they will carry out modelling to calculate the heat/cold loss throughout the year. Results of these calculations must be submitted, with the heating/cooling plant specification which would demonstrate that the building has been designed to ensure internal winter/summer temperatures will not drop below an acceptable level, and that in effect the winter TOR is zero. 
14 Apr 2023 Applicability to UK NC2018 and UK/Int V6 confirmed

Appropriate project stage to appoint a suitably qualified acoustician - KBCN0256

BREEAM requires that a suitably qualified acoustician is appointed at an appropriate stage of the project, so as to ensure that early design advice on criteria of pre-requisition is met. The aim is to ensure that costly amendments to building designs are not made as a result of late appointment of the acoustician. Ultimately, it is for the assessor to determine at what stage of the project is deemed to be appropriate for this appointment to have taken place given the project specific circumstances and procurement type.  

Areas consuming less than 10% of the building’s total water demand - KBCN0662

Where water-consuming plants or building areas are required to be sub-metered as a minimum, the requirements apply even if those plant/elements consume less than 10% of the building's total water demand.

Areas in the public domain - KBCN0587

Where areas within the site boundary will be public domain after construction, and the design/specification has been determined by the local authority/statutory body/planning permission etc, they can be excluded from the assessment of the 'Safe Access' criteria. Evidence would be required to demonstrate that this was the case. Where the client/design team do not have control of the design of these areas, the development should not be prevented from achieving the credit.

Assessing basement external walls - KBCN0241

Only the external walls above ground level are required to be assessed under 'external walls'. The external walls below ground (i.e. within a basement area) perform a specialist function, these are not comparable with other external walls in a building. These are included in the 'basement retaining walls'. 
20/08/2021 Scope clarified in accordance with the New Rules of Measurement (NRM) by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Assessing equipment to be provided later by the tenant/occupier - KBCN0609

The efficiency of equipment to be provided as part of a subsequent fit-out falls outside the scope of this Issue. Likewise, in a fully fitted but speculative office, where an unknown future tenant will be providing, for example, their own computers, these computers are to be excluded from the assessment. Compliance must be demonstrated by the equipment fitted/installed within the scope of the development being assessed and, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of commitments or legally-binding agreements is not accepted to demonstrate compliance for final certification within this BREEAM Scheme. 
24/02/2017 CN amended to incorporate KBCN0701

Assessing furniture - KBCN00019

Fixed furniture within the building should be assessed. Examples of this include: built-in desks, kitchen units, toilet cubicles, any use which constitutes a significant fitting. Movable furniture which is not fixed to the building should be excluded from the assessment.  

Assessing industrial spaces – exemptions - KBCN0734

The thermal comfort criteria do not apply to the operational or storage areas typically found in industrial assets or other similar asset types. The criteria is still be applied to the other parts of the asset as appropriate. Operational and storage areas often have function-related thermal requirements determined by operational or storage needs. These functional requirements override the needs of any occupants. 
17-Jan-2024 - Scheme applicability updated.
03-Nov-2020 - Issue 2.0 of UK RFO technical manual updated with new CN detailing the above.

Assessing the roof of a car park that forms the ground floor of the assessed building - KBCN00080

The ground floor of the building above the car park should be assessed as an 'upper floor slab'. For the purposes of Mat 01 the ground floor slab, which is not assessed, is considered to be the floor which is in contact with the ground. HQM - Applies to HQM's Environmental Impact from Construction Products assessment issue.  

Assessment Option 1 (Table 7.4) – ‘Other building group 3’ - KBCN1482

The reference to 'other building group 3' refers to the 'Additional building type classifications' in BREEAM UK NC2014, Issue Tra 01 and should read 'Other building - type 3' which is defined below:
Additional building type classifications
Higher Education type 1: H.E buildings located on a campus where less than 25% of students are resident on the campus or within 1km radius from the campus’ main entrance. Higher Education type 2: H.E buildings located on a campus where 25% or more of the students are resident on the campus or within 1km radius from the campus’ main entrance. Other Building - type 1: A building predominantly occupied by staff/employees with occasional business related visitors. Other Building - type 2: A building occupied by a number of core staff/employees with a larger number of consistently frequent visitors/users (either resident or non-resident) Other Building - type 3: As type 2, but building types specifically required to be located rurally as a result of its function, i.e. a building which would never be located within an urban area, e.g. a National Park visitor centre (see definition of rural and rural location sensitive buildings location).   Unfortunately, this reference was not carried forward into BREEAM UK NC2018. This error will be corrected at the next reissue.

Assessment with no external lighting - KBCN0441

If the scope of works does not include external lighting and it can be demonstrated that the building will not require external lighting once fitted-out and in operation, the external lighting requirements can be assumed to be met. 
22/01/2018 KBCN wording amended to extend applicability to all types of assessments.

28/06/2018 Applicability to International New Construction 2016 and Refurbishment and Fit-Out 2015 removed.

Asset classification – co-living developments - KBCN1568

The following is a guide only. Every co-living project will combine a varying mix of residential with managed spaces, and assessors must in all cases review the suitability of the criteria to determine the most appropriate asset classification. Co-living features Co-living developments generally combine: Classification Using building regulation classifications as a guide As a guide, assessors can also consider how their asset is classified according to local regulations. For UK NC assets, KBCN1225 provides additional clarification:

Astroturf (artificial grass) - KBCN0106

This is not be considered as hard landscaping and should be excluded from the assessment of this issue.  

Backup or emergency heating systems - KBCN0936

NOx calculations should be based on permanent heating systems and should not include backup systems used for maintenance or in emergencies. BREEAM assessments measure the as designed performance level of the building as it normally functions.

Boundary Protection - KBCN0753

Only boundary protection specifically forming the site boundary should be included in the calculations. This may not necessarily be located on the boundary of ownership, but is the physical barrier which ostensibly encloses the development. Any other freestanding walls or fencing within the site can be excluded.

BRE Environmental Profile certificates - KBCN0777

BRE Environmental Profile certificates are compliant EPDs and can be used as evidence for the purposes of Mat 01.

BREEAM Accredited Professional (AP) – Retrospectively applying AP status - KBCN0308

The AP status cannot be applied retrospectively. The purpose of using an AP on a project is that they can advise and steer the development from the outset to maximise its BREEAM and sustainability performance for the least cost/risk. If early AP appointment and involvement does not occur then the aims and criteria of this BREEAM issue are not being met.    

BREEAM Accredited Professionals & Site Sustainability Managers - KBCN1159

All current BREEAM Accredited Professionals will automatically be qualified as BREEAM Advisory Professionals and will be able to carry out their work under the title of ‘BREEAM Advisory Professional Design and Site’ under the new scheme. Existing SSMs, likewise, will automatically be qualified as BREEAM Advisory Professionals and will be able to continue to carry out their work under the title of ‘BREEAM AP Site’. All BREEAM Advisory Professional (design and/or site) will additionally be required to maintain CPD to continue to work in these respective areas. Newly qualified BREEAM Advisory Professionals, who qualify following the implementation of this new qualification, will have their area of expertise recognised by being ‘BREEAM Advisory Professional – Design’ / ‘BREEAM AP – Site’.

BREEAM Advisory Professional (AP) – Retrospectively applying AP status - KBCN1080

The AP status cannot be applied retrospectively. The purpose of using an AP on a project is that they can advise and steer the development from the outset to maximise its BREEAM and sustainability performance for the least cost/risk. If early AP appointment and involvement does not occur then the aims and criteria of this BREEAM issue are not being met.

BREEAM AP – Achieving the design credit at the Post Construction Assessment - KBCN0215

Where a project will be undertaking a post construction stage assessment only (no interim assessment), to demonstrate that the criteria were met at the design stage a "BREEAM credit monitoring report" should be provided when the assessment is submitted, which shows that at the design stage of the project the building was still on target for the proposed BREEAM rating. This could be an excel document showing the issues that the design is on target for achieving with a short summary of how the BREEAM AP is steering the project for the correct rating. As long as the criteria are met and the correct information can be gathered for your evidence, a design stage certification is not required.

BREEAM AP – Change of BREEAM APs/Sustainability champions during project - KBCN0295

Whilst it would generally be preferable to retain the same individual in the role of BREEAM AP/Sustainability champion throughout the design and construction of a particular project for the purposes of continuity, we appreciate that this may not always be feasible. It is therefore entirely appropriate that the three credits available for using BREEAM APs/Sustainability champions can still be awarded where the individual performing the role changes (provided the ongoing involvement of an AP/SC is maintained in accordance with the criteria).  

BREEAM AP and BREEAM assessor – conflict of interest - KBCN0196

An individual can be appointed as a BREEAM/HQM Assessor and BREEAM AP/Sustainability Champion for the same project, where the Assessor also holds current and applicable AP/Sustainability Champion credentials. If this route is chosen, it must be made clear when submitting the assessment that both roles are being carried out by the same person and confirmed how potential conflicts of interest are identified and managed. This will mean, when appropriate, that the assessment can be escalated to a more detailed level of quality assurance checking.

BREEAM AP/Sustainability champion appointment timing - KBCN0419

It is acceptable for a BREEAM AP to be appointed in the early stages of RIBA Stage C/ RIBA Stage 2, if it can be demonstrated that the AP was appointed at the earliest appropriate time in the project and that the late involvement will not have a detrimental effect on the setting of BREEAM performance targets that need to be formally agreed no later than RIBA Stage 2.

BREEAM New Construction UK 2018 – Post-Occupancy Stage assessment - KBCN1532

Following the publication of UK NC V6 it was announced that the Post-Occupancy Stage (POS) assessment within BREEAM will close with immediate effect. While we will no longer be offering this as an assessment option, the essence and intent behind the criteria will remain. At this stage, we will not be re-issuing the UKNC 2018 manual. Therefore, reference to POS will remain within the following issues:
  1. Ene 01 Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions (two credits for Post-Occupancy Stage)
  2. Ene 02 Energy monitoring
  3. Wat 01 Water consumption
  4. Wat 02 Water monitoring
To award the relevant credits, the references to ‘Post-Occupancy Stage assessment’ should be read as ‘Post-Occupancy Evaluation’ and carried out with the same intent; to understand and close the performance gap. For assessments that have been certified at Post-Construction, are in progress or are new assessments, the Post Occupancy Evaluation process should continue to be followed, however there is no formal post-occupancy BREEAM certification stage. Rating systems such as BREEAM in-Use and NABERS UK Energy for Offices are examples of tools that can be used to measure performance in the operational phase. 
18-05-23: KBCN edited to illustrate that credits can be awarded.

Bristol Transport Access Level (BrisTAL) - KBCN1426

The Bristol Transport Access Level (BrisTAL) method provides a way of measuring the level of public transport connectivity within the city of Bristol. It is derived from the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) approach used by Transport for London. As such, the ‘Access Index (AI)’ output from BrisTAL can be used as evidence of compliance against the BREEAM and HQM Accessibility Index requirements.  Please note that project teams must ensure that they use the version of the BrisTAL that is current at the time the transport assessment is undertaken. This is available here: https://maps.bristol.gov.uk/pinpoint/ 
03 08 2022 - Updated to clarify that the dataset used must be current at the time of the transport assessment, but this does not need to be updated at post-construction stage

Brownfield sites – achieving the greenfield rate of run-off for the 1-year and 100-year return period events - KBCN1450

For a brownfield site that has achieved the greenfield rate of run-off for the 1-year and 100-year return period events, criterion 6 can be deemed to be met.

BS 8903:2010 superseded - KBCN0938

BS 8903:2010 Principles and Framework for Procuring Sustainably - Guide, has been superseded by BS ISO 20400:2017 Sustainable Procurement - Guidance. 
This change will be updated in future re-issues of the manual.

Building Bulletin 101 - KBCN0786

Within Compliance Note CN4.1, reference is made to the appropriate industry standard for schools being Building Bulletin 101: Ventilation of school buildings (2014). This has been updated to BB101 2018, so either the current version or the specified 2014 standard may be used to demonstrate compliance. If the thermal modelling specialist recommends an alternative standard, for example TM52, then this would be acceptable provided there is a full justification. 
11/08/2021 Updated to recognise the current version of the standard

Building elements’ Materials - KBCN0190

For each element, only the materials that make up a significant majority of the building element (up to 80%) need to be responsibly sourced. Any material which comprise the remaining 20% can be included at the discretion of the assessor if it contributes to achieving more points. It should be noted that including additional elements from a lower tier level may reduce the number of points scored. Criterion 2.b To achieve points for any given building elements, at least 80% of the materials that make-up that element must be responsibly sourced i.e. classified in tier 1-7.

Building LCA – BREEAM Assessor or AP as consultant - KBCN1234

It is possible for a competent BREEAM assessor or AP to carry out the building LCA options appraisals. This is provided that they have had no direct input into the design of the options, and a conflict of interest statement is produced for QA. As well as outlining how conflicts of interest are managed, this statement must also confirm that the data provided by the design team for the purpose of producing the LCA options has not been altered in any way.

Building LCA – Comparison with the BREEAM Benchmark – mixed-used buildings - KBCN1191

If the building's net internal area is ≥50% either office, retail or industrial (see Mat 01 specific note 'Mixed use buildings' in the technical manual) then that use type shall be selected in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. A building LCA tool may then be selected for comparison with the BREEAM benchmark. If the building's net internal area is <50% either office, retail or industrial then 'mixed-use' shall be selected as the building type in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. Then no building LCA tool can be selected for comparison with the BREEAM benchmark - only options appraisal can be done (with no penalty in the credits available).

Building LCA – Evidence requirements for two (or more) BREEAM assessments on different parts of the same new building design - KBCN1173

As the building LCA work must cover the whole new building design (see KBCN1172 ‘Scope of the building LCA when a BREEAM Assessment covers only part of the new building design’), it is equally applicable to all BREEAM assessments being carried out on the building. Therefore, the same building LCA evidence may be submitted for each BREEAM assessment.

Building LCA – Options appraisal including reuse/recycling of existing construction products on site - KBCN1174

In general, reuse and recycling of existing construction product on site is likely to mean lower environmental impacts compared with products from other sources. However, this may not always be the case. After the demolition, transport and processing of the waste into a recognised product is finished (impacts at the end of the previous life), there will often be subsequent ‘product stage’ processing impacts (impacts at the start of the next life e.g. crushing, cleaning, making good). In addition, there will typically be a need for ongoing maintenance and possible replacement during the life of the new building. Building LCA options appraisal will help to show if this amounts to a higher environmental impact than products from other sources. Even when it seems self-evident that reuse is optimal (e.g. in-situ products with minimal ongoing maintenance and a remaining service life sufficient for the building design life – such as reused in-situ concrete substructure), options appraisal will demonstrate to the design team the environmental benefit of reuse vs. newly installed products. This is of particular relevance where the reuse will impose design constraints (e.g. structural layout, aesthetic) that the design team have accepted in order to achieve lower environmental impacts. For these reasons, it is valid to carry out options appraisal that compares reuse or recycling of existing construction products on site with products from other sources. Please note: For Building LCA in BREEAM, reuse does not apply to existing construction products that have been installed in preparation for a planned new building (or planned extension to a building) – even if a significant amount of time has passed. For example, substructure/hard landscaping that has never been used to support/serve a building cannot be considered as reused. Nor can substructure/hard landscaping that has been used to support/serve an existing building but, in addition, was originally designed to support/serve a planned future extension. Where this situation applies to a project, the Assessor should send a technical query to BREEAM explaining the basis of this conclusion. BREEAM will clarify how to proceed with this credit. Please note: For Building LCA in BREEAM, there shall be no assumption of reuse of products on-site after the end of the building’s life. All impacts (A, B and C stages) must be included as per the product LCA data found in the recognised building LCA tool. Although projects that chose to remove and dispose of reusable or recyclable products will not be penalised by the resulting demolition, transport, processing and disposal (impacts which belong to the end-of-life of the previous building), reuse is still significantly incentivised by avoiding the A1 to A4 (all or in part) and stage C impacts that would result from using products from other sources. 
24/01/2019 - Re-worded for clarity and additional information added (last paragraph)
23/09/2019 - Re-worded for clarity

Building LCA – Projects that include no hard landscaping - KBCN1175

The scope of applicable hard landscaping is the following (based on NRM 1, 2nd Edition by RICS):- 8.2.1 Roads, paths and pavings: • Roads, paths and pavements (vehicular and pedestrian) • Car parks • Protection of grassed areas • Non-specialist surfacings and pavings used for sports and general amenities. 8.2.2 Special surfacings and pavings: • Surfacings and pavings specially and specifically for outdoor sporting activities and general amenities. Almost all projects will involve some design work to one or more of these classifications, which can be informed by building LCA. For example, even on a tight urban site some works will be required to the surrounding pavement areas, building entrances or provision for deliveries. If the BREEAM assessment covers only part of the building, such as an upper floor, but hard landscaping works are part of the wider building design then it is still applicable to the assessment, see KBCN1172. Where the hard landscaping design includes only reuse of existing construction products on site (e.g. re-installation or making-good) it is often still applicable to the assessment, see KBCN1174. If the extent of, or options for hard landscaping are relatively limited then it would be advantageous to maximise the number of substructure options and minimise the hard landscaping options appraised for this credit. If the above guidance is followed carefully, and the assessor determines there is no applicable hard landscaping, then the Assessor should send a technical query to BREEAM explaining the basis of this conclusion. BREEAM will clarify how to proceed with this credit.

Building LCA – Projects that include no substructure - KBCN1176

The scope of applicable substructure is as follows:- 1.1.1 Standard foundations • Standard foundations up to and including the damp-proof course. 1.1.2 Specialist foundations • Load bearing foundation piles and caissons. • Inserting additional foundation support under and around existing foundations. 1.1.3 Lowest floor construction: • The entire lowest floor assembly below the underside of screed or lowest floor finish. 1.1.4 Basement excavation • Bulk excavation required for construction of floors below ground level. 1.1.5 Basement retaining walls • External basement retaining walls in contact with earthwork up to and including the damp-proof course. • External basement retaining walls consisting of shoulder to shoulder piles or other vertical construction, which are subsequently partially excavated on one side to form retaining walls which obtain their stability from the embedded lower portion. Almost all projects will involve some design work to one or more of these classifications, which can be informed by building LCA. If the BREEAM assessment covers only part of the building, such as an upper floor, but substructure works are part of the wider building design then it is still applicable to the assessment, see KBCN1172. Where the substructure design includes only reuse of existing construction products on site it is often still applicable to the assessment, see KBCN1174. If the extent of, or options for substructure are relatively limited then it would be advantageous to maximise the number of hard landscaping options and minimise the substructure options appraised for this credit. If the above guidance is followed carefully, and the assessor determines there is no applicable substructure, then the assessor should send a technical query to BREEAM explaining the basis of this conclusion. BREEAM will clarify how to proceed with this credit.

Building LCA – Scope when a BREEAM Assessment covers only part of the new building design - KBCN1172

To give reliable results, building LCA must capture the interactions that occur across an entire design (the system). A design decision in one part of the design will, in many cases, cause knock-on effects to other parts of the design. If only part of a building being designed is included in the building LCA the designer may choose a design option that optimises environmental impacts for the limited part analysed, but will be unaware of potential detrimental effects to the overall environmental impact of the building. In addition, if a building LCA only includes the construction products that form the BREEAM assessment area, inconsistencies arise with regards to construction products that serve all areas of the building in common. For example, an assessment on a central floor that excludes the roof, compared with an assessment on the (otherwise identical) top floor that does include the roof. This approach would be unfair. Therefore, the building LCA scope should normally include the whole building design (as defined in Mat 01, ‘Scope of assessment’) even if the area covered by the BREEAM assessment scope is only part of the building. However, where in the opinion of the BREEAM Assessor this is not reasonable, it is acceptable for the building LCA scope to match the BREEAM assessment scope. Examples where this may be the case include newly-constructed, mixed-use buildings (where the different use zones are assessed under different schemes or some are not being assessed at all) and part new-build part refurbishment projects. Where this is the case:-

Within or forming the boundary of the BREEAM assessment scope. Predominantly the responsibility of the project team undertaking the building LCA work.

Note: Based on the above conditions, if no construction elements/components are included, or what is included is too limited to have significantly different options to appraise, then credits cannot be awarded.

Select ‘Other’ for the ‘BREEAM assessment building use type’ (note: ‘mixed-use’ should only be entered for mixed-use buildings where the whole building is included in the building LCA scope). For ‘Functional quantity…’, enter the value corresponding to the scope included in the building LCA. Include the following text in cell C10 of the ‘DifferencesID2,3,4’ sheet: “The scope of this building LCA work matches the BREEAM assessment scope, which covers only part of a building being newly constructed/refurbished. Of the areas being newly constructed/refurbished, the building use type(s) of the areas included in the building LCA scope are [insert use type(s)] and the building use type(s) of the areas excluded are [insert use type(s)]. The Functional quantity of the areas excluded are [insert value]”.

06-Mar-2024 - Scheme applicability updated to UK NC V6.
01-Dec-2020 - Clarification to previous update added.
27-Nov-2020 - Exceptions paragraph added.
06-Dec-2019 - Scope of KBCN clarified.

Building LCA – similar buildings approach - KBCN1459

If multiple buildings share an identical design, as per KBCN1226, the one set of LCA evidence can be submitted for (where pursued) the superstructure and core buildings services criteria for each identical building. Where buildings are similar, but not identical the following applies. Level of variation Tool submission Separate submissions are carried out in BREEAM Projects: Evidence submission Separate and specific building LCA evidence for each building must be submitted for (where pursued): For options appraisals, common evidence covering all similar buildings can be used. There is no requirement for different design options for each building, although this can still be done if this brings value to the project. 
04-Oct-2023 - Title and layout updated for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.
16-Nov-2021 - Revised and re-published.

Building LCA tools recognised by BREEAM - KBCN1118

The following document shows the building LCA tools that are recognised by BREEAM for each BREEAM scheme. Only submissions from the tools listed here will be accepted as part of a BREEAM assessment. These recognised tools may be either an IMPACT Compliant tool or another type of building LCA tool that has been evaluated by BREEAM and considered suitable for carrying out building LCA according to BREEAM’s scheme specific requirements. To apply for a new tool to be evaluated, please contact: [email protected] Where more than one version of the same tool is listed for a given scheme version, the most recent version of the tool (that is available at the point building LCA work commences on the project) should be used. It is acceptable to use subsequent, more recent releases/versions of a recognised tool (that have the same name as shown in the table). View Building LCA tools recognised by BREEAM.       
Table updated to new downloadable format, with new layout and new recognised LCA tools and corrections added 01/03/2024
Table updated to include new recognised LCA tools and corrections 10/11/2023
Table updated to include new recognised LCA tools and corrections 22/07/2022
Table updated to include new recognised LCA tools 12/03/2021
KBCN updated for clarity regarding subsequent tool versions on 10/03/2021

Building LCA – Alternative designs resulting in options for single or multiple group elements - KBCN1369

Alternative designs – single group elements When undertaking option appraisal, projects may choose to explore discrete alternative designs that significantly affect only a single group element (either superstructure, substructure, hard landscaping or core building services). For example, a change from external timber cladding to aluminium cladding is a discrete change to the superstructure if it has no significant effect on the substructure, hard landscaping or core building services. This is more likely where the design of other group elements is largely fixed, or where each group element is being designed in relative isolation (e.g. by different designers). This approach is acceptable but is less likely to result in a holistic analysis of the project and may be limited in improving environmental performance. For this approach, the alternative design forms the basis of an option for the relevant group element section in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool only (note: more than one change can be included per option). Alternative designs – multiple group elements Alternative designs that affect more than one group element are acceptable and, being more holistic, are encouraged for options appraisal. They are more likely to result in differences to the overall building design, rather than a discrete aspect of it. As such, greater insight may be gained into the environmental performance of the overall building and how to reduce it – the purpose of building LCA. However, as more than one group element is affected, the scale of modelling and analysis work is likely to be greater. In addition, to be meaningful, alternative designs of this nature typically require building LCA to start earlier in the design process. Therefore, it is acceptable for the same alternative design to form the basis of options in more than one group element section of the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool – providing each option is significantly different from the other options in the same group element section (as per the requirements in the technical manual). This is illustrated below.
Alternative design explored Resulting in significant differences for the following group elements Significantly different change(s) listed in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool (illustrative only: Not detailed, not exhaustive)
Removal of occupied basement. Addition of extra upper floor Superstructure Building 1 storey taller
Substructure Removal of retaining walls
Core building services Primary plant moved to roof from basement. Changes to distribution layouts
Structural grid changed from 7.5m to 9m Superstructure Relocation and resize of columns and beams
Substructure Relocation and resize of piles
Change from HVAC to natural ventilation Superstructure Floorplate depth reduced from 25m to 15m
Substructure Relocation and resize of piles
Hard landscaping Relocation of surrounding road and paths
Core building services Change from HVAC to natural ventilation
Change from a refrigerant distribution-based system to an air distribution-based system Superstructure Changes to cores and floor-to-floor dimension
Core building services Change from a refrigerant distribution-based system to an air distribution-based system
  For clarity, where an alternative design affects more than one group element (such as the above examples) and forms the basis of changes listed for different group element options, the link between them should be detailed in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. This is illustrated below. ‘Description of differences between superstructure options’ (sheet name) Example of an alternative design listed as the sole change (ID 2) Example of an alternative design change plus another subsequent change (ID 3). ‘Description of differences between substructure and hard landscaping options’ (sheet name) Example of an alternative design listed as the sole change (ID 7).

Building LCA – evidence requirements for multiple assessments with identical designs - KBCN1226

Superstructure + core building services Where an identical superstructure design and / or identical core building services design is used for multiple buildings, the same building LCA evidence may be submitted for all these assessments. The following shall be identical: Substructure and hard landscaping It is unlikely that the same substructure and hard landscaping design will apply to more than one building due to variations in ground conditions and site layout. Therefore, it is not acceptable for the same substructure / hard landscaping LCA evidence to be submitted for this criteria for more than one assessment. Similar buildings approach If the LCA(s) are part of a similar buildings assessment, please also see KBCN1459. 
04-Oct-2023 - Link to KBCN1459 added. Scheme applicability updated. KBCN layout adjusted for clarity.
 

Building LCA – ‘Baseline’ and ‘Integrated’ approaches - KBCN1370

Both ‘baseline’ and ‘integrated’ approaches are applicable to option appraisal. A description of each and how they work with the Mat 01/02 Results Submission tool is given below. Baseline A ‘baseline’ approach means building LCA starts after the project team have established an initial building design. Once an initial building design is available, building LCA is used to work out its environmental impact – the ‘baseline’ result. Then various alternative designs are explored to lower the impact compared with the ‘baseline’. This approach is common where the building LCA work is less integrated with the design process and done as a separate exercise (e.g. by an LCA specialist for example). The alternative designs can be used as the basis of options for options appraisal. Where this approach is followed for Mat 01, the ‘baseline’ option will typically be the worst performing option and it is logical for it to be included as the 1st option in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. The subsequent alternative designs explored form the 2nd, 3rd etc. options. Integrated An ‘integrated’ approach means building LCA is integrated into the design process before the design team have established an initial building design (there is no ‘baseline’). From this earlier stage, as alternative designs are explored, building LCA is used to inform the designers on environmental impact performance of each one. This approach requires the LCA work to be highly integrated within the design process, either by the designers themselves or by a specialist working in parallel. Earlier use and greater integration of building LCA should prove more effective at reducing impacts. For example, compared with the ‘baseline’ approach, there is no initial design that the project team have already spent time developing which may in some respects have become fixed. Where an ‘integrated’ approach is followed for Mat 01, the differences between options are still expressed as ‘changes’ relative to option 1 in the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. However, this does not mean option 1 is necessarily worse. It is simply a convenient way of declaring the differences between the options – any of the options can be option 1. For both approaches Mat 01 options can be based on either: -

Buildings in Greater London – PTAL - KBCN1149

When assessing buildings in Greater London, we would recommend using the PTAL map for the purpose of calculating the Public Transport Accessibility Index for the site, as per the link provided in the Methodology section of the manual, "Buildings in Greater London" Please note that project teams must ensure that they use the version of PTAL that is current at the time the transport assessment is undertaken. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/urban-planning-and-construction/planning-with-webcat/webcat. In this case, the Tra 01/02 tool will not be required for the assessment of this issue. 
03 08 2022 - Updated to clarify that the version used must be current at the time of the transport assessment, but this does not need to be updated at post-construction stage

Calculating EPR where multiple EPCs are required - KBCN0216

Where more than one BRUKL/EPC is produced for a development, which is registered as a single assessment, an area-weighted average should be used to calculate the number of credits to be awarded. This does not apply where the 'similar buildings' approach is used. The BRUKL.inp. files should be entered into the S&R tool (or for UK NC2011, uploaded to the Compliance Checker) and the three EPRs produced by the compliance checker, which must then be area-weighted to produce an average EPR for each metric. When applying this method, please include your area-weighting calculations and outputs as supporting evidence. 
06/07/2023 - Applicability to UK RFO 2014 removed, as this methodology does not apply. For RFO 2014, a single, whole building EPC must be generated.
31/10/2018 wording clarified to apply to all relevant schemes.

Calculating EPR where there are multiple BRUKL/NCM outputs - KBCN1083

Where more than one NCM output is produced for a development, which is registered as a single assessment, an area-weighted average should be used to calculate the number of credits to be awarded. This does not apply where the ‘similar buildings’ approach is used. For for projects in England assessed under UKNC V6.0, please see KBCN1618 Projects assessed under UKNC V6.1 can upload multiple BRUKL.inp files for a single assessment and the platform will perform the calculation. See KBCN1618 Each energy performance output from the NCM output (actual CO2/m2 notional CO2/m2 etc.) must be area-weighted to produce area-weighted average values entered into the scoring and reporting tool. When applying this method, please include your area-weighting calculations and outputs as supporting evidence. The following provides an example of an area-weighting calculation for two building areas A and B, each of 500m2, for which separate NCM outputs are available:   For building area A: Notional building heating and cooling energy demand: 230 mJ/m² Actual building heating and cooling energy demand: 200 mJ/m² Notional building primary energy consumption: 300 kWh/m² Actual building primary energy consumption: 280 kWh/m² TER: 40 kg CO₂-eq/m² BER: 30 kg CO₂-eq/m²   For building area B: Notional building heating and cooling energy demand: 150 mJ/m² Actual building heating and cooling energy demand: 140 mJ/m² Notional building primary energy consumption: 200 kWh/m² Actual building primary energy consumption: 190 kWh/m² TER: 40 kg CO₂-eq/m² BER: 38 kg CO₂-eq/m²   Area-weighted values for building areas A and B (of total floor area 1000m2): Notional building heating and cooling energy demand: 230*500/1000 + 150*500/1000 = 190 mJ/m² Actual building heating and cooling energy demand: 200*500/1000 + 140*500/1000 = 170 mJ/m² Notional building primary energy consumption: 300*500/1000 + 200*500/1000 = 250 kWh/m² Actual building primary energy consumption: 280*500/1000 + 190*500/1000 = 235 kWh/m² TER: 40*500/1000 + 40*500/1000 = 40 kg CO₂-eq/m² BER: 30*500/1000 + 38*500/1000 = 34 kg CO₂-eq/m²   These area-weighted values are then used to calculate the overall EPRNC value.   
20 Sep 2023 - Minor corrections, applicability to INC V6 confirmed and cross-reference to UKNC V6 guidance added.
14 Jun 2023 - Note added to confirm this is integrated into the platform for UKNC V6.1 in all countries. 
24 Aug 2022 - Note added to confirm this is N/A to UKNC V6 for projects in England
07 Feb 2022 - Reference to 'BRUKL' amended to 'NCM output' to clarify for non-UK assessments
31 Oct 2018 KBCN clarified. Reference to EPRs and calculation example added

Calculating EPR where there are multiple BRUKL/NCM outputs - KBCN1618

Where more than one NCM output is produced for a development that is registered as a single assessment, an area-weighted average must be used to calculate the number of credits to be awarded. This does not apply where the ‘similar buildings’ approach is used. Projects in England assessed under UKNC V6.0 should submit their BRUKL files to BREEAM and we will calculate the result. Projects assessed under UKNC V6.1 can upload multiple BRUKL.inp files for a single assessment and the platform will perform the calculation.   For projects assessed under BREEAM UK NC2018 and International NC 2013, 2016 and V6, please refer to KBCN1083

Calculation of greenfield run-off rates - KBCN1352

The calculation of greenfield run-off rates must be in accordance with IH Report 124, Flood estimation for small catchments. Reference to the Flood Estimation Handbook can be made, but only where this is considered appropriate. This is only applicable to v3.0 of the UK NC 2018 technical manual and will be clarified in the next re-issue.

Campus with multiple building assessments - KBCN0597

If a campus development project has multiple building assessments being built in conjunction with each other, each building should be assessed independently.  Where there are noise sensitive buildings; including any new buildings in the process of being built, the criteria requirements must still be met.

Capital cost reporting and LCC measured area - KBCN0438

When assessing the Capital cost reporting and the LCC credits, the area to be considered should be the Gross Internal Floor Area (GIFA), according to the below RICS definition: Gross Internal Floor Area Gross Internal Floor Area is the area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level, which includes: And excludes: 
14.02.18 - KBCN content amended to extend the applicability to LCC and to refer to GIFA rather than GEA, to reflect current industry practice.

Car sharing – calculation of priority spaces - KBCN0282

The calculation of priority spaces for car sharers should account only for the car parking capacity that is dedicated to the staff working in the building, without considering the spaces for customers or visitors. As such, car sharing spaces should be clearly segregated from customer/visitor parking areas. 
06/09/2023 - Title only updated to align with naming protocol
23/03/2017 note added clarifying requirement for segregation

Car sharing group - KBCN1510

The term, ‘car sharing group’, as a sustainable transport measure, may be interpreted differently. For the purposes of the BREEAM Standards, therefore, the following additional guidance should be applied, to support assessors’ understanding of the criteria, when determining compliance. Aim: The aim of this measure is that the asset’s management establishes, promotes and administers a process which encourages building users to share private car journeys to and from work, thus reducing the number of cars used for this purpose. Principles: A car sharing group will, generally: A car sharing group is not: The criteria do not prescribe what terms and conditions should be implemented and, whilst the above principles should generally be followed, specific arrangements may vary. However, evidence and justification must always be provided to demonstrate that the above ‘Aim’ is met.

Cat A fit-out - KBCN0791

For Category A projects the assessor can decide, based on the developer’s scope of works, whether to assess as shell and core or fully-fitted. In determining the most appropriate classification, it should be borne in mind that if a fully fitted certification is sought, a higher level of certification would be achieved and more credits would be deemed under the scope of the assessment. However, where the actual scope of works does not comprise of some fit-out elements, the BREEAM rating might be penalised. More information on Cat A projects is given in Appendix D of the technical manual, as per the extract below:

Appendix D – BREEAM UK New Construction and Shell and Core Project Assessments

… Often, shell and core projects will also be fitted out to a 'Category A' standard, the scope of which varies between different developers, but often includes in addition the shell and core of the building the provision of raised floors, suspended ceilings, extension of core services above ceilings across the lettable space, finishes to the internal face of external and core walls and blinds. Upon completion, the whole building or space within the building is sold or let to be fitted out as appropriate for occupation. The new owner(s) or tenant(s) will fit-out the building’s accommodation in accordance with their corporate and operational needs, often referred to as a 'Category B' fit-out. These terms, while they are widely used in the property sector, are not used within BREEAM as the scope of works that they refer to varies significantly between developers making them not comparable. In these projects, where areas of the development are not fully fitted, performance of the building and compliance with BREEAM is verified based on the developer’s scope of works. This is measured using two standard project type options that in turn define appropriate assessment criteria applicable to that project type. While some projects will differ to some extent from the scope of these standard options, for the purpose of BREEAM, issues not included within the chosen option will be excluded from the assessment, even where they are within the developer’s scope of works. This approach is necessary to ensure clarity, consistency and comparability within the property market. A fully filterable list of criteria/issues based on each individual projects scope would not enable comparability between BREEAM ratings, either in terms of performance benchmarking or promotional/publicity purposes.  

Centralised air handling units (AHU) - KBCN0941

The requirements of the: do not apply to centralised AHUs, where it is not technically feasible to sub-meter energy use by separate functional, tenanted or floor areas. The credit(s) will be assessed based on the remaining applicable energy uses. 
06-Mar-2024 - Scheme applicability extended to V6.

Certificate validity – EMS - KBCN1401

The requirement for the principal contractor to operate an EMS relates to the duration of operations on site. Certification against ISO 14001/EMAS must be valid at the Design Stage and Post Construction Stage submissions and cannot be expired, pending or applied retrospectively. 
07/05/2021: Clarification on Design and Post Construction Stage added

Change in ecological value – Route 2 – credit allocation - KBCN1139

10/08/2018 - The correct credit allocation for Route 2 can be found in Version 1.2 onwards of the technical manual.
The information below is incorrect and not valid for use.
Upon completing the calculation of change in ecological value following the Route 2 methodology detailed in GN36, a percentage score will be achieved. Providing all other necessary criteria are met, the following credits can be awarded for the relevant issues:
Project Status Percentage Score Credits Awarded Issue
Minimising Loss 75-94% 1 LE03
No Net Loss 95-104% 2 LE03
Net Gain 105-109% 1 LE04
Significant Net Gain 110% or more 3 LE04
A total of 5 credits is available for achieving significant net gain, with up to 2 credits available in LE 03 and up to 3 credits available in LE 04. This information will be added to the manual in the next reissue.

Change in ecological value- Larger post-development area - KBCN0299

Where the post-development area is larger than the pre-development area, for example due to green undercrofts or green facades, the extra area should be included as hard landscaping before development with no species present. Post development this area should be given its own habitat type with the species numbers verified by the suitably qualified ecologist.  

Change in ecological value- non-native species - KBCN0221

Non-native species specified by the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) can be included in ecology calculations. There are no requirements set for LE 03 relating to the specification of non-native species (this differs from the requirements in LE 04). If an SQE specifies non-native plants for the development and confirms the species count pre and post development, then non-native species can be included in the ecological change calculation.

Change in main contractor - KBCN0645

In situations where the main contractor changes mid-project, for example where the original contractor goes into administration and is replaced by another main contractor, it is acceptable for the post-construction credits to be awarded based on the new contractor providing information on their activities. This is providing the project is yet to start on site. This is in effect assessing the issue using the Post Construction Assessment route instead of a Post Construction Review. However, if the project has already started on site and information about the site activities of the previous contractor is not available it would not be appropriate to award the credit solely based on the new contractor activities.

Changes to CCS – January 2022 - KBCN1500

UKNC2011, UKNC2014, RFO2014 and Domestic Refurbishment 2014 schemes: In response to the 2022 changes to the structure and scoring in the CCS, the adjusted points for credits are as follows for each of the three new sections (Community, Environment, and Workforce): One credit requires a minimum of 9 points per section and 27 overall. Two credits require a minimum of 11 points per section and 35 overall. Exemplary credit requires a minimum of 13 points per section and 39 overall. UKNC2018, UKNCV6 and HQM ONE schemes: No changes have been made to the criteria or the requirement to demonstrate compliance with items g, p and q for the exemplary credit. GN33 has been updated to demonstrate the mapping of the updated CCS to these schemes, see KBCN1215. For assessments not following CSS, the criteria remain unchanged. More information on the changes to the CCS scheme are outlined on the CCS website. 
12-Apr-2023 - Updated to clarify the applicability of the new guidance.
28-Feb-2023 - Note updated to refer to the updated version of GN33.
29-Apr-2022 - Note added to clarify that this information supersedes the requirements in the technical manuals.
25-Mar-2022 - Updated to provide the new scoring requirements for BREEAM standards.

Changes to CCS scoring system – January 2019 - KBCN1271

In January 2019, the Considerate Constructors' Scheme (CCS) modified its scoring system, so that innovations are more easily recognised and rewarded. This change does not impact on the established score thresholds, for awarding credits in relevant BREEAM Schemes. For further information on CCS, please follow this link 
08/10/21 CCS guidance on changes no longer available. Substituted for a link to main CCS website.

CHP NOx emission conversion - KBCN0592

If the CHP manufacturer cannot provide the NOx emissions in mg/kWh it is not possible to award any credits. The CHP manufacturer must provide the NOx emissions in mg/kWh, the conversion factors provided in the Technical Manual can only be used for boilers.

Classification of offices on education sites - KBCN0410

If an admin office situated on a higher or further education campus is used exclusively for admin and support services (i.e. it will not be used by teaching staff or students), then such offices must be assessed under the Offices scheme classification. Where a building is mixed use, containing multiple unrelated functions and user groups with no clear dominant function, separate assessments are required.

Classifying lines of trees not part of a continuous hedge - KBCN1333

Lines of trees (where not part of a continuous hedge) should be considered as an area-based habitat, rather than a linear habitat. Please see the ‘Individual Trees and Lines of Trees’ section in Guidance Note 36 for details on calculating this. Appendix A of GN36 version 0.0 implies the opposite, however this is an error and will be corrected in future updates.

Close of New Construction 2014: Bespoke deadline - KBCN1020

As confirmed in the January 2018 Process Note, the New Construction 2014 version will close for registrations on 23rd March. However, for bespoke assessments against this version, the deadline applies to the submission of the bespoke application form and plans. These must be received by BREEAM on or before the 23rd March. The bespoke criteria development process will then continue, and the NC 2014 bespoke criteria will be issued as normal. The assessor will be able to register New Construction 2014 bespoke assessments after 23rd March, as long as the application was submitted before this date.

CO2 equivalence (CO2-eq) - KBCN1199

The 2018 UK New Construction manual now uses the term CO2-eq,  carbon dioxide equivalence, rather than CO2. This does not represent a change but is a more accurate definition of what is being measured in Building Regulation compliance calculations.

Combined sub-metering – electric space / water heating and small power - KBCN00068

For bedrooms and associated spaces in: It is acceptable for an electric space or water heating system to be combined with lighting and small power, provided that sub-metering is provided for each floor plate or other appropriate sub-division. For these asset types, sub-metering electric heating in multiple bedrooms may be costly and technically challenging. Where occupants have individual control but are not responsible for paying the utility bills, the building manager may have little influence on their energy consumption. Therefore, sub-metering electric heating would provide little or no benefit in meeting the aim of the issue. 
06-Mar-2024 - Scheme applicability extended to V6. 
15-Dec-2023 - Title updated to clarify that this approach can be applied to both space heating and domestic hot water heating, where appropriate.

Combined system for heating / cooling and domestic hot water - KBCN0329

It is permissible to have combined metering for a shared on-site or district system that combines heating / cooling, and domestic hot water generation. In all cases, justification is provided in the QA report for the combined metering, and explains why it is not technically feasible to provide separate meters. 
21-Sep-2022 Applicability of KBCN added to BIU V6. Amended to include district heating and cooling networks.

Commercial dishwasher appropriate data - KBCN0687

If the component is present in the building but the appropriate data is unavailable from the manufacturer's product information i.e. uses a different unit of measurement, then the baseline performance level for the specified component should be used in the WAT 01 calculator. BRE Global is unable to provide a calculation method to convert data in to the correct unit for the WAT 01 calculator tool.

Commissioning – evidence - KBCN1099

Where the criteria require that seasonal commissioning activities are to be completed over a minimum 12 month period following the occupation of the building, it is accepted that completed records may not be available at the time of Final Certification. In such cases, evidence of the appointment of a seasonal commissioning manager and schedule of commissioning responsibilities which fulfils the BREEAM criteria are acceptable to demonstrate compliance.

Commissioning – Fume cupboards approved standards - KBCN0111

The following standards have been approved and can be used to demonstrate compliance with the commissioning credit for fume cupboards: - BS 7989:2001 - CLEAPPS G9 Fume Cupboards in Schools - Revision of DfEE Building Bulletin 88 - BS EN 14175-4

Commissioning – Monitor and specialist commissioning manager - KBCN00051

The commissioning monitor is typically a project team member who will monitor the systems commissioning and testing programme for the building. The individual may combine that role with that of the specialist commissioning manager to deal with complex systems if they have the necessary knowledge. However, if the building has several specialist systems it is unlikely that the same person would be able to carry out all of the commissioning and more than one specialist would most likely be required.

Commissioning – Role of Specialist commissioning manager - KBCN0604

The specialist commissioning manager for a complex system must be a specialist contractor and not a general sub-contractor. They must be on hand to independently verify the work carried out by whoever installs the system. In principle, it is possible for the specialist commissioning manager to be from the same organisation as the main contractor provided any conflicts of interest have been declared and records show how they have been managed to provide confidence that commissioning will be carried out appropriately. The separate roles of the main contractor and specialist commissioning manager are so that the installation and commissioning are carried out independently by different parties.

Communal Laundry Facilities – Commercial Sized Tumble Dryers - KBCN0555

Tumble dryers should be taken in to account when calculating the total annual unregulated energy consumption of communal laundry facilities with commercial sized appliances.  Heat recovery from a commercial sized tumble dryer exhaust can be used as an alternative to the solutions listed within the Ene 08 credit issue provided it will achieve a meaningful reduction of energy demand, and justification can be given as to why  this method has been implemented over those recommended in the manual.  The list of equipment types and compliance requirements is not intended to be exhaustive, however where alternative solutions are proposed, the design team must provide justification and evidence as outlined above, to the satisfaction of the assessor.

Communal Laundry Facilities – Domestic or Commercial Washing Machines - KBCN0613

The table provided in the manual highlights the criteria for an appliance to be considered domestic or commercial. However, for multi-residential projects (or other building types containing laundry facilities), the BREEAM assessor should use their judgement to determine whether the appliance is commercial or domestic, and justification of the category selected must be provided. For instance, commercial and domestic sized washing machines can be defined based on load size or power rating.

Community transport schemes in rural areas - KBCN00013

In rural areas, where scheduled public services are insufficient to gain credits via the calculation of the Accessibility Index, community transport schemes, including 'on-demand services', can be used to achieve the 'dedicated bus service' option. In such cases evidence must be provided to demonstrate: 
Content reworded to highlight the availability of the on-demand service to all potential users. 24/04/2017

Community transport schemes in rural areas - KBCN1082

In rural areas, where scheduled public services may be limited, community transport schemes, including 'on-demand services', should be noted in the 'Transport assessment and travel plan', however unscheduled services cannot be accounted for when calculating the AI. The provision of new a community transport scheme may be recognised under 'Sustainable transport measures' as a 'dedicated service', provided that:

Compliance Checker - KBCN00023

The UK NC 2014 Compliance Checker is publicly available via the BREEAM Projects website. However, the use of this compliance checker for UK NC 2014 is not required in order to assess the issue and award credits. The figures required for the Scoring and Reporting tool can be taken directly from the BRUKL output.   The function of the UK NC 2011 compliance checker was to apply translators to the energy consumption metric to allow this to be assessed in terms of primary energy. The purpose of the UK NC 2014 Compliance Checker will be to allow BREEAM assessors and other members of the design team such as energy specialists, to review the performance of servicing strategies against BREEAM targets without using the BREEAM Scoring and Reporting Tool. The compliance checkers for BREEAM UK NC2011 and UK NC2014 can be found on BREEAM Projects by following this link; NC2011/2014 Compliance Checker 
02 08 2022 - Link updated
26 04 2019 - Link to compliance checkers added and applied to UK NC2011
 

Compliance: Applicability of criteria to subsequent schemes’ versions - KBCN0554

When assessing a project under a certain scheme, criteria or compliance notes from a previous scheme cannot be used to demonstrate compliance.

Compliance: Applicability of criteria to scheme’s previous versions - KBCN0430

Criteria set for a scheme version are not applicable retrospectively to previous versions.

Compliance: Conflicts of interest for the BREEAM assessor - KBCN0107

The assessor can be someone within the design team or work for the same company as the design team member(s) but the assessor must identify and manage any potential conflicts of interest. The assessor should also make BRE Global aware of the situation so that, should it prove appropriate, the certification report can be escalated to a more detailed level of quality assurance checking. If the assessor is a member of the company who are producing evidence to demonstrate compliance, there must be clear separation of the roles and the BREEAM/HQM assessor must not be personally responsible for producing such evidence. BREEAM/HQM is a 3rd party certification scheme. Therefore, it is important to avoid any conflicts of interest between those producing evidence and those awarding credits to ensure the robustness of the certification process. 

Compliance: Manufacturer/supplier does not comply - KBCN0571

Where equipment is required to meet specific criteria to achieve compliance it is important to ensure the client seeks out manufacturers/suppliers that provide equipment which meets these criteria. If the chosen product / supplier cannot meet the criteria then the credit cannot be awarded. BREEAM seeks to recognise the use of equipment which offers the latest sustainable solutions.

Compliance: Statutory requirements - KBCN0395

BREEAM is an assessment method which promotes best practice in sustainable buildings. Matters critical to health and safety, as well as any mandatory requirements from statutory authorities which conflict with BREEAM criteria may take precedence over BREEAM requirements. In this instance, evidence would be required to demonstrate that this is the case. Note, this does not change the criteria requirements, and where BREEAM requirements are not met the design team must explore alternative options or specifications if the relevant credits are to be awarded. 
17/04/18 Wording amended to clarify

Compliant attenuated noise levels - KBCN00047

BS 4142 noise level requirements can be used to demonstrate compliance provided the best practice testing methodologies for noise attenuation outlined in BS 7445 are followed.    

Compliant test body - KBCN0821

This requirement applies to all acoustic tests that are carried out for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with this BREEAM issue. This is regardless of whether the Suitable Qualified Acoustician (SQA) will define a bespoke set of performance and testing requirements or whether the standard criteria performance and test requirements will be followed. 
03.11.2021 The above has been added to the Methodology section in issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual. The above is relevant to previous issues of the manual.

Compliant test body – alternative compliance route using a Suitably Qualified Acoustician - KBCN1412

Where acoustic testing and measurement has not been performed by an organisation or individual that meets the definition of a compliant test body, compliance with this requirement can still be demonstrated where a Suitably Qualified Acoustician has reviewed the relevant test report(s). The test report must: a) Be countersigned or authorised by a Suitably Qualified Acoustician b) Include a clear statement that the acoustic testing and measurements have been carried out in accordance with the BREEAM or HQM testing requirements AND c) Include evidence that the verifier meets the definition for a Suitably Qualified Acoustician within the relevant BREEAM or HQM technical manual

Considerate construction – corporate registration - KBCN0905

Where credits are awarded for the assessment of the site against a compliant scheme, corporate registration, which assesses the contractor's overall operations and performance across multiple sites, is not in itself recognised. To award considerate construction credits, BREEAM requires the assessment of the specific assessed development, in line with the criteria.

Considerate Constructors Scheme – Phased developments - KBCN0328

The Considerate Constructors Scheme does make provision for phased developments within the registration process, allowing each phase to be registered separately. They make this provision to allow for very large developments that may go on over several years. It should therefore be possible for the developer to register the site in phases, so that CCS certificates can be submitted for BREEAM assessed buildings, without having to wait for the completion of the final phase.

Considering Sand and Cement Replacements - KBCN0181

Neither sand or cement replacements should be taken into account when assessing the percentage of recycled or secondary aggregate used in a project. The recycled aggregates issue only assesses the use of coarse aggregates.   
29/03/2017 Title amended and additional reference to cement substitutes added
 

Contaminated Land- Presence of radon gas - KBCN0155

Naturally occurring radon is not considered as contamination in relation to BREEAM. However, where radioactive substances have been introduced as a consequence of human activities, that land would then be considered to be ‘contaminated with radioactivity’ and remediation of such contamination would fall under the scope of the relevant BREEAM issue.

Contractor not yet appointed at the design stage - KBCN000002

Where the contractor has not been engaged at the design stage certification, it is acceptable to award the credits based on a commitment. This commitment must be from a suitable member of the design team, and must detail the targets and criteria which must be met. Evidence must also confirm that the details in the commitment will form part of the contractual requirements. Note: This does not apply to the requirement for a pre-demolition/pre-refurbishment audit, which must be undertaken at Concept Design Stage. 
12 Jul 2022 - Note added to clarify the scope of this guidance
 

Contractual agreements for Shell Only / Shell & Core assessments - KBCN0942

For Shell Only and Shell & Core (RFO Part 1, Part 2, and combined Part 1 & 2) assessments, all relevant criteria are applicable. Contractual agreements confirming future provision of spaces are not acceptable. Evidence must be provided showing waste storage space(s) that are suitably sized, dedicated and unlikely to be used by the future tenants for other purposes. While the location of the space/spaces may change when fitting out, at this stage a space that is conveniently located for the deposit and collection of operational waste must be provided.

Control of glare from sunlight – ‘openness factor’ of blinds - KBCN1446

The ‘openness factor’ or ‘openness coefficient’ is the ratio between the area of openings and the total area of fabric. It is one of the factors in determining how much light will pass through the fabric of the blind. For example, opaque Venetian blinds or close weave fabric blinds may have an openness factor of blind of 1% or less. For further details, please refer to: BS EN 14501:2005 ‘Blinds and shutters — Thermal and visual comfort — Performance characteristics and classification’ 
06/10/2023 Updated to provide a relevant example to the definition.

Control of glare from sunlight – adjacent buildings - KBCN1248

It is acceptable to account for surrounding buildings, structures or other permanent environmental features when using simulation modelling to assess the risk of glare, provided this accounts for both direct sunlight and reflected glare from glazing or reflective surfaces. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN1211 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – blackout blinds - KBCN1246

Blackout blinds can be used to meet the glare control requirements. Where the criteria set an upper limit for transmittance value, but no lower limit, blackout blinds will meet this requirement. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0447 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – hotel rooms - KBCN1087

The primary function attributed to hotel rooms is that of a bedroom and as such, lighting and resultant glare are not considered to be problematic for these spaces. The only exception to this is where designated additional office space is provided. In these circumstances it is the role of the assessor to determine if individual spaces should be determined as ‘relevant building areas’ in accordance with guidance provided. Glare control criteria apply to building areas where lighting and resultant glare could be problematic for users. 
01 Nov 2023 - Applicability to BIU V6 Commercial confirmed
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0666 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – no relevant building areas - KBCN1086

If the scope of the assessment does not include any relevant building areas, as defined within the manual, the criteria for Control of glare from sunlight can be considered as met by default. Only spaces that fall within the definition of relevant areas and are within the assessment’s scope need to be assessed. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0429 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – residential areas - KBCN1092

Control of glare from sunlight criteria apply to building areas where lighting and resultant glare could be problematic for users. In residential buildings this would include areas such as study bedrooms or facility management offices, where work or study will be carried out and where glare would hinder such activities. It does not apply to other residential areas. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN00040 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – roof lights - KBCN1091

Where roof lights are present, they must be considered when demonstrating that the glare control strategy provides adequate control/measures for minimising glare in that space. All sources of glare need to be considered when designing out the potential for disabling glare. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0319 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – transmittance value - KBCN1089

Transmittance values should be based on those quoted for ‘visible' or 'optical' light transmittance. 
23 Mar 2021 - Reference to the term 'optical' added, for clarity
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0709 of UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight – types of glare - KBCN1043

Assessors should ensure that the design team has considered the possibility of glare from all sources, including direct sunlight, reflected sunlight and contrast glare.

Control of glare from sunlight – use of tinted windows - KBCN1090

Solar control or ‘tinted’ glazing could potentially support the attainment of this requirement. However, the assessor must be satisfied and provide evidence to demonstrate that the particular glazing type, when used on the assessed building for a given location, is meeting this overarching aim of preventing disabling glare. It should be noted that whilst certain types of glazing, such as low emissivity glazing, may be slightly tinted, they may not necessarily be effective in reducing disabling glare. For facades receiving direct sunlight, tinted windows alone are unlikely to be sufficient in the majority of situations. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0862 from UKNC 2014

Control of glare from sunlight- no windows in relevant areas - KBCN1088

Where a ‘relevant area’ as defined in the manual does not include any windows, the glare control criteria can considered as met for this area. Note that the view out and daylight criteria would not be achieved in rooms with no windows. Where there are no windows in a room there would be no potential for disabling glare, so the aim of the credit would be achieved. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0146 of UKNC 2014

Counterbalancing ratio fixed - KBCN0327

The requirement to analyse the counterbalancing ratio can be omitted if the project team can provide a statement confirming that it has been set by the manufacturer due to existing standards and to maximise efficiency. The remaining criteria must be met.

Credit Score Ready Reckoner - KBCN1120

The downloadable files below are both designed to allow users to identify how many credits are available for different combinations of factors applicable to Mat 01 (e.g. the stages done, the tool used, whether options appraisal is done or not). The 'BREEAM New Constrction 2018 Mat 01 Maximum Credit Score Ready Reckoner' file is a static table. The 'Mat01_InteractiveRR' file is an interactive tool (which also allows users to see how different numbers of options appraised afects the credit award). Both approaches achieve the same function but one may be preferable to the other depending on the circumstances, and user preferences. Although the same information can be found using the Mat01/02 Results Submission Tool (which takes precedence), these files may be useful as quick reference guidance. Instructions for 'BREEAM New Construction 2018 Mat 01 Maximum Credit Score Ready Reckoner' file:-
  1. Identify if the building use type is applicable to ‘Superstructure comparison with the BREEAM benchmark’ (blue section columns).
  2. If it is applicable, identify what stage(s) the ‘Superstructure comparison with the BREEAM benchmark’ will be done at, and use that column (b, c or d). Then decide which tool that will be used for ‘Superstructure comparison with the BREEAM benchmark’. If ‘Superstructure comparison with the BREEAM benchmark’ is not applicable use column a.
  3. Identify what stage(s) ‘Options appraisal’ will be done at (green section rows) and if substructure & hard landscaping and/or core building services will be included. Then identify the tool(s) that can be used for ‘Options Appraisal’ and chose one. Use the relevant row (1 to 13).
  4. Find the intersection of the column identified in step 2 and the row identified in step 3 to find the applicable credit score (this is the maximum depending on the number of options appraised and performance compared with the benchmark, if applicable).
  5. If the credit score identified in step 4 is not 'n/a', follow the same row across and check its intersection with columns e and f to see which additional exemplary credits are applicable.
(Alternatively, identify a target credit score first, and then work backwards to find the stages, tool(s) and scope that must be achieved.) Instructions for 'Mat01_InteractiveRR' file:-
  1. Starting at the topmost yellow box under 'Assessment details', complete all the yellow boxes according to the project's anticipated approach to the Mat 01 issue. The predicted credit score will be shown.
  2. Explore the effect on the predicted score when responses are changed (with due consideration of appropriateness to the project). Details on different recognised tools can be see in the 'ToolsRecognisedByBREEAM' sheet.
  3. Use this process to either confirm or modify the approach to take.
For both files, the score should be verified by entering the required inputs (determined from this table) into the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool. BREEAM New Construction 2018 MAT 01 Maximum Credit Score Ready Reckoner_v1 Mat01_InteractiveRR_V1.1 
02/03/2020 Mat 01 Interactive Ready Reckoner updated to V1.1

Cut-off - KBCN0598

The current CN 'Route 1 Cut- off See step 1 in the Methodology section' in the technical manual should refer to Route 2 and 3 as well. 
14.11.2016 Compliance Notes in technical manual to be updated accordingly in next reissue.
03.11.2021 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual corrected.

Cycle spaces – Minimum and maximum requirements - KBCN0637

These remain applicable where the 50% reduction allowed for building locations with a high level of public transport accessibility is in effect. This means that, for instance, a large retail will still need to provide at least ten customer cycle storage spaces and could meet compliance with a maximum of fifty. 
22-Nov-2023 Scheme applicability updated.
18-May-2017 Previous KBCN on large retail adapted to include any minimum requirement for cycle storage spaces.

Cycle spaces – Compliant types of storage - KBCN0257

Due to the number of different types of cycle storage facility available and the variation in site conditions, BREEAM New Construction is less prescriptive about the dimensions and type of cycle parking which can be used to demonstrate compliance. The Assessor is expected to exercise their professional judgement to determine whether the cycle parking spaces meet the aims of the Issue and the requirements listed in the compliance notes. BREEAM is used to certify buildings, not products. Cycle parking systems cannot, therefore, be considered inherently 'BREEAM compliant'. These must be assessed in context with reference to their location and the intended user profile.   
29/01/2024-made applicable to HQM

Cycle spaces – Folding bicycles and scooters - KBCN00024

The provision of cycle storage that is only suitable for folding bicycles or scooters is not compliant. Providing reduced storage space for folding bicycles or scooters in place of compliant cycle storage may limit future travel options. 
14 03 2018 Wording clarified and reference to scooters included.

Cycle spaces – Large retail - KBCN0528

For large retail developments that provide at least 50 customer cycle storage spaces, this meets the requirement for customer spaces.  The requirement of one cycling space every 10 staff needs to be met in addition to this.

Cycle spaces – Maximum number of stadium visitors - KBCN0323

To calculate the required provision, the sliding scale of compliance should be used for the staff and up to 5000 stadium visitors.

Cycle spaces – Prominent location - KBCN00053

The requirement to provide cycle storage facilities in a prominent location on site, within view of building users, is intended to encourage use through advertising their presence to building users. Providing these facilities inside the assessed building, such as in the basement, may be compliant so long as there is prominent signage to indicate their location to all building users.  

Cycle spaces – Provision for extensions - KBCN0707

When assessing an extension to a building, partial refurbishment or a stand-alone building, which extends an existing facility to be occupied by the same building users (such as a classroom block in an existing school), a site-wide approach should be used to determine the number of new, compliant cycle spaces required. In such instances a stand-alone approach cannot generally ensure that the new cycle spaces for the assessed extension would be dedicated and available to the occupants of the assessed extension, refurbishment or building. This can only be used where it can be demonstrated that the use of the new cycle storage can be effectively restricted to only those using the assessed extension, either by effective positioning and or management.       

Cycle spaces – Provision for regular, large visitor numbers - KBCN0546

Where there are large numbers of visitors on a regular basis, provision of cycle storage for visitors should be based on the maximum number at any given time. This is to ensure that at peak times enough cycle storage is provided.

Cycle spaces – Public cycle spaces - KBCN1057

Existing public cycle spaces cannot contribute to compliance in BREEAM UK schemes These are outside the influence of the design team and building operator and it cannot, therefore, be guaranteed that these will be available to building users.

Cycle spaces – Similar buildings assessments - KBCN0570

Where cycle storage and/or facilities are provided for individual units, a site-wide approach cannot be used to include all units. If, however, these are a shared facility, provided in a suitably-located communal area, this may be acceptable. When assessing using the 'similar buildings' approach, each of the similar buildings  has to be assessed separately and credits have to be awarded, based on the worst performing building. 
14 03 2018 Clarified to account for suitable shared facilities
 

Cycle spaces – Small retail – multiple units - KBCN0187

In a development of multiple small retail units, to achieve credit, 10 compliant cycle storage spaces in total are required where it can be shown that these are accessible to all units. However, where such developments consist of multiple units over a large area or are separated by barriers such as roads, the assessor should ensure that the provision is both adequate and conveniently located for all units. The 50% reduction allowed for building locations with a high level of public transport accessibility is not applicable in this case. 
17/11/2016 Note related to the 50% reduction added.
14/03/2018 Note added regarding multiple units over a large area or separated by barriers.

Cycle spaces – Timing of installation in phased projects - KBCN00015

Where cycle storage cannot be installed at construction stage, due to phasing and / or pending demolition works, compliance may still be demonstrated provided: - Clarification and justification is given for why the storage is not currently available. - A written contractual agreement is in place to provide BREEAM compliant storage within a clear timescale. - Alternative storage is provided in the meantime that allow bikes to be easily stored and removed, with the ability to be locked securely against a fixed structure. The methodology above applies to cycle storage only, and cannot be applied to provision of cyclist facilities (such as showers and lockers) which must be assessed as normal. This is to allow flexibility within the project programme for the installation of the final, permanent BREEAM-compliant cycle storage whilst still ensuring adequate cycle storage is available during the construction phase.

Cycle spaces and facilities – Rounding calculations - KBCN0445

The calculation for the required cycle spaces and facilities must always be rounded up. If the calculation works out as 5.3 cycle spaces, 6 cycle spaces must be provided. To determine the requirements for developments with multiple types of building user, calculate the requirement for each user group separately (rounding up to the determine the number of spaces) and then add the number of cycle spaces for each user group together. 
04/10/2018 Wording amended to clarify the correct calculation method for developments with multiple user groups.

Cycle Storage – Electric cycle charging stations - KBCN1238

Electric charging stations can be considered as compliant, provided they also meet the criteria for cycle storage spaces. However, where these are dedicated spaces, (ie they are not available for non-electric cycles), these should not constitute more than 10% of the provision required for compliance.

Cycle storage – new spaces in the public domain - KBCN1410

Where it is not possible to locate short-term visitor/customer cycle storage spaces within the assessment boundary, these may be provided in a suitable and convenient location within the public realm. The assessor must be satisfied that there is legal agreement and a long-term commitment to the provision of the spaces. All relevant criteria must be met, however, where justified, the requirement for overhead covering can be waived. BREEAM accepts that for cycle storage spaces within the public realm, there may be restrictions on the ability to provide overhead covering.

Cycle storage accessible through staircase - KBCN0639

While BRE does not rule out the possibility for cycle storage to be accessed via a staircase, health and safety considerations must be made, especially with regards to wet, icy and dark conditions. On reflection of the above, the assessor should be satisfied that the cycle storage location is easily accessible.

Cyclist safe access - KBCN0188

Safe access for cyclists must be via a compliant cycle lane, unless it is demonstrated that it would be impractical to cycle for a short distance between the site entrance and cycle storage. For example, where a gate, door or barrier forces the cyclist to dismount and walk for a short distance to access the cycle storage and it would be impractical for cyclists to re-mount1. Where it is not practical to provide compliant cycle lane from the entrance to the cycle storage, the safety of cyclists and pedestrians must be maintained. 1. The intent is that this be a short distance, over which cyclists would typically not choose to re-mount and is anticipated to be no greater than 10m. In order to be considered compliant for greater distances, evidence must be provided of effective additional physical measures to deter cyclists from re-mounting. 
29/09/2021 - Additional note (1) added to provide further clarification of the intent
21/02/2020 Re-worded to clarify the intent
02 Jul 2021 - Applicability to UK NC2018 confirmed
 

Cyclists’ facilities – Adequately sized lockers - KBCN0961

The requirement for adequately sized lockers is so that cyclists have a dedicated space to store their cycling equipment and clothes. It is not compliant for the space requirement to be met by providing two or more inadequately-sized lockers for each cyclist. Requiring cyclists to separate their equipment into different lockers/storage spaces could create a barrier to uptake of commuting by bicycle.

Cyclists’ facilities – Combining different facilities - KBCN0683

Cyclists' facilities can be combined, provided that all relevant compliance requirements are met and it is demonstrated that there is no conflict impacting on their use. For example, compliant showers can be combined with compliant lockers in one room, subject to the principle below. For combined facilities to count as multiple facilities, they must be capable of being used independently of each other at the same time (where relevant) with reference to any space requirements, access, gender and privacy issues. 
11 Jan 2023 - Applicability to BIU V6C confirmed
10 Feb 2022 - Updated to clarify that facilities can be combined where there is no conflict.

Cyclists’ facilities – Matching additional cycle spaces - KBCN00093

The minimum number of showers/lockers/changing facilities required for BREEAM compliance is determined by the minimum number of compliant bicycle spaces required, not by how many total compliant bicycle spaces have been provided. Where more than the minimum number of compliant cycle spaces has been provided, there is no requirement to provide more than the minimum number of showers/lockers/changing facilities. 
01 Feb 2022 - Wording clarified and applicability to BIU V6C confirmed
 

Cyclists’ facilities – Multi-residential / residential institutions - KBCN0967

Where there is a BREEAM requirement for residents, compliant facilities within their accommodation can be considered as cyclists' facilities. Separate facilities for staff must be provided as required to achieve compliance. 
22 Aug 2023 Applicability to BIU V6 Commercial confirmed.

Cyclists’ facilities – Provision of only one shower - KBCN0566

Where only one shower is provided, this needs to cater for users of both genders. For a changing facility to count as an additional amenity, it must be capable of being used independently of any showers, otherwise it could not be considered as two facilities. A shower which is a mixed gender facility must be capable of being used privately. As such, it requires adequate private changing space associated with it. 
Amended to provide further clarification and to add the general principle.
10/11/2016

Cyclists’ facilities – Shell only/shell & core assessments - KBCN0882

Cycle parking must be provided as part of the base-build for all assessment types. Where compliance is sought for additional cyclists’ facilities, the developer should provide all aspects of the installation which fall within the scope of their work and facilitate the future completion of any aspects which do not. For shell & core assessments, if additional facilities, such as showers and drying space, are not provided in core areas and internal walls are not provided to tenanted areas, these must be indicated on design drawings and all relevant services provided. This would include capped-off supplies and electrical points as necessary in order to facilitate the completion of the compliant facilities by the tenant. The developer should do as much as they can, within the scope of their work, to facilitate the future installation of compliant facilities and should not do anything which would make future installation more onerous. 
25/05/2018 - Wording amended to clarify the intent.

Cyclists’ facilities – Shower provision for male and female users - KBCN0536

Where a deviation from the guidance for a 50:50 split can be fully justified, (for example, based on actual occupancy data from a similar development of the same building type) this can be deemed as compliant by the assessor. If such justification cannot be provided but design teams wish to provide a flexible arrangement for showers to suit the anticipated building occupancy, providing unisex showers accessible to all building users would be acceptable.

Cyclists’ facilities – Visitors - KBCN00014

Where the cycle spaces requirement is based on the number of staff plus visitors, customers or patients, the number of cyclist facilities required to demonstrate compliance is based on the number of cycle spaces for staff only. Visitors, customers or patients would not be expected to have access to showers and lockers within a building.

Cyclists’ facilities – Within toilet facilities - KBCN00050

To comply with the criteria for cyclist facilities, showers should not obstruct the use of other facilities. Where a shower is located in a room with a WC, this cannot be considered compliant, unless it can be unequivocally demonstrated that the WC is provided over-and-above the requirements of relevant standards or regulations for general and disabled WCs.

To ensure that there is no conflict between the use of general or disabled WCs and the use of cyclist facilities. 
25.10.18 KBCN reworded to improve clarity.
 

Daylighting – speculative building - KBCN0269

Where the building is speculative and therefore the final layout is not defined (e.g. only an open plan shell is provided in each tenanted space), the required percentage of each open plan shell should meet the daylighting requirements. However, where it is possible to designate separable ancillary areas that would be required in the space (such as toilets or server room), these can be excluded from the calculation. For daylight calculations in speculative projects where the layout and colours are unknown, a realistic notional layout may be used.

Daylighting – ‘Internal association or atrium areas’ - KBCN1267

This term refers to areas intended to replace outdoor recreation spaces, typically found in prisons, but which may also be present in hospitals and residential accommodation for elderly people. The requirements relating to such spaces are, therefore, not generally applicable to other building types.  

Daylighting – alternative route to compliance - KBCN1047

The alternative route was developed for rooms in Healthcare developments with multiple functions within the same space, and as such, having different daylight needs at various points within the room. For other building types, an assessor wishing to use the alternative route to compliance for daylighting should contact the BREEAM technical team with details and justification. The alternative route was applied to Healthcare building types specifically because these building types are likely to have spaces that have varying needs for daylight. For example, in a hospital ward, the areas where patient beds are located will benefit from good daylight, whereas this is of less importance for the nurses stations, which are used intermittently.

Daylighting – Changing rooms - KBCN1132

The daylighting criteria are not applicable to changing rooms.

Daylighting – communal kitchens (multi-residential) - KBCN0217

Communal kitchens should be assessed under 'Non-residential / Communal Occupied Spaces. Communal kitchens outside of self-contained dwelling units, for example a kitchen within a self-contained student flat shared between several students would be classed as a private kitchen for the purposes of this issue. However, if it was shared between rooms along a communal corridor it would be considered a communal kitchen, and assessed under 'Non-residential buildings - occupied spaces'.

Daylighting – Floor areas for average daylight calculations - KBCN0471

Where the room size is comparable and the function is the same, such as ‘kitchen’, the percentage rule needs to be applied to the total floor area. As the average daylight factor is a measure of daylight across the whole room, only whole rooms can be compliant. This is why we refer to rounding up the ‘80% of the floor area’ requirement to the rounded-up number of compliant rooms. This rule applies to rooms of a similar size and function and compliance note ‘percentage of assessed area’ includes a simple example, where all the rooms are the same size. However, this rule can still be applied to rooms of different sizes. Spaces whose size is substantially larger should meet the average daylight factor requirement on their own. In these cases, the percentage requirement is still applicable to the floor area of the remaining rooms. For example, where 80% of ‘teaching, lecture and seminar spaces’ need to comply with the average daylight factor, if we have a large lecture theatre of 200m2 and 3 seminar spaces of 30m2 each, the requirements for 80% would mean 232m2 of the floor area need to comply. This would require the lecture theatre and two seminar spaces to comply. Where a building contains different area types, the 80% minimum floor area must be calculated by each separate building area type as defined in the table listing the average daylight factors required. For example, a multi-residential building that contains kitchen areas and living room areas, would need each one of these areas to comply with the 80% minimum floor area requirement separately. In schemes where dwellings are assessed separately, this is likely to result in 100% of the relevant dwelling areas complying. This is because in a typical house with one kitchen and one living room, an 80% requirement for the kitchen and an 80% requirement for the living room, would mean the whole kitchen and the whole living room need to comply (since only whole rooms can be compliant). 
08/01/2021

Clarifications and example added.

Daylighting – requirements differing by area - KBCN0176

Where areas within a building have different daylighting requirements for the same credit, all relevant areas must meet the requirements to award the daylighting credit(s). The aim is to improve daylight conditions in all applicable area types of an assessed building.

Daylighting – retail cafe / dining areas - KBCN0968

Customer seating/dining areas in a cafe or restaurant should be considered as 'sales areas'. Sales counters, staff areas or food preparation areas, for example, should be assessed as 'Other occupied areas' in accordance with the definition of 'Occupied space'.. The requirements for 'Sales areas' are applied to transient spaces.  

Daylighting – side-lit internal association and atrium areas - KBCN1198

In buildings where the design of internal associations or atriums areas means that the space cannot be top-lit and is instead side-lit, the Daylighting criteria can be applied as follows; Minimum values of average daylight factor: The internal association or atrium area space will need to achieve an average daylight factor of 3% across a minimum of 80% of the space and either a uniformity ratio of 0.3 or a minimum point daylight factor of 0.9%. Illuminance requirements: The internal association or atrium area space will need to achieve a minimum daylight illuminance of at least 90 lux for 2650 hours per year.

Daylighting – studio flats - KBCN0808

In the case of studio flats, the minimum area of compliance for the average daylight factor requirement is based on the combined area of kitchen, living room, bed and study area. Circulation areas do not need to be included in the calculation.

Daylighting – uniformity ratio applicability - KBCN0584

The uniformity ratio requirements apply to the percentage of the building’s relevant areas specified in the table. In the NC 2013 scheme, this is 80%.

Daylighting uniformity criteria – Multi-residential/Residential institutions - KBCN1129

The view of sky criteria (Table 11 (b)) are applicable to Multi-residential/Residential institutions where the room depth criterion (Table 11 (c)) is used. 
Other requirements for Multi-residential/Residential institutions in the Daylighting table should read 'Either (a) OR [(b) and (c)]'
11/02/2019  

Removed applicability to 2018 as this has been corrected in the latest version of the manual

Daylighting – Floor areas for average daylight calculations - KBCN1081

Where the room size is comparable and the function is the same, such as ‘kitchen’, the percentage rule needs to be applied to the total floor area. As the average daylight factor is a measure of daylight across the whole room, only whole rooms can be compliant. This is why we refer to rounding up the ‘80% of the floor area’ requirement to the rounded up number of compliant rooms. This rule applies to rooms of a similar size and function and the Daylight issue calculations methodology includes a simple example, where all the rooms are the same size. However, this rule can still be applied to rooms of different sizes. Spaces whose size is substantially larger should meet the average daylight factor requirement on their own. In these cases, the percentage requirement is still applicable to the floor area of the remaining rooms. Where a building contains different area types (as identified in tables 5.1, 5.3, 5.8 and 5.9), the 80% minimum floor area must be calculated by each separate area type. For example, a multi-residential building that contained kitchen areas and living room areas would need both of these areas to comply with the 80% minimum floor area requirement separately. 
This KBCN aligns with KBCN0471 of UKNC 2014
 

Dedicated cycle lanes/paths - KBCN1384

The term 'dedicated' is not intended to preclude cycle routes which are shared with pedestrians or vehicles. The assessor may deem such arrangements compliant, provided that they meet the requirements of the approved external guidance referred to in the criteria.

Dedicated cycle paths in the absence of cycle facilities - KBCN00039

Safe cycle access needs to be provided even if there are no dedicated cycle facilities. The dedicated cycle paths will generally need to be provided to the main entrance(s) of the building along routes likely to be used by cyclists through the site.  The design team are required to determine what is required to satisfy the intent of the criteria. Cycle access and cyclists' facilities are assessed independently of each other. Building users may cycle even if the building does not have cycle storage facilities and so safe and secure access to and from the building must be provided.

Dedicated off-site manufacturing and fabrication - KBCN0795

Energy use, water consumption and materials' transport data from 'dedicated off-site manufacturing or fabrication' should only be accounted for if the manufacturing process has been specifically developed for the project under assessment, excluding data from manufacturing 'off the shelf' products. The construction impact monitoring should only consider the data that has been specifically generated by the activities of the project under assessment.

Dedicated off-site manufacturing and fabrication - KBCN0794

Waste from 'dedicated off-site manufacturing or fabrication' should only be accounted for if the manufacturing process has been specifically developed for the project under assessment, excluding waste from manufacturing 'off the shelf' products. The assessment of waste should only consider the waste that has been specifically generated by the activities of the project under assessment. 
24/02/2017 Applicability to Man 03 referred to in KBCN0795.

Deemed to comply solutions – alternative proposals - KBCN1214

The solutions listed for each category in the Table are examples deemed to comply with the requirements, without further justification or calculations to demonstrate a meaningful reduction in unregulated energy consumption. If an alternative solution is proposed, justification and/or calculations are required to demonstrate this.

Default occupancy rates by building type - KBCN1496

The values given in the table, 'Default occupancy rates by building type' are sourced from the Activity Database of Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM). For certain building types, the occupancy rates produced may be unrealistic. In such cases, the assessor should refer to: 'Methodology > Number of building occupants unknown'.

Definition – Critical value - KBCN1006

Critical value aims to maximise whole life value of the building based on client requirements, and differs from minimising life cycle cost. This is a more specific analysis of how the building's ongoing maintenance and operation can impact business needs. For instance:  

Definition – laboratory containment levels 2 and 3 - KBCN0903

Laboratory containment levels 2 and 3 are defined in: The Management, Design and Operation of Microbiological Containment Laboratories 2001, ACDP This was defined from BREEAM International NC 2016 onwards. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Wording updated. Scheme applicability updated.

Definition – NHS Buildings - KBCN1085

'NHS buildings' refers to projects which are primarily funded in the long term by the National Health Service. 'Prerequisite - For Healthcare NHS building only" applies to any facilities which are owned and managed privately but which source the majority of their income from the NHS.

Definition – Project value - KBCN0552

The term ‘project value’ represents the total project cost, which includes all costs such as construction, design, land acquisition, etc.

Definition of ‘total useful floor area’ - KBCN00079

The total area of all enclosed spaces measured to the internal face of external walls. In this convention:

Definition of a ‘product’ - KBCN1142

For Mat 02, the definition of a product is the same as for Mat 03: ‘A manufacturer-specific product (i.e. with a manufacturer reference number) that is specified by the designer (e.g. architect, engineer, interior designer, quantity surveyor, landscape architect etc.) or selected by the constructor (principle or sub-contractor), and installed on the project’. It is acceptable for a product in Mat 02 to have variations in where it is manufactured, how it is manufactured and the source of its constituent products (as defined in Mat 03), providing these variations are not available for the specifier (or constructor) to choose between, but are instead determined by the manufacturer. If variations are available for the specifier to choose between then, for the purposes of Mat 02, each variation is effectively a different product. Examples of acceptable variations for a product:- Examples of unacceptable variations for a product:- The following exceptions are variations that the specifier can choose between, but shall still be considered a product for the purposes of Mat 02 (providing they are variations of a single product and not listed as separate products by the manufacturer). This is to recognise the practicalities of producing EPD for product ranges with varying combinations:-

Definition of Accredited Energy Assessor - KBCN0706

BREEAM recognise that CIBSE Low Carbon Design and Simulation consultants are qualified to confirm compliance with Part L Building Regulations and are therefore qualified to produce BRUKL reports demonstrating compliance with Ene 01. 
Technical manual to be updated accordingly in next re-issue.

Definition of concourse - KBCN0386

A concourse is an open area within or in front of a public building which is used primarily for circulation, short term waiting, or incidental interaction, analogous to the concourse of a train station. It should not be considered occupied space.  

Definition of NHS Sites - KBCN0946

'NHS sites' refers to projects which are primarily funded in the long term by the National Health Service. CN4 applies to any facilities which are owned and managed privately but which source the majority of their income from the NHS.

Definition of NIA (net floor area) for assessment registration purposes - KBCN0569

Net Internal Area (NIA) is broadly the usable area within a building measured to the face of the internal finish of perimeter or party walls ignoring skirting boards and taking each floor into account. NIA will include: NIA will exclude: Source: Valuation Office Agency Therefore, the usable area within a building measured to the face of the internal walls should be provided. Whilst this is not expected to be accurate to the nearest 1m2, the closest estimate possible for the NFA should be entered. This is to allow for any possible subsequent adjustment to the size of the development.

DEFRA Small Sites Metric (SSM) - KBCN1614

The Small Sites Metric (SSM), the simplified version of the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric 4.0, cannot be used as a means of assessing Biodiversity Net Gain in BREEAM. We will consider accounting for the SSM in future versions of all BREEAM Schemes. The calculation methodology in GN36 is based on the full version of the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric. 

Demand-based bus services in AI calculation - KBCN1338

Demand-based bus services operated by public transport providers can be included in the calculation of the Accessibility Index. The project team will need to determine an average number of stops per hour to allow input into the AI tool.

Dementia care homes - KBCN0820

For dementia care homes, there may be instances where the resident profile, and hence design and use, result in some BREEAM criteria being considered inappropriate or not applicable. Where this is the case assessors should seek confirmation from BREEAM through the technical query service, providing a clear justification for why specific criteria cannot be met. Before submitting a query, however, please review the BREEAM Knowledge Base under the relevant Scheme and Issue, to check for a specific, published compliance note. Assessors will be required to provide evidence. This could be from suitable individuals/organisations regarding the specific project, detailing how the criteria is not relevant for the individual project.

Demolition – external guidelines (incl BS 6187) - KBCN0630

Independent standards exist and some are referenced in the BREEAM manual and can be used to provide additional guidance for clients/design teams. Unless explicitly stated they are not 'deemed to satisfy' BREEAM criteria and assessors must demonstrate that BREEAM criteria have been met in the usual way. One such standard is BS 6187:2011 which gives good practice recommendations for the demolition (both full and partial) of facilities, including buildings and structures. The standard is therefore applicable to demolition activities undertaken as part of structural refurbishment. It also covers decommissioning. Unless explicitly stated external standards do not automatically satisfy BREEAM criteria and assessors must demonstrate that BREEAM criteria have been met in the usual way. 

Demolition records not available - KBCN1009

Where demolition records are missing, either wholly or in part, the credit available for diversion of construction and demolition waste from landfill cannot be achieved. This includes instances where demolition was conducted under a separate contract or by a third party on behalf of the developer.

Design stage requirements where specific product details are unknown - KBCN1483

The Mat 03 tool must be completed in accordance with the Methodology, providing all available details and submitted as evidence. Where products or materials are subject to a performance specification and a specific manufacturer and certificate reference cannot be provided, the missing details should be completed as 'tbc'. This ensures that a strategy for compliance can be demonstrated, even where some specific details are unavailable.

Design team meetings via conference call - KBCN0201

Design team meetings can be conducted via conference calls.

It can be difficult for design team members to be in the same place at the same time. Conference calls are a more sustainable way to conduct meetings. 

Designed-out or integrated finishes - KBCN1066

The requirements for this credit are met when either: This issue recognises avoiding unnecessary waste of materials. 
16-May-2023 - Merged with KBCN0046. Scheme applicability updated. Name updated for clarity.
 

Designing out crime officer (DOCO) - KBCN000005

As stated in the ‘Secured by Design (SBD) New Homes 2014 Application and Checklist’ form, the Crime Prevention Design Adviser (CPDA) or Architectural Liaison Officer (ALO) has been renamed to Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) therefore correspondence or a copy of the report/feedback from the DOCO is acceptable as evidence for this issue.

Determining ecological outcomes – criteria not met - KBCN1457

The 'determining ecological outcomes' criteria in both routes 1 and 2 have a major impact on achieving the rest of the credits in the Land Use and Ecology category. The dependency maps below show what potential effect this has on the assessment when this criteria is not achieved. Determining ecological outcomes rev 0.0

Deviation from SQSC recommendations - KBCN0211

Where the design team believes that a safe and secure site can be met through different solutions than those specified by the SQSC, these alternatives should be confirmed as appropriate by the SQSC and their agreement submitted as part of the evidence for this issue. If the design team has justifiable reason not to include all recommendations, the assessor should submit a technical query detailing this information for further review by BRE. Principle The intention is to guarantee some flexibility in case of conflict with planning conditions or other statutory requirements.  

District cooling – Used in combination with local cooling - KBCN1634

Where district cooling can be considered outside the scope of the assessment, either in accordance with the Methodology section of the technical manual or in line with KBCN0759, compliance must be based on calculating the DELC for all systems. However, where the district cooling system is exempt from assessment, as described above, this should be based on a GWP of zero for the district cooling system.

District cooling systems - KBCN0759

Where a district cooling facility is servicing the assessed building, the building will have an environmental impact in terms of refrigerants, albeit in this case indirectly. As such the district cooling system must be considered against the BREEAM criteria for refrigerants. Where connection to an off-site district cooling system, over which the developer has no control, is mandated by a local authority or other statutory body, the maximum number of credits can be awarded for Issue Pol 01. However, where this is not mandatory and the developer has the option whether to connect, regardless of encouragement or incentives by the local authority, the district cooling system must be considered against the BREEAM criteria for refrigerants to award the credits. 
07 Dec 2023 - This KBCN is not applicable to UK NC2018 or UK NC V6 - Guidance is provided in the Methodology section of the technical manual.
27/04/2017: Clarified the number of credits awarded

District heating systems - KBCN0979

District heating systems serving the assessed building must be assessed for NOx emissions. 
14-Dec-24 - Wording clarified.
07-Dec-17 - Reference to NOx emissions clarified

District heating systems – fuel mix - KBCN0885

Where the feasibility study is considering connection to a district heating system and this burns a mixture of fuels, only the proportion of output generated from second generation bio-fuels (or waste incineration that complies with BREEAM requirements) can be considered for this issue. For instance, a system burning a 25/75 mix of compliant biofuel vs fossil fuel can only count 25% of its output towards a meaningful reduction in CO2 emissions (where relevant to the BREEAM scheme) against the baseline building. As fuel mixes may vary over time, at least one year or more of historical information must be provided to balance out any seasonal variations. Where the system is new or proposed, robust evidence must be provided of the anticipated fuel mix. The fuel mix must be calculated based on the energy content of the input fuels in kWh. 
19/12/2017 Wording clarified

District heating systems which off-set grid electricity - KBCN0857

District heating systems which incinerate waste usually have NOx emissions higher than the levels set to achieve any BREEAM credits. However, where a district heating system also generates electricity, this can be used to off-set NOx emissions from grid electricity. In such cases, the calculation methodology for CHP systems can be used to calculate NOx emissions for the district heating network.

Diversion of resources from landfill – RMP - KBCN0981

Monitoring, recording and sorting the key waste groups of non-hazardous wastes are required for this credit. Compliance with the 'Diversion of resources from landfill criteria' can be demonstrated through production of a Resource Management Plan or with equivalent documentation demonstrating that the requirements have been met.

Domestic hot water supplied by a circulation loop - KBCN1017

Where a circulation loop is used on the domestic hot water supply, it is acceptable to only sub-meter the cold water supply. Sub-metering such systems may be impractical and the occupant can use the cold water meter readings as a proxy for overall water usage in relevant areas.

Drop-down menus in the tool - KBCN0789

When using the Mat 03 calculator tool, some of the entry fields are no longer restricted to drop-down menus but allow free-text entry.  This provides greater flexibility of use for the tool making allowance for updates to Guidance Note GN18. If a responsible sourcing scheme is not in the drop-down menu, assessors should check Guidance Note GN18 for the scheme and manually enter the name of the recognised scheme and its point score.

Drying space in hotel/ hostel projects - KBCN0174

The Drying space issue is not applicable to projects where occupancy is transient, such as hotel or hostel type developments, but does apply to long term residential buildings. There is little potential in reducing the energy from drying clothes in hotel and hostel bedrooms compared to long term residential buildings.

Ecological enhancement implementation time-frames - KBCN1196

At the Post Construction Assessment stage of large or phased developments, for example, some ecological enhancements may not have been completed. This may include features which are to be added at a later date in the appropriate planting season. In such cases, it is acceptable to provide evidence from the client or principal contractor confirming that the enhancements will be completed within an appropriate period, advised by the SQE.

Ecological enhancements – large mixed use/multi-building developments - KBCN0588

At the Post Construction stage of assessment, for large mixed use/multi-building developments, where the whole site has not been completed and ecological enhancements have not yet been added, or where features are being added at a later date in an appropriate planting season: evidence from the client or principal contractor confirming planting will be completed within 18 months from completion of the development is acceptable.

Ecological risk evaluation checklist – Assessment Route 2 - KBCN1113

Where assessment route 2 is chosen, regardless of the outcome of the Ecological risk evaluation checklist, the checklist does not need to be completed. The intent of the checklist is to understand the ecological risks associated with the site, and to confirm if assessment route 1 is appropriate for the site.

Ecological value – timing of planting - KBCN0479

Where the 18 month deadline for the completion of the planting is likely to be exceeded due to the timing or phasing of the construction, the project team will need to clearly justify the reason for this variation, and provide a written commitment to carry out the planting within a reasonable and justifiable timescale.

Ecology and Biodiversity section in the building owner information - KBCN1373

The section on Ecology and Biodiversity, which is included as part of the tenant or building owner information, requires input by the Suitably Qualified Ecologist, even though it is likely to also involve generic information that does not need to be provided by them. The SQE should review all guidance to ensure it is technically correct and appropriate for the specific project. It is at the discretion of the SQE to determine which parts of the section require their input.  This section should be written in plain English, so that a non-specialist audience can understand it. The nature of the content will depend on the particular project and space available.

Ecology dependency diagrams - KBCN1456

These dependency diagrams show how ecology prerequisites and credits interact across issues in the ecology category. UK New Construction UK NC ecology dependencies rev 0.0 Applies to: Home Quality Mark HQM V6 ecology dependencies rev 0.0 Applies to: 
30-Aug-2023 - HQM ecology dependency diagram added. Title and scheme applicability updated.

Education – Boarding schools - KBCN00089

The number of cycle spaces and facilities should be calculated based on the number of day pupils and boarders and these should be available to pupils and staff as appropriate. For boarders, the cycle storage and cyclists' facilities requirement may depend upon a number of factors, such as the age of the pupils/students, distance of the residential accommodation from the school buildings and the school’s policy on cycling. Therefore, the assessor is required to calculate the appropriate number of cycle storage spaces and facilities for pupils and staff based on the relevant criteria. Calculations, justification and supporting evidence should be provided in the assessment report. 
14 03 2018 - Heading and wording clarified and amended to remove requirement for assessors to submit a technical query prior to certification.
   

Education – Different age ranges and/or non-acute SEN - KBCN0224

For a combined school campus the number of cycle storage spaces and compliant facilities will need to be calculated individually for each user-group of the building; e.g. the number of facilities for nursery schools, primary schools and secondary schools should be calculated as per the criteria defined for each of these education types and totalled. Where this includes non-acute SEN facilities and the unusual structure of the classes prevents standard assessment, the assessor should use their judgement to determine whether to apply the pre-school criteria or base on the total number of staff and students. While within the scoring and reporting tool the dominant education building type category will be selected, calculations need to be provided as supporting evidence, with the assessor's comments/notes used to clarify the calculation used to demonstrate compliance. 
14 03 2018 - clarified and key information incorporated from KBCN0424

Education – Primary schools - KBCN1056

Cycle spaces: Cycle parking spaces are intended for the use of pupils and staff and are calculated based on the number of form groups per year as per the technical guidance. Additional facilities: Compliance for pupils can be based on the provision of adequate space in a cloakroom to store outdoor clothing and cycle helmets. The number of additional facilities for staff should be calculated based on 1 locker per 10 members of staff and 1 shower per 10 lockers’, subject to a minimum of one shower being provided. In a primary school, pupils are not expected to have access to private showers or other cyclists’ facilities. 
22/11/2019: Clarification added regarding the number of additional facilities.

Education – Secondary schools - KBCN0119

Cycle spaces: Cycle parking spaces may be shared between students and staff, and are calculated based on the total number of staff and students as per the technical guidance. Students: Compliance for students can be based on the provision of compliant lockers only based on the following logic: • Where secondary schools have sports facilities, compliance shall be based on the provision of compliant lockers only. The provision of showers or changing spaces is assumed to be included with the sports facilities are do not need to be assessed. • Where secondary schools do not have sports facilities, cyclist facilities are assessed as per the technical guidance. Secondary schools will, in almost all cases, will already have sports facilities including enough showers and adequate changing facilities to meet the BREEAM requirements by default. For most students however, the most important facility is likely to be adequate locker storage rather than showers or changing facilities. Staff: Separate shower and changing facilities must be provided for staff. Locker facilities may be shared with students if appropriate, but staff lockers should be suitably located in relation to the other staff facilities. The number of showers for staff should be based on the total number of staff and one shower for every 100 staff*, subject to a minimum of one shower being provided. *This is based on 1 cycle storage space per 10 staff, and 1 shower per 10 cycle storage spaces. 
10 03 2020 Further clarification of the intent
14 03 2018 Heading and wording clarified

EFSA daylight requirements for Schools - KBCN1272

For school buildings, it is acceptable to use the Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFSA) framework requirements as an alternative method of compliance with the  'Daylighting' criteria. In this case, evidence would be required to demonstrate that the requirements in the framework have been adhered to. At least 80% of all relevant room types (weighted by area) must meet the relevant criteria in the ESFA framework requirements. 
Reworded to clarify that the 80% requirement still applies. 31/07/2019

Electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) – Priority spaces - KBCN1429

The current criteria for EVCS do not address provision for priority spaces, such as those allocated to disabled use and car sharing. The assessor and design team should, therefore, take a pragmatic approach to this and, where the overall number of required EVCS permits, an appropriate proportion of these should be provided for priority spaces. This will not be deemed as 'double-counting' as the number of EVCS required should be considered independently of other requirements. The intent is that electric vehicle charging spaces are available to all building users (where possible).

Electric vehicle charging stations – Availability - KBCN1128

This option requires the number of electric vehicle recharging stations (EVCS) to be based on a percentage of the total car parking for the building. To meet compliance, the intent is that recharging stations be available to all building users, including customers and visitors. However, where overall parking numbers are low, it may be difficult to effectively distribute the EV charging spaces between general users and priority groups. In such cases, the design team must provide evidence that this aspect has been considered when locating the EV spaces, however, the decision on how to distribute these may be made by the client or, for speculative development, by an appropriate member of the design team. In situations where parking is limited to priority spaces only, the above guidance still applies. 
11 Jan 2023 - Applicability to BIU V6C confirmed
17 Sep 2022 - Updated to allow more flexibility in relation to how EV spaces are allocated

Electric vehicle charging stations – shell & core assessments - KBCN1247

For BREEAM NC shell only/shell & core, RFO Parts 1 and 2 only and partially-fitted residential assessments, compliance can be demonstrated by installing all the necessary infrastructure, (i.e. capacity in the connection to the local electricity distribution network and distribution board, as well as sub-surface ductwork to receive cabling to parking spaces), to enable the simple installation and activation of charging points at a future date. 
18/10/2021 Applicability to BREEAM Scheme and Assessment Type clarified, in line with the intent.
15/11/2019 Incorrect reference to pre-installation of 'cabling' removed.

Electricity from a local renewable source - KBCN0505

Where electricity used by the heating system is sourced from a local zero emission renewable source, via a private wire, such as PVs, wind etc., there are no resulting emissions. This source of heating can therefore be counted as having zero NOx emissions.     
05 10 2018 Wording clarified

Emergency lighting - KBCN0185

Maintained systems featuring emergency light fittings which are also used for normal operation, are assessed for this issue. Non-maintained lighting which is only activated in an emergency can be excluded from the assessment. NC / RFO / BIU V6 Ene 17: The aim of these credit(s) is to encourage and recognise energy-efficient fittings. Non-maintained emergency lighting will very rarely be activated and in such extremes the emergency requirements must not be compromised. BIU V6 Hea 05: Flicker is eliminated from maintained systems only. 
24-Jan-2024 - Scheme applicability updated to include BIU V6.

Emissions – measuring heating demand - KBCN0182

Emissions for all heat sources should be measured under normal operating conditions which are when all heat sources from the building plant are operating to their maximum design heat outputs to meet the building's heating demands. Where plant is designed to operate below maximum capacity, for example multiple or modular systems or standby boilers,the emissions should still be calculated for the plant operating to meet the building’s heating demand. Any redundant capacity or standby plant should not be included.  

Emissions from products – ‘no formaldehyde’ declaration - KBCN1137

Where a product manufacturer’s declaration confirms that a product contains no formaldehyde, this can be used to demonstrate compliance with both the standard and exemplary level criteria. However, where a manufacturer has made a declaration of formaldehyde class E1 without testing, this can only be used to demonstrate compliance with the standard criteria. An E1 declaration only confirms that emissions of formaldehyde are ≤0.12 mg/m3, so this would not be valid evidence to demonstrate compliance with the exemplary level criteria emission limits. The manufacturer would need to provide additional information (e.g. test report) to show that emissions from the product meet the exemplary level emission limit. 
11-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity and consistency.

Emissions from products – absence of regulated / prohibited wood preservatives - KBCN0740

This requirement for wood panels means that PCP (pentachlorophenol, a regulated / prohibited substance) must be absent. In this case, 'absent' is defined as <5 parts per million. This must be verified by testing. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended to standard naming format for clarity and consistency. Wording clarified.

Emissions from products – BS EN ISO 12460-5 standard - KBCN0118

Products tested to the BS EN ISO 12460-5 standard can show compliance with the BREEAM 'emissions from products' criteria only for the following products: These products must be made from unfaced particle board, unfaced OSB or unfaced MDF. Factory production control testing must demonstrate that the product has a formaldehyde content of ≤ 8mg/100g oven dry board. 
10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Wording clarified.
01-Dec-2017 - Previously referenced standard EN 120 superceded by BS EN ISO 12460-5 Wood-based panels. Determination of formaldehyde release. Extraction method.

Emissions from products – checking against BS EN 13300:2001 - KBCN0355

BS EN 13300:2001 is used to classify paint types. This then allows the appropriate VOC content limit to be identified in Decorative Paint Directive 2004/42/CE (Phase 2). The product supplier will need to confirm the paint type according to BS EN 13300. You can then refer to Decorative Paint Directive 2004/42/CE (Phase 2) to check that the correct VOC content limit has been complied with. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title updated for clarity and consistency.

Emissions from products – earlier versions of AgBB standard - KBCN0655

Guidance Note GN22 lists the standard AgBB (2015) as a recognised scheme for emissions from building products for pre-December 2015 launched BREEAM schemes. Previous versions of the AgBB scheme are not listed as recognised schemes because earlier versions of AgBB did not include any requirement for the testing of Formaldehyde. If an earlier version AgBB has been used, further evidence will be required to provide additional information on the required Formaldehyde testing. 
10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Emissions from products – EU CLP Regulation and Category 1A/B carcinogen emission limits - KBCN1280

The European Regulation (EC) No.1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (‘the CLP Regulation’ or ‘CLP’) applies to all EU Member States. CLP requires manufacturers, importers, downstream users and distributors to communicate the identified hazards of a substance or mixture to the other parties in the supply chain, including to consumers. The regulation requires products with hazardous properties to be labelled in accordance with CLP before being placed on the market. CLP requires products containing any ingredients that have been classified as Category 1A and 1B carcinogens to be labelled as carcinogenic. Therefore, with respect to the BREEAM Category 1A and 1B carcinogens emission limit criteria, for products marketed in EU Member States, if a product’s safety information (e.g. safety data sheet) or a manufacturer’s declaration confirms that that the product does not need to be labelled as a Category 1A or 1B carcinogen in accordance with CLP, then this information would be an acceptable form of evidence for demonstrating compliance with the criteria. 
10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Emissions from products – exemplary level formaldehyde requirements - KBCN1124

The exemplary level criteria for formaldehyde emission levels are not applicable to the following product types: Formaldehyde emission levels should be assessed on all other product types. This applies also to any approved alternative VOC schemes for these product types listed in GN22. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency.

Emissions from products – Guidance Note 22 (GN22) - KBCN0719

Latest version: v2.8, January 2024 Within the Health and Wellbeing category of several BREEAM schemes, credits are awarded for specifying materials that minimise emissions from building products of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The criteria involve meeting emission level performance requirements in accordance with compliant performance and testing standards. Guidance Note 22 (GN22) lists schemes that show equivalent or better performance than the current BREEAM and HQM criteria, and therefore can be used to demonstrate compliance with the criteria. This document should be read in conjunction with the relevant assessment issue guidance provided in the appropriate BREEAM or HQM technical manual. The guidance note contains two tables: Download Guidance Note 22 View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only) 
01-Feb-2024 - Updated for release of GN22 2.8
31-Jan-2023 - Updated for release of GN22 2.7 
10-Oct-2022 - This KBCN merged with KBCN0646. Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
25-Jan-2019 - Link to Guidance Note updated
12-Mar-2018 - Link to Guidance Note updated

Emissions from products – installations manufactured off-site - KBCN0137

Internal finishes to installations manufactured off-site such as elevators need to be assessed for the emissions from products criteria. The specification of internal finishes (regardless of whether they are installed on site or in the factory) will impact on VOC emissions. By specifying low VOC finishes, design teams will be encouraging manufacturers to consider the environmental impacts of their products. 
10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
 

Emissions from products – manufacturers’ calculations for paints and varnishes - KBCN0452

Manufacturers' calculations of VOC content, based on the constituent ingredients, can be used to demonstrate compliance with the testing requirement for paints and varnishes.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – paints and varnishes – historic buildings - KBCN1041

Scope This KBCN covers the use of paints and varnishes for the 'emissions from products' criteria. These are paints that: These paints may be used in new extensions to historic buildings (this KBCN is a manual compliance note in RFO 2014). Exemptions for use The use of such paints is allowable if: Localisation National conservation bodies and accepted grade listings applicable to this KBCN are: Remedial actions In all cases, procedures are in place to flush the building out for a sufficient period before occupation. This is to reduce the risks associated with VOCs in accordance with the criteria. 
11-Oct-2022 KBCN restructured for clarity. Title amended for clarity. National conservation body for NI updated. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – resin flooring - KBCN0980

Resin flooring products (such as epoxy floor coating) are assessed as ‘Resilient textile and laminated floor coverings’. 
11-Oct-2022 Title updated for clarify and consistency. Wording simplified.

Emissions from products – rigid wall covering adhesives - KBCN00076

Rigid wall covering adhesives need to meet the standard listed for flooring adhesives. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title renamed to standard naming format for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.
16-Jun-2015 - Published pending reissue of the technical manual UKNC2011/REISSUE UKNC2014/REISSUE UKRFO2014/REISSUE.

Emissions from products – scope of assessment - KBCN0212

General This issue covers any product installed or applied inside the inner surface of the building’s infiltration, vapour or waterproof membrane. Where this membrane is not present, it applies to the inside of the building envelope’s interior-facing thermal insulation layer. Only products that are installed or applied in parts of the building where their emissions are likely to affect indoor air quality need to be assessed. Paints and coatings Any decorative paints and varnishes that occupants are exposed to should be assessed. This is likely to include paints and coatings applied to walls, ceilings, floors, doors, etc. Whole products A finish applied to a product in the factory is assessed as a whole product, and not separately as a paint or coating. For instance, a wood panel has a finish applied in the factory. The whole panel, including all the elements that make up that panel, would need to comply with the requirements set for wood panel products in this issue. The finished product as a whole must meet the performance requirements / emission limits set in the manual. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Content merged with KBCN0871.
10-Oct-2022 - Wording simplified. Scheme applicability updated.
16-Jun-2017 - Title and general principle amended to extend the applicability of the KBCN to all finishes. Paints specified for specialist applications covered in KBCN0872.
 

Emissions from products – specialist paints and coatings - KBCN0872

Where a paint or coating falls within: then the paint or coating must be assessed. Specialist paints and coatings are exempted from meeting the emission limits where there are no alternative products available that can perform the function, and still meet the emission limits. This must be clearly evidenced. 
27-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. New compliance principle added from UKNC V6.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
13-Mar-2020 KBCN amended to clarify exceptions and applicability.
16-Jun-2017 Content merged with KBCN0212.

Emissions from products – testing to ISO 16000-10 - KBCN1134

Results of testing to ISO 16000-10 can be considered compliant with the relevant testing requirements of the emissions from construction products credit where the product manufacturer can demonstrate the results generated by testing to ISO 16000-10 correlate to results that would be achieved using EN 16516 or ISO 16000-9. This is because EN 16516 classifies ISO 16000-10 as an ‘indirect method’, which means “any simplified, screening, secondary, derived or alternative method. An indirect method can be applied if it provides a result that is comparable to or that correlates with the result of the reference method under the conditions applied. The validity of the correlation with the reference method is limited to the field of application for which it has been established.” 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – updated VOC standards - KBCN0138

As new VOC standards are updated and adopted by the wider industry, new projects registered under older schemes can achieve compliance through both the latest standards (as listed in the current UK manual) as well as the ones listed in the original manuals. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title updated for clarity and consistency.
10-May-2019 - Wording clarified.
 

Emissions from products – wall covering fabric - KBCN0724

For the 'Volatile Organic Compound emissions levels (products)' criteria: Any fabric specified as part of a wall covering should be assessed as part of the 'wall covering' requirements. It should not be assessed as part of the 'resilient textile and laminated floor coverings' requirements. 
11-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity and consistency. Wording clarified.

Emissions from products – alternative testing standard for paints - KBCN1003

Where stated in EU Directive 2004/42/CE, ASTMD 2369 can be used as an alternative the testing standard for paints where reactive diluents are present. 
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Wording simplified.

Ene 01 Baseline- BREEAM UK NC 2014 Vs 2011 - KBCN0489

The methodology for assessing energy within Ene 01 is unchanged, however the means of defining the baseline for assessing the performance of a new building in each UK territory has changed. In the 2011 version the England and Wales building regulation for energy (Part L 2010) was used to calibrate the Ene 01 translators in the UK scheme, and therefore all buildings assessed in the UK used the same baseline, regardless of location. In the BREEAM UK NC 2014 version, the energy related building regulation local to each UK territory is used to set respective baselines for the Ene 01 issue. BREEAM Guidance Note 12 provides a more in-depth explanation of the Ene 01 methodology.

Energy consumption and carbon emissions of untreated spaces - KBCN00049

Where the assessment contains a mix of treated and untreated spaces, untreated spaces can be excluded and the performance based on the treated spaces only. Where the entire assessment is untreated, the whole of the structure(s) must be assessed on the basis that this issue is critical for certification. BREEAM is primarily designed to assess permanent, treated and occupied structures. Untreated structures are unlikely to gain many credits when being assessed. 
24/08/2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed

Energy modelling for PV - KBCN0992

Where PV is being specified on the recommendation of a compliant LZC feasibility study, iSBEM can be used to calculate the reduction in regulated CO2 emissions. The outputs from iSBEM should be as accurate as those from DSM modelling; (iSBEM takes into account the type of PV module, the level of overshadowing and the ventilation strategy).

Energy modelling not required for Building Regulations compliance - KBCN0487

For the purposes of demonstrating BREEAM compliance, it is still necessary to undertake energy modelling to generate the required performance data. 
24/08/2022 Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
 

Energy monitoring and management systems and small useful floor areas - KBCN1361

The requirement for an energy monitoring and management system (Building Management System – BMS) applies to useful floor areas that are greater than 1,000 m2. For developments where useful areas are monitored by single utility meters (of the same fuel) and are smaller than 1,000m2, the BMS requirement is not applicable. This is because the value of monitoring given by a BMS is not appropriate for such small areas. For example, in a situation where a large building is served by several utility meters (of the same fuel), with none of them covering a useful floor area greater than 1,000 m2, the requirement for BMS is not applicable.

Energy performance assessment for part of a whole building - KBCN0596

If the assessment is only covering part of a whole building, the energy performance assessment must be representative of the part of the building being assessed. Simply taking the energy performance assessment of the whole building would not therefore comply, especially if the non-assessed parts of the building were of a different use. A separate energy assessment of the part of the building is likely to be required. The energy performance assessment must be representative of the parts of the building being assessed. This also applies to the predicted energy performance and all energy modelling for the prediction of operation energy consumption.  
24/08/2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
Amended 01/09/2020 to cover UKNC2018 - Prediction of operational energy consumption

Energy Savings Trust website criteria - KBCN0140

In previous versions of BREEAM New Construction 2011, compliance with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) criteria for domestic scale appliances was required  for credit Ene 08 Energy Efficient Equipment. As this information is no longer readily available from EST, compliance can be demonstrated where domestic scale equipment meets the requirements for the EU Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme as outlined in the latest BREEAM New Construction 2011 manual.

Energy sub-metering – Single occupancy & function - KBCN0491

In large buildings of single occupancy/tenancy where there is only one homogeneous function (e.g. hotel bedrooms, offices), sub-metering should be provided per floor plate.  

Environmental Checklist section 2.2.5 - KBCN0225

In May 2013 the Environment Agency updated their guidance document "Building A Better Environment" and Checklist 2.2.5 is no longer included. However, the EA have allowed the continued use of Checklist 2.2.5 from the original 2006 guidance for the purposes of demonstrating compliance with Man 03. It can be found on the extranet: Home » Extranet » BREEAM 2011 UK New Construction » BREEAM 2011 New Construction Technical Guidance » Supporting Documents  

Environmental management – no principal contractor - KBCN1213

In order to achieve compliance where there is no principal contractor, the criteria must be met by the party which fulfills an equivalent role in managing the construction. The intent of the criteria is to ensure that the site is managed in accordance with demonstrably sustainable principles by the party having overall control of site management and operations. 

Environmental management – Timing of obtaining ISO 14001/EMAS certification - KBCN0229

The contractor must be in possession of the ISO 14001/EMAS certification prior to starting works on the development under assessment. This is to ensure that the aim of the issue, to ‘encourage construction sites managed in an environmentally sound manner’, can be achieved. To uphold the robustness of BREEAM, the date of certification to ISO 14001/EMAS must be prior to initial works starting on the site.  

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)- Calculating the percentages of materials - KBCN00070

When calculating the contribution of EPDs to an element's point score in the Mat 01 tool, the percentage of material in an element should be based on its mass.      

EPD for systems of products always installed together - KBCN1102

Where an EPD is for a system of products, from the same manufacturer, that are always installed together, this system of products shall be considered a single product for the purposes of assessment in BREEAM. Examples of this include:

EPDs’ validity - KBCN0798

EPDs which have expired or are pending verification at the time the relevant product was specified, cannot contribute to awarding credits. However, it is not necessary that they are valid at the time of the design or post-construction stage submissions. BREEAM is primarily trying to encourage designers to take EPDs into consideration when specifying products.   
04/11/2019 Confirmed applicability to UK NC2018
27/03/2020 Added applicability to Green Guide ratings and ISO 14001 certificates
27/05/2020 Reference to ISO 14001 removed - Whilst the same principle applies, the wording relating to product specification does not - See KBCN1401.
12/08/2021 Clarification regarding the validity of EPDs during QA submission and removal of reference to Green Guide ratings

Equipment types not included in relevant schemes - KBCN0387

Equipment types not covered by the relevant schemes in the criteria do not need to be assessed.

Erratum – 2018 to V6 – scope – external doors - KBCN1651

The scope of this issue includes external doors. Currently, external doors are missing from the Mat 03 scope 'internal finishes'. This will be corrected in future versions.

Erratum – Commissioning and handover – Shell only assessments - KBCN1591

There is an error in the assessment scope of Man 04 under Shell only. 'Ref 1.1' does not apply to Shell only assessments This will be corrected in the next re-issue

Erratum – Criterion 8 – ‘No net loss’ - KBCN1210

In Criterion 8 of this issue, the wording, 'No net loss of ecological value' should read, 'No overall loss of ecological value'. This corresponds to the definition of 'No overall loss' provided in the guidance for this Issue. 
Technical manual to be updated accordingly in next reissue.

Erratum – UK NC2018 LE 05 – criterion 6 - KBCN1189

Criterion 6 should not have been included in the Planning, liaison, data, monitoring and review management and maintenance credit. Instead it is a requirement of the below credit as follows;

One credit - Landscape and ecology management plan (or similar) development

6. Landscape and ecology management plan, or equivalent, is developed in accordance with BS 42020:2013 Section 11.11 covering as a minimum the first five years after project completion and includes:

6.a: Actions and responsibilities, prior to handover, to give to relevant individuals

6.b: The ecological value and condition of the site over the development life.

6.c: Identification of opportunities for ongoing alignment with activities external to the development project and which supports the aims of BREEAM's Strategic Ecology Framework

6.d: Identification and guidance to trigger appropriate remedial actions to address previously unforeseen impacts

6.e: Clearly defined and allocated roles and responsibilities.

7. The landscape and management plan or similar is updated as appropriate to support maintenance of the ecological value of the site.

Please follow these criteria instead of what is written in the BREEAM UK NC 2018 Manual

Erratum – UK NC2018 Pol 03 – Peak rate of run-off for greenfield sites - KBCN1063

The 30% improvement on the peak rate of run-off, required under criterion 6, is only applicable to Brownfield sites.  Post-development, Greenfield sites are only required to achieve a peak rate of run-off that is no greater than the pre-developed site. The 2014 UK NC scheme required both Greenfield and Brownfield sites to not increase the peak rate of run-off as a result of the development.  A 30% improvement for brownfield sites is in keeping with BREEAM's aim to continue to drive improvements and mitigate the impacts of development. 
10/08/18 - Technical manual updated. Only relevant to v1.0 of the manual

Erratum – UK NC2018 Pol 03 – Prerequisite for Simple buildings assessments - KBCN1067

The prerequisite requiring the appointment of an appropriate consultant is applicable to Simple buildings assessments for the Flood resilience and Minimising watercourse pollution credits. The prerequisite must also be met if the two credits and exemplary credit are awarded for Simple Buildings achieving compliance to the Surface Water Run-off criteria. Refer to the text under 'Up to two credits - Simple Buildings - Surface water run-off'. The prerequisite does not, however, apply to the 'Simple buildings only' criteria 24-25. Assessment scope for a Simple building:      

Erratum – UK NC2018 Tra 02 – Table 7.6 Building Types - KBCN1074

The text relevant to Building Group 5 in the building types key for this table should read as follows: BG 5: Multi-residential. Therefore, please ignore the text: '(two credits are available and each can be awarded independently of the other)'. 
10/08/18 - Technical manual updated. Only relevant to v1.0 of the manual

Erratum – up to v1.0 – issue overview icons - KBCN1070

Some icons in the recently published UKNC2018 technical manual indicate incorrect numbers of credits available by assessment type. The table below summarises the error and correction needed. 
12-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity.
10-Aug-2018 - Technical manual updated. Only relevant to v1.0 of the manual.

Erratum – up to v1.2 – timing of pre-requisite – indoor air quality plan - KBCN1206

In Issues 1.0 and 1.2 of the technical manual, the prerequisite requires the Indoor air quality plan to be produced no later than the end of Concept Design.  Clarification of the requirements in Hea 02: The prerequisite currently states: ‘1. A site-specific indoor air quality plan has been produced and implemented in accordance with the guidance in Guidance Note GN06. The plan must be produced no later than the end of Concept Design. The objective of the plan is to facilitate a process that leads to design, specification and installation decisions and actions that minimise indoor air pollution during occupation of the building…’ Clarified criterion: ‘1 A site-specific indoor air quality plan has been produced and implemented in accordance with the guidance in Guidance Note GN06. The objective of the plan is to facilitate a process that leads to design, specification and installation decisions and actions, which minimise indoor air pollution during occupation of the building…:’ 
12-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity.
This will be confirmed in the next re-issue of the technical manual, but can be applied immediately in all issues of the UK NC2018 scheme.

Erratum – UK NC2018 LE 05 – Prerequisite criterion 2 - KBCN1123

Clarification of the LE05 prerequisite reference to LE 04 will be made in the next manual re-issue. It will distinguish more clearly between the Route 1 and Route 2 requirements as follows: 2. The following must be achieved according to the route being assessed: 2a. Route 1 - Criteria 3-4 in LE 03 have been achieved. 2b. Route 2 - Criteria 3-4 in LE 03 have been achieved, and at least one credit under LE 04 for 'Change and Enhancement of Ecology' has been awarded. 
				

			

					

				
Escalators or moving walks – variable speed drive - KBCN1621

				The requirements refer to 'a load sensing device that synchronises motor output to passenger demand through a variable speed drive'.

The intent is that the inverter must operate full-time to moderate output based on passenger demand.				

			

					

				
Evacuation lifts - KBCN0437

				Evacuation lifts, which will be used during an emergency only, can be excluded from the relevant BREEAM criteria. However, if these lifts are used during the normal operation of the building, then they still need to be assessed.				

			

					

				
Evidence – Photographs not permitted for security reasons - KBCN0389

				Where photographs are not permitted during a site visit for security reasons, in addition to any alternative evidence requirements listed in the Schedule of Evidence for each issue, the assessor will also need to provide a detailed site inspection report and/or as-built drawings (where permitted by the client). If following this approach, full justification and documentary evidence from the client will be required for QA purposes.				

			

					

				
Evidence requirements – responsible sourcing of materials at post-construction - KBCN1599

				Whilst the UK BREEAM manuals are less prescriptive in the evidential requirements to allow flexibility, to ensure consistency across the schemes, it is expected that robust evidence should be provided to verify the source of any certified materials and how the assessor has confirmed the products and manufacturers used.

Evidence supplied at post construction stage must reflect the completed building and confirm the responsibly sourced materials that have been procured and installed on the project. Supporting documentation is required to validate letters of confirmation or schedules of materials.

Evidence provided could include proof of purchase, for example, invoices, delivery tickets, purchase orders or correspondence from suppliers. This may be an example for each material sourced, rather than every delivery ticket for instance.  Alternatively, evidence of the use of the responsibly sourced materials may include as-built drawings, O&M documentation or site photographs.				

			

					

				
Evidence: Final design/’as-built’ drawings as evidence - KBCN0393

				Where drawings are not clearly marked to indicate their 'as-built' status, additional evidence would need to be provided by the design team to confirm the drawings represent the completed development and that there have been no changes relevant to the BREEAM/HQM assessment. This could, for example, be a written confirmation from the architect or the contractor, as appropriate.				

			

					

				
Evidence: Post construction assessment evidence - KBCN0407

				For the purposes of robustness and completeness, both design AND post-construction stage evidence is required for a post construction assessment. However, it is possible to provide only post construction stage (PCS) evidence where it is clear that this completely supersedes the design stage (DS) evidence and renders it unnecessary.				

			

					

				
Excluding applications from assessment - KBCN0875

				Where a structural engineer has determined that recycled or secondary aggregate cannot be used in line with the criteria for a particular application, or where they will not allow the minimum BREEAM level to be used, that application can be excluded from the assessment. Where the engineer allows some content to be used, this percentage must still be specified in the excluded application. The engineer's decision must be suitably justified (for example following the BS8500 series and associated standards) and must be provided as evidence for the BREEAM assessment.				

			

					

				
Excluding excavation waste from ‘Diversion of resources from landfill’ - KBCN0226

				Excavation waste should not be included and assessed against the requirements under ‘Diversion of resources from landfill’.

This also applies to BREEAM Communities RE05 - 3rd/4th credits.

 				

			

					

				
Excluding large untreated warehouse spaces from ‘Useful floor area’ - KBCN00069

				For industrial buildings, where there are offices and the untreated warehouse space does not include any energy-intensive systems or processes, the warehouse space can be excluded from the calculation of 'useful floor area' to determine whether Criterion 2 or 3 (Criterion 2 only in UK New Construction 2018) is applicable.

For speculative developments, if Planning Consent includes Distribution or Warehousing (UK Planning Use Class B8 or equivalent local planning consent) and the design team and assessor can justify that this is the intended use, the above approach can be followed for untreated warehouse space.

Where there is minimal energy consumption, complex sub-metering such a space would add little benefit. 

28 Oct 2022 - Applicability to INC V6 and UK NC V6 confirmed.
Wording clarified and note added relating to speculative developments - 16/12/2016
Wording clarified relating to speculative developments - 06/01/2020
				

			

					

				
Exclusions when calculating the uniformity ratio, minimum point daylight factor, and minimum daylight illuminance - KBCN0348

				The uniformity ratio calculation, minimum point daylight factor and minimum daylight illuminance can exclude areas within 0.5m of walls. Areas within 0.5m are not regarded as part of the working plane for this purpose, although they are included in the average daylight factor and average daylight illuminance calculations.

 

 				

			

					

				
Exemplary credit – Ene 01 credits required - KBCN1556

				For the exemplary credit, the requirement for 'Ene 01 Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions' is to achieve four credits, (rather than the eight stated in the manual). This is due to the altered credit scale in NC V6 Ene 01.

This will be updated in the next reissue of the technical manual				

			

					

				
Exemplary credits for Post-occupancy stage - KBCN1400

				The 'Four credits - Prediction of operational energy consumption' need to be achieved before assessing the two exemplary credits for 'post-occupancy stage'.

This is so that the post-occupancy stage commitments have a prediction to be compared to.

SH 24/08/22 Not needed for UKNC V6 				

			

					

				
Exemplary level credit - KBCN1131

				The exemplary level credit of Hea 06 requires the use of a compliant risk based security rating scheme and for the project's performance against the scheme to be confirmed through independent assessment and verification.

Where this criterion has been met and the exemplary level credit is achieved, the 'Security of site and building' credit of Hea 06 is also automatically achieved. This is because the compliant risk based security rating scheme will cover the requirements of the 'Security of site and building' credit, in addition to covering many other aspects.				

			

					

				
Exemplary level credit – Non-compatible schemes - KBCN1228

				The following cannot currently be considered compliant with the requirements of the exemplary level credit for this Issue, which requires certification through a ‘compliant risk-based security rating scheme’ where ‘performance against the scheme has been confirmed by independent assessment and verification’:


18 Mar 2022 - Title and content updated to include VSAT
11 Nov 2021 - Updated (superfluous commentary removed).
				

			

					

				
Exemplary level credit – Using SABRE - KBCN1499

				Order of certification

To achieve the BREEAM exemplary credit, the SABRE 'design stage' or 'as-built' certification (as applicable to the BREEAM assessment stage) must be completed before BREEAM certification.

Please also refer to KBCN1549 - Shell only and Shell and Core assessments - using SABRE

Evidence output

The most appropriate evidence output for this exemplary credit is a SABRE certificate corresponding to the stage of the BREEAM assessment (i.e. ‘design stage’ or ‘post-construction stage’). Providing the certificate demonstrates that the requirements of SABRE have been met and validated, which can mitigate any potential delays to the BREEAM QA process.

SABRE 'design stage' certification can be sought at any time during the RIBA design stages, whilst 'as-built' certification is sought at handover.

Timing of SABRE assessment

Unlike the 'Security of site and building' credit, there is no strict cut-off point by which the SABRE assessment process must commence, however RIBA Stage 2 is recommended as a reasonable time by which to begin working towards SABRE certification.

04 Nov 2022 - Reference to KBCN1549 added
				

			

					

				
Exemplary level criteria – not all product categories specified - KBCN0636

				The assessment of exemplary level criteria assumes that every product category is specified. It awards credit(s) based on the number of product categories that meet the exemplary levels.

Where the assessment does not contain every product category, all product categories must meet the exemplary level requirements.

[accordion]

[accordion_block title="1 exemplary credit"]

Exemplary credit requirement:  3 out of 4 product types meet the exemplary requirements.

An assessment has only specified 3 product types in total. To achieve the credit, all product types must meet the exemplary criteria.

[/accordion_block]

[accordion_block title="2 exemplary credits"]

Exemplary credit requirement:

An assessment has only specified 3 product types in total.

[/accordion_block]

[/accordion]

19-Oct-2022 - Wording and title clarified. Scheme applicability updated. Scenario added.
				

			

					

				
Exemplary level criteria – Shell only assessments - KBCN1511

				Criterion 10c requires the credit for Pol 05 to be achieved.

For shell only assessments, where Issue Pol 05 is filtered out, this requirement does not apply.				

			

					

				
Exemplary level criteria – Wider site sustainability – Pol 03 requirements - KBCN1539

				Criterion 10.b. is intended to be read as follows:

Pol 03 Flood and surface water management - Achieve ALL credits for 'Surface water run-off' and 'Minimising watercourse pollution'

Technical manual to be updated accordingly in next reissue.
				

			

					

				
Exemptions from hard landscaping and boundary protection - KBCN00062

				Where a third party, such as the local authority, enforces strict constraints on the materials that can be used by the project for hard landscaping or boundary protection, and these materials do not achieve a Green Guide rating of A/A+, it is possible to exempt these materials from the assessment of this issue, on the condition that robust evidence confirming this is given.

In this instance the developer does not have control over the materials specified, therefore it is not appropriate to include them in the assessment.

 

 				

			

					

				
Existing materials recycled on site - KBCN0813

				When existing elements are recycled (ie crushed and used as aggregate) on site, they can contribute to awarding credits as recycled aggregates.

This issue aims to recognise and encourage the use of recycled and secondary aggregates and addresses waste rather than materials. It refers to recycled aggregate obtained on-site or off-site, based on materials identified as waste and removed during construction works. 

Previous incorrect KBCN text amended. CN 'Aggregates in existing applications' to be amended accordingly in next reissue of the RFO Technical manuals.
				

			

					

				
Existing travel plan - KBCN1068

				If an up to date organisational travel plan, that is BREEAM compliant, exists for a site on which an assessed building is located, it can be used to meet the relevant criteria. All building users (in existing and new buildings) and additional travel resulting from users of the new building need to be taken into account.

 				

			

					

				
Extending a lift shaft - KBCN0802

				Where the scope of works regarding a lift only includes extending the lift shaft to other floors, then assessment of this lift is not appropriate.  Where changes are made to the lift system, then assessment is required.

Where changes to lift systems are made, these lifts need to be included in the assessment to encourage specification of energy efficient transport systems.				

			

					

				
Extension to existing buildings - KBCN1039

				Facilities within the existing building can be used to assess compliance. These facilities must cater for the total volume of predicted recyclable waste arising from the new extension and existing buildings.				

			

					

				
Extension using existing building services - KBCN0914

				When assessing an extension, which is served by existing building plant, the existing plant, should be considered as contributing to the existing pre-development background noise level. Any additional plant or changes to the operation of the existing plant should be considered as a new noise source.

This Issue seeks to address any increase in background noise levels which result from the assessed development.

22/02/2018 Wording amended to clarify how existing plant should be considered

Superseded wording:

Existing building services serving a building extension have to be included in the assessment of this issue.

Issue Pol 05 is applicable to all treated buildings, even where existing building services are used for an extension building, without being upgraded. The issue assesses the impact on any nearby noise-sensitive buildings of existing and newly specified plant and the effectiveness of any fabric measures to reduce this.				

			

					

				
Extensions – Retaining existing heating plant - KBCN0336

				When assessing an extension where existing heating plant is retained, the current emissions output should be used to determine compliance. The emissions should not be taken from the original manufacturers information at the time of installation.

 				

			

					

				
Extensions and infill developments - KBCN1055

				When assessing a new extension or infill development on an existing site, only new lighting specified as part of the assessed works needs to be considered.				

			

					

				
External lighting – architectural façade lighting - KBCN0650

				Architectural façade (or other decorative) lighting, which does not provide users with lighting to perform tasks outdoors, does not need to be included in the assessment of external lighting.

This Issue seeks to ensure that lighting levels are appropriate for tasks which building users will be undertaking outdoors.				

			

					

				
External lighting – High frequency ballasts - KBCN0278

				The requirement for all fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps to be fitted with high frequency ballasts does not apply to external lighting.

 				

			

					

				
External lighting inside wider building - KBCN0906

				Where a building undergoing assessment is located inside of another building, for example a retail unit within a shopping centre, Ene 03 External lighting and Pol 04 Reduction of night time light pollution should be assessed as follows;

Ene 03

'External lighting' that is inside of the wider building, using the example above the lighting is external of the retail unit itself but inside of the wider shopping centre, criteria relating to the luminous efficacy should be applied as presented within the manual. For the criteria relating to controlled for prevention of operation during daylight hours and presence detection in areas of intermittent pedestrian traffic, however, instead of demonstrating that the lighting is not operational during daylight hours, it should be demonstrated that the lighting is not operational outside of the operational hours of the wider shopping centre. Any external lighting within the scope of works being assessed that is located outside of the wider shopping centre, for example if the retail unit had an entrance or exit that leads on to the street outside, this would need to be assessed against the criteria presented within the manual.

Pol 04

If the building undergoing assessment has no external lighting that is outside of the wider building, it can be considered that the building has no external lighting. However, as above, any external lighting within the scope of works of the assessment that is located outside of the wider building will need to be assessed as the criteria is presented within the manual.

10/05/2019 Reference to specific criteria numbers removed and made applicable to UK NC2018
				

			

					

				
External works – waste reporting requirements - KBCN1379

				Waste arising from external works does not need to be included within the calculations for construction resource efficiency. To do so would be incongruous with reporting waste relative to the building's floor area. This follows the logic of excluding excavation waste from this criterion.
However, waste from external works should be addressed in the RMP and should also be reported in the calculations for the Diversion of resources from landfill credit, which is not reported relative to the building's floor area.				

			

					

				
Feasibility study – comparison with connection to existing LZCs - KBCN0563

				In carrying out a feasibility study (covering all the areas required as stated in the manual) the primary intent is to demonstrate to a reasonable level of certainty that the chosen LZC is the most appropriate of all those available.

Some of the options (for example community heating/cooling schemes) may not allow for a simple like for like comparison but a comparison can be made overall across many factors. For example in a community heating scheme the life cycle costing estimate might need to be simply the cost of using and maintaining the system for the measuring period, if upfront costs and payback period information is not available. Similarly for an existing community scheme, planning would not be a barrier but land use and noise impacts could be compared.

The feasibility study must include a comparison of all criteria and for it to show that each has been factored into the final option being made. While some options may provide information in different formats and differing levels of detail making direct comparisons not straightforward, a comparison can still be made and this should aim to be as comprehensive and representative as possible. This will serve to demonstrate with reasonable certainty that the chosen option is the most appropriate. 				

			

					

				
Fewer than four cycle spaces - KBCN0134

				The minimum number of compliant cycles spaces is always four. To ensure that an adequate minimum number of spaces are provided, where the 50% reduction is applicable, it cannot be used to reduce the number to fewer than four spaces.				

			

					

				
Fire hydrants and sprinklers - KBCN0680

				To meet BREEAM compliance, emergency systems such as fire hydrants and sprinklers need also to be covered by a leak detection system.

The leak detection system must cover all mains water supply between and within the building and the ‘site boundary'.				

			

					

				
Fit-out level – Selecting the appropriate assessment type - KBCN1627

				Projects designed and constructed as fully fitted should not be evaluated as ‘Shell and core’ or ‘Shell-only’ where the intent is to limit the scope of the BREEAM assessment without further justification.

Where the fit-out level of a project is not consistent, the BREEAM assessment type should be considered in line with KBCN0702				

			

					

				
Fitting elements in Shell and Core assessments - KBCN0835

				All elements present in a building need to be assessed.  Therefore, where fitting elements are included in a development being assessed as shell and core, they need to be included in the BREEAM assessment.				

			

					

				
Fleet operator definition - KBCN1473

				The definition of the fleet operator states that “transportation to the project is likely to be by several fleet operators many of which will not be under the control of the constructor. The criteria relate to all fleet operators, nonetheless.”

Following feedback on the difficulties of applying the requirements to fleet operators who do not directly work with the contractor, these requirements will only apply to those who are under the control of the principal contractor.

This will be amended in the next reissue of the technical manual.

 				

			

					

				
Flexibility of acoustic requirements for naturally ventilated buildings - KBCN0219

				When the Design Capability Supply Rate of 8 l/s per person is provided by natural ventilation, the design can achieve the BB93 performance standards for the indoor ambient noise levels in Table 1.1 of BB93 then the requirements can be increased by 5 dB LAeq,30min. This approach can be followed where BB93 is applicable.				

			

					

				
Flood Resilience - KBCN1478

				In order to award two credits

    
 	
  1. Flood risk must be determined by a compliant, site-specific Flood Risk Assessment and cannot be based solely on on EA Flood Maps
    2. 
 	
  2. The credits for flood risk are awarded based on the pre-development site
    3. 


Sites which have a medium or high flood risk from one or more sources (pre-development) can only achieve one credit, subject to mitigation measures being implemented as part of the development.

The criteria seek to encourage the development of sites in areas of low flood risk from all sources.

01/11/2021 Clarified: 'Sites which have a medium or high flood risk from one or more sources...'
				

			

					

				
Flood resilience – appropriate consultant - KBCN1453

				Where compliance is only sought for criteria 2-4a, if the assessor is satisfied and can justify that the person conducting a flood risk assessment for the development has the appropriate level of knowledge to undertake it, then they do not need to meet the full definition of the 'appropriate consultant'.				

			

					

				
Flood resilience – Pre-existing flood defences - KBCN1021

				In an area protected by existing flood defences, (designed to withstand a certain magnitude of flooding), the appropriate number of flood risk credits can be awarded where the defences reduce the risk to ‘low’ or ‘medium’ and the following conditions are met:

1. The development is not located in an area where new flood defences have to be, or have been, constructed to minimise the risk of flooding to the site and its locality purely for the purpose of the development or its wider master plan.

2.The development is located on previously occupied land (as defined by the criteria in BREEAM issue LE 01 Site selection).

3.The relevant agency confirms that, as a result of such defences, the risk of a flood event occurring is reduced to low or medium risk. If firm confirmation is not provided then the credit cannot be awarded.
A statutory body’s local or regional office may be able to provide more information on existing defences in the area in which the assessed development is located.				

			

					

				
Flood resilience – Third party feature acting as flood defences - KBCN1022

				There are many landscape feature defences, owned by third parties, which due to their location act as a flood defence by default, e.g. motorway, railway embankments, walls etc. It can be assumed that such embankments will remain in place for the lifetime of the development, unless the assessor or project team have reason to believe otherwise. For walls, assurance must be sought that the wall is likely to remain for the design life of the building.				

			

					

				
Flood risk – Site situated across numerous flood zones - KBCN0532

				Where a site is situated across more than one flood zone, the flood zone with the highest probability of flooding, i.e. the worst case scenario, must be considered for the purpose of the BREEAM assessment. An exception to this would be where the areas in the higher probability zone include only soft landscaping and it can be demonstrated that access to the building will be maintained in a flooding event.

This is to ensure that the site has adequately managed the worst case scenario level of flood risk associated with the site's location. 

22/07/2022 Applicability to HQM One confirmed
07/03/2018 Updated to include circumstances where an exception may apply.
				

			

					

				
Flood risk – Using PPS25 to carry out a FRA - KBCN0252

				Although the government has scrapped PPS25, assessors can continue to use either this guidance or the more recent online guide, 'Flood risk and coastal change' - http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/flood-risk-and-coastal-change/

The PPS25 document referred to in the manual is still considered good practice 

 				

			

					

				
Flood risk assessments to National Planning Policy Framework - KBCN0901

				The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is made up of a number of Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) documents.  This means that flood risk assessments that confirm they follow the NPPF can be accepted as being compliant to all relevant PPGs (for example PPG Flood Risk and Coastal Change).				

			

					

				
Flow control devices – combining flow control - KBCN1034

				Flow control devices are not required for each individual fitting and may control one or more WC area, such as adjacent male and female toilets within a core. However, when using a single device to control the supply to multiple areas, the strategy must account for the occupancy and function of each space, to ensure that the aim of the criterion is met.

Combining multiple cores with varying occupancy using a single flow control device has the risk that faults in infrequently used sanitary facilities could continue to leak undetected.				

			

					

				
Flow control devices – Use of devices on individual sanitary fittings - KBCN1550

				The intent of the requirement for flow control devices is to minimise the impact of undetected wastage and leaks from sanitary fittings and supply pipework.

The use of flow control devices on individual sanitary fittings alone does not, therefore, fully meet this aim.				

			

					

				
Flow control devices for multiple blocks - KBCN1186

				The criteria are set to encourage isolation of the water supply to each WC block when it is not being used. If a single flow control device, for example one programmed time controller, is adequate to switch the water on at predetermined times that suit the usage patterns of more than one WC blocks or facilities, this can be used to demonstrate compliance.

Please note that if only one timed controller is used for a large area/number of facilities, the assessor must justify that this is appropriate to the usage patterns within the building and confirm that multiple timers would be redundant (i.e. they would all be set to the same time).  Consideration should be given of any facilities that may be open longer than others, requiring these timers to be programmed differently in different areas.

As long as the aim of the credit (‘to reduce the impact of water leaks that may otherwise go undetected’) can be achieved through the specification of an appropriate number of flow control devices, the credit may still be achieved if timers cover more than one WC area/facility to prevent minor water leaks.

14 Apr 2023 - Applicability to BIU V6 Commercial confirmed.
				

			

					

				
Flow control devices on rainwater supply for toilets - KBCN0868

				Flow control devices will be required on water supplied from rainwater and serving the toilet facilities. Rainwater tanks are topped up by mains water and leaks could reduce levels of stored water and hence increase the use of mains water.

The leak detection requirements apply to all relevant water systems, regardless of the water source.				

			

					

				
Flow control devices – use of time controllers - KBCN1037

				Where a time controller can be justified as an effective means of activating a flow control device, for example, where the facilities are in constant use for a fixed period each day, this may be considered compliant.

BREEAM seeks to be outcome-driven and to encourage the most appropriate solutions in meeting the aim of the criteria.				

			

					

				
Flow control on cold water supply - KBCN0417

				A shut-off on the cold water supply to the whole WC facility provides a simple and effective way of reducing potential water loss.
Taps which contain built in shut-off valves will not prevent any water leaks from the supply to the tap and so do not fulfil this intent.

The intent of the flow control criteria is to prevent minor water leaks occurring within the pipework of WC facilities.				

			

					

				
Flow rate for ‘click’ taps - KBCN0543

				The flow rate for click taps should be taken as the maximum flow rate, as quoted by the manufacturer, of the lower range before the water break or 'click'.

All water consumption is based on 'typical' use patterns and it is assumed that most operations of 'click' taps will be at the lower level.				

			

					

				
Flow rate for a mixture of taps - KBCN0173

				Whichever is the higher of the 'average flow rate' or the 'proportionate flow rate' should be used within the Wat 01 Calculator.

 				

			

					

				
Flow restrictors - KBCN0976

				If a flow restrictor can be demonstrated to effectively reduce the flow of water and it is integral to the fitting or supply pipework (ie not easily removed by the building occupant), this can be accounted for in calculations for this Issue.

Such devices must be fit-for-purpose. Proprietary flow restrictors, therefore partly-closed isolation valves, for example, are not an acceptable solution.				

			

					

				
Flush stud lighting - KBCN1028

				Flush stud lights used for safety purposes in vehicle manoeuvring areas may be excluded from the assessment.				

			

					

				
Flushing control – patients with frail or infirm hands - KBCN0414

				When determining whether the WC fittings in healthcare facilities are suitable 'for operation by patients with frail or infirm hands', the assessor should be satisfied that this requirement has been met, as it will be product type dependent. If unclear to the assessor, evidence obtained from the relevant manufacturer confirming that their product is specifically designed, and has been tested and approved, for this purpose would be acceptable.

16/04/2018 Rewritten for clarity
				

			

					

				
Free-standing recycling bins - KBCN1359

				Free-standing internal recycling bins may be acceptable to demonstrate compliance for this Issue. These are not required to be built-in or fixed, as long as all the criteria are met, such as the provision of sufficient space in a suitable location.

In cases where the recycling bins cannot be placed in the kitchen, but are located in a nearby store cupboard, for example, signage must be provided, to indicate the location of the recycling bins.				

			

					

				
Freestanding commercial fridges and freezers - KBCN0577

				Freestanding commercial fridges and freezers must be included in the assessment of the Pol 01 issue, even when they are not connected to the building cooling system. Only domestic white goods are excluded from the assessment of this issue.				

			

					

				
FSC and PEFC Mixed Sources certified timber - KBCN00091

				Products labelled:

Meet the BREEAM responsible sourcing requirements. This means any such products:

Products carrying the FSC Mix label contain at least 70% FSC certified and recycled material. These products may contain a small proportion of FSC Controlled Wood (KBCN00054). However for BREEAM compliance, the FSC Mix label is sufficient to meet our requirements.

14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
FSC Controlled Wood - KBCN00054

				The FSC Controlled Wood label minimises the risk that wood comes from illegal or controversial sources, however it does not eliminate this risk.

Therefore, products which are:

Do not meet the BREEAM definition of responsibly sourced.
Where FSC Mix labelled products contain FSC Controlled Wood, see KBCN00091.

This means that any such products:


14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Fully-fitted assessments with shell & core areas – 75% GLA guidance - KBCN0379

				Where a single assessment of a fully-fitted development, with a small proportion of shell and core has been permitted, the guidance relating to 75% of the floor area being covered by a GLA (see Appendix D) must be 75% of the shell & core area, excluding the fully-fitted area.

13/01/2017 - Re-formatted and amended for clarity.
				

			

					

				
Functional adaptation strategy study – content - KBCN0930

				To achieve compliance with Wst 06, the building-specific functional adaptation strategy study should consider all the items listed in the relevant compliance note 'Functional adaptation strategy study'.

Due to site specific constraints, it may not always be possible to pursue all of the items listed. In these cases, any omissions must be clearly justified in writing when submitting as evidence.				

			

					

				
Functional adaptation strategy study – timing - KBCN0730

				Late consideration of the strategy appraisal, might reduce the study to a ‘paper exercise’, with minimal value to the project.

However, where the assessor is satisfied that there is clear justification for the study being developed at a slightly later stage (i.e. early RIBA stage 3) AND there is clear evidence that the strategy has achieved the intended outcomes (i.e. the later consideration has been in no way detrimental to the outcomes of the strategy study/appraisal and the benefits can still be realised on the project), this will be sufficient for compliance. In any case, all other requirements of the issue must be met for the credit to be awarded.

The requirements for the timing of the functional adaptation strategy study are intended to ensure that the benefits of the study are realised through early consideration.				

			

					

				
Future transport nodes - KBCN0966

				Where a transport node is currently inactive but will become active soon after project completion, it can be included when calculating the existing AI.

To demonstrate this, confirmation of the start of service date and service frequency from the appropriate public transport authority or company will be required.				

			

					

				
Gabion as boundary protection - KBCN000008

				A gabion can be excluded from the assessment if it acts as a retaining wall or any other form of a supporting structure. If it acts purely as a boundary and a generic Green Guide rating cannot be found for a specification, the BREEAM assessor will need to submit a Bespoke Green Guide Query proforma detailing the specification details.

 				

			

					

				
Glare control – adjacent buildings - KBCN1211

				It is acceptable to account for surrounding buildings, structures or other permanent environmental features when using simulation modelling to assess the risk of glare, provided this accounts for both direct sunlight and reflected glare from glazing or reflective surfaces.				

			

					

				
Glare control – alternative measures - KBCN0139

				Alternative forms of glare control to those listed in the guidance can potentially be accepted, if it can be justified to the BREEAM assessor that the proposed system will effectively eliminate disabling glare and the assessor accepts this.				

			

					

				
Glare control – blackout blinds - KBCN0447

				Blackout blinds can be used to meet the glare control requirements.

Where the criteria set an upper limit for transmittance value, but no lower limit, blackout blinds will meet this requirement.				

			

					

				
Glare Control – no relevant areas - KBCN0429

				If the scope of the assessment does not include any relevant building areas, as defined within the manual, the criteria for Glare Control can be considered as met by default.

Only spaces that fall within the definition of relevant areas and are within the assessment's scope need to be assessed.

 

22/06/17 Wording clarified


16/06/17 KBCN amended to exclude content of KBCN0146.
				

			

					

				
Glare control – no windows in relevant areas - KBCN0146

				Where a ‘relevant area’ as defined in the manual does not include any windows, the glare control criteria can considered as met for this area.

Note that the view out and daylight criteria would not be achieved in rooms with no windows.

Where there are no windows in a room there would be no potential for disabling glare, so the aim of the credit would be achieved.				

			

					

				
Glare control – residential institution and multi-residential bedrooms - KBCN0666

				Assuming that occupants are generally elsewhere during daylight hours, lighting and resultant glare are not considered to be problematic for bedrooms in residential institution and multi-residential assessments.

The only exception to this is where designated additional office working space is provided. In these circumstances it is the role of the assessor to determine if individual spaces should be determined as 'relevant building areas' in accordance with guidance provided.

Glare control criteria apply to building areas where lighting and resultant glare could be problematic for users. 				

			

					

				
Glare control – transmittance value - KBCN0709

				Transmittance values should be based on those quoted for 'visible light' or 'optical transmittance'.

10 Mar 2021 Reference to 'optical transmittance' added for clarity
				

			

					

				
Glare control – use of tinted windows - KBCN0862

				Solar control or 'tinted' glazing could potentially support the attainment of this requirement. However, the assessor must be satisfied and provide evidence to demonstrate that the particular glazing type, when used on the assessed building for a given location, is meeting this overarching aim of preventing disabling glare. It should be noted that whilst certain types of glazing, such as low emissivity glazing, may be slightly tinted, they may not necessarily be effective in reducing disabling glare.
For facades receiving direct sunlight, tinted windows alone are unlikely to be sufficient in the majority of situations.				

			

					

				
Glare control for roof lights - KBCN0319

				Where roof lights are present, they must be considered when demonstrating that the glare control strategy provides adequate control/measures for minimising glare in that space.

All sources of glare need to be considered when designing out the potential for disabling glare. 				

			

					

				
Glare control in residential areas - KBCN00040

				Glare control criteria apply to building areas such as study bedrooms or facility management offices, where work or study will be carried out and where glare would hinder such activities. It does not apply to other residential areas.

 				

			

					

				
GN01 NC 2011 Assessment Reporting - KBCN0610

				Introduction
This guidance is intended to clarify the procedure for producing assessment reports for certification using the BREEAM New Construction 2011
assessment scoring and reporting tool and assessment references tab.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN02 BREEAM 2011 Ene 01 - KBCN0614

				This guidance note is withdrawn.

 				

			

					

				
GN03 Scheme classifications of developments with domestic elements – BREEAM New Construction 2011 - KBCN0615

				Scheme classifications of developments with domestic elements - BREEAM New Construction 2011

Introduction
This document provides guidance for BREEAM scheme classifications of developments with domestic elements and reflects where buildings consisting of self-contained dwellings and/or rooms for residential purposes are suitable to be assessed under the BREEAM New Construction scheme 2011 version.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN04 BREEAM 2011 Ene 01 Calculation Methodology Review - KBCN0616

				Introduction
This guidance details the analysis of and subsequent changes made by BRE Global Ltd to the BREEAM New Construction 2011 version of the Ene 01 assessment issue methodology and benchmarks.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN05 Considerate Constructors Scheme and the BREEAM schemes - KBCN0617

				Introduction
This guidance note applies to all BREEAM UK versions and schemes including New Construction, Domestic Refurbishment and EcoHomes. Up and coming changes to the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) will have an impact on the performance levels required under all schemes and versions of BREEAM, EcoHomes1 and BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment2 i.e. issue Man 02. This guidance note outlines the changes to the CCS and how this will affect BREEAM assessments

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN08 – Scope of IMPACT compliant tools and data submission requirements - KBCN0621

				Scope of IMPACT Compliant (or equivalent) Tools and Data Submission Requirements - BREEAM UK New Construction 2011 and 2014

Introduction
This Guidance Note relates to complying with the exemplary level criteria for route 2, as defined under the Mat01 issue of the BREEAM New Construction 2011 and 2014 versions. It provides information about IMPACT and the level of detail (the Quality Requirements) and file transmission requirements for the Building Information Model (BIM) from IMPACT compliant (or equivalent) tools. It also outlines criteria for demonstrating the equivalence of a proposed alternative to IMPACT compliant tools for BRE Global approval.

View full Guidance Note (licenced assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licenced assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN10 Assessing mixed use developments and multiple buildings (or units) of similar function - KBCN0623

				Summary

The purpose of this Guidance Note is to assist BREEAM assessors with scheme classifications and the application of BREEAM for mixed use developments and developments with multiple buildings or units on the same site.

Note: This guidance note has been revised to v1.0 April 2018

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

17/04/18 Wording clarified
04/06/18 Note added regarding revision and hyperlink updated
				

			

					

				
GN11 Considerate construction scheme administrator guidance - KBCN0624

				GN11 Organisational, local or national considerate construction scheme requirements: guidance for scheme administrators

Introduction
The purpose of this guidance note is to provide guidance for considerate construction scheme administrators/operators, against which they can determine whether their scheme is potentially eligible for recognition in BREEAM as a ‘compliant scheme’ and therefore whether performance, as assessed/rated by that scheme, is appropriate for the purpose of awarding BREEAM credits. Where the administrator has reviewed their scheme against the requirements below and wishes to have the schemed listed in BREEAM as a ‘compliant scheme’, they should contact the BREEAM office at BRE Global, providing the following information:
1. A description of the scheme’s operation, including how it monitors and verifies compliance and to what standards it or its assessors are accredited
2. The scheme’s code of practice
3. How the scheme scores/rates contractor and site performance against that code of practice
4. If relevant, the number of projects that have used the scheme and the average score/level of performance achieved.
BRE Global will then inform the scheme operator of the next steps in the review and listing process.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN12 Ene 01 – Guidance on the calculation methodology - KBCN0625

				The purpose of this guidance note is to describe the calculation methodology used for assessment of the Ene01 Issue.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN13 Relating ecologist’s report and BREEAM - KBCN0626

				Introduction
This guidance note is to be used for registered BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 and RFO 2014 and International New Construction 2016 and RFO 2015 assessments, where an ecologist has been appointed by the client and has produced an ecology report for the proposed development.
The purpose of this guidance note is to help the BREEAM Assessor relate the content of the ecologist’s report to the BREEAM Land Use and Ecology section criteria (assessment issues LE 02, LE 03 (UK only), LE 04 and LE 05). The guidance within this document has been produced to support the assessment of the aforementioned BREEAM issues and should not be interpreted as criteria. If the BREEAM Assessor chooses to use the template provided within this guidance note as evidence in the assessment (use of this document is optional) the assessor or the appointed suitably qualified ecologist must complete all relevant sections

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

01/04/2020 Clarified applicability to UK RFO 2014 and International RFO 2015 schemes
				

			

					

				
GN14 BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 scheme assessment timeline - KBCN0627

				BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 scheme assessment timeline

Introduction
The assessment timeline has been produced to assist with optimising project sustainability performance. It outlines at which RIBA stage credits should be addressed and ideally when these should be considered by the design team, planner, contractors, owners/occupiers and other members of the project team to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating at the minimum cost. It demonstrates that where BREEAM advice is taken on too late within the design and construction phases a number of BREEAM credits may not be achieved.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN15 Relating drainage reports to BREEAM UK NC 2014 - KBCN0629

				Latest version: v0.2, November 2014

Guidance Note 15 (GN15) has been produced to help assist BREEAM Assessors relate the contents of drainage reports to the ‘Surface water run-off’ and ‘Minimising watercourse pollution’ criteria in Pol 03 for BREEAM UK New Construction 2014. The guidance note does not cover the criteria for ‘Flood resilience’.

Completing the template is optional. It is an aid for demonstrating compliance and not a requirement.

A separate guidance note exists for BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 (see GN38).

Download Guidance Note 15

View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN17 Bespoke Green Guide Specifications - KBCN0633

				Introduction
This Guidance Note provides advice for BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes assessors where a Green Guide rating cannot easily be found or matched on the online Green Guide.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN18 BREEAM Recognised Responsible Sourcing Certification Schemes and BREEAM Scheme Applicability - KBCN0723

				Latest version: v3.7, May 2023

BREEAM awards credits for responsibly sourcing construction products (typically under the Mat 03 issue) to encourage responsible product specification and procurement in construction. To achieve these credits, applicable specified products (as listed in the relevant technical manual) must be covered by an Environmental Management System (EMS) or a responsible sourcing certification scheme (RSCS) recognised by BREEAM. Guidance Note 18 lists the responsible sourcing certifications schemes recognised by BREEAM along with the relevant summary scores to be used in BREEAM assessments.

Download Guidance Note 18

Download Guidance Note 18 v2.0 (licensed assessors only - optional for projects registered prior to release of v3.0 in September 2016)

View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN19 BREEAM UK New Construction 2011 scheme assessment timeline - KBCN0716

				The assessment timeline has been produced to assist with optimising project sustainability performance. It outlines at which RIBA stage credits should be addressed and ideally when these should be considered by the design team, planner, contractors, owners/occupiers and other members of the project team to achieve the highest possible BREEAM rating at the minimum cost. It demonstrates that where BREEAM advice is taken on too late within the design and construction phases a number of BREEAM credits may not be achieved.

View full Guidance Note (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN24 Demonstrating compliance with Mat 03 in BREEAM - KBCN0721

				Latest version: v1.1, May 2022

Guidance Note 24 provides additional guidance to assessors and specifiers on demonstrating compliance with the criteria set out in Mat 03. It should be read in conjunction with the Technical Manual for the relevant assessment scheme. It covers:

Download Guidance Note 24 (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
GN32 Energy prediction and post-occupancy evaluation – BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 - KBCN1096

				Latest version: v2.0, October 2022

The purpose of Guidance Note 32 is to describe the methodology for energy performance prediction and subsequent post-occupancy evaluation in BREEAM UK New Construction 2018. The guidance note relates specifically to the criteria within Ene 01 for:

Download Guidance Note 32

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

31-Oct-2022 - Updated following the closure of separate post-occupancy stage assessment. See KBCN1532.
				

			

					

				
GN33 – Evidence requirement clarification - KBCN1157

				In Guidance Note 33 (GN33), BREEAM recognised responsible construction schemes are mapped against the 'Responsible construction management' criteria within the manual, in order to determine the degree of comparability. Table 2 in GN33 provides a mapping of the recognised schemes, the relevant scores and the BREEAM items ‘a-s’ which are achieved.

Where items in the table have been 'ticked', the only evidence that is required is confirmation of the formal certification under the relevant scheme, in addition to the evaluation report. No further information is required to achieve these items.

Where an item in the table has been 'crossed', this means that either, the responsible construction scheme does not demonstrate compliance with that BREEAM item, or that the score achieved is not high enough to confirm compliance with the item. Where a cross exists against an item, additional evidence will be required to demonstrate compliance with those items, (where credits are sought).

 

28-Feb-2023 - Updated link for Guidance Note 33
				

			

					

				
GN33 has been updated - KBCN1282

				Guidance Note 33 (GN33) has been updated with new mapping results following the 2022 update to the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). A full description of the change can be found in the 'Schedule of changes' in GN33.

28-Feb-2023 - Updated to refer to latest version of GN33 (v2.0, February 2023). This KBCN previously referred to the changes in GN33 v1.1. The full change history can still be found in the 'Schedule of changes' in GN33.
				

			

					

				
GN38 Relating drainage reports to BREEAM UK NC 2018 - KBCN1564

				Latest version: v1.2, January 2023

Guidance Note 38 (GN38) has been produced to help assist BREEAM Assessors relate the contents of drainage reports to the ‘Surface water run-off’ and ‘Minimising watercourse pollution’ criteria in Pol 03 for BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 and BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6. The guidance note does not cover the criteria for ‘Flood resilience’.

Completing the template is optional. It is an aid for demonstrating compliance and not a requirement.

A separate guidance note exists for BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 (see GN15).

Download Guidance Note 38

View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)

31-Jan-2023 – Release of GN38 1.2. Fixes issue with incorrectly linked inputs (8c and 10a).
				

			

					

				
GN39 Ene 01 Calculation Methodology – BREEAM UK NC 2018, V6.0, and V6.1 - KBCN1098

				Latest version: v3.0, June 2023

Guidance Note 39 describes the calculation methodology for the energy performance criteria (up to 9 credits) in Ene 01 for BREEAM UK New Construction 2018, Version 6.0, and Version 6.1.

Download Guidance Note 39

View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)

14-Jun-2023 - Updated for release of UK NC V6.1
				

			

					

				
GN40 Reporting template for ecology assessment issues in BREEAM and HQM - KBCN1190

				Latest version: v0.2, July 2022

Guidance Note 40 is an optional template to help Assessors relate information generated during a project to the latest ecology assessment issues in BREEAM and HQM. This document has been produced to support the assessment of these issues and should not be interpreted as criteria. If the Assessor chooses to use the template as evidence, then the Assessor, project team member, or appointed Suitably Qualified Ecologist must complete all relevant sections. The completed document can be used by the Assessor along with relevant project documentation to demonstrate compliance with BREEAM or HQM criteria.

Download Guidance Note 40

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)				

			

					

				
Government Buying Standards for Water - KBCN1357

				The Government Buying Standards for water are relevant to government departments and organisations. Although they are best practice, they are not a requirement for buildings that are not part of the public sector.				

			

					

				
Granular fill and capping - KBCN1378

				Granular fill and capping only refers to roadworks and not building foundations.				

			

					

				
Greater Manchester Accessibility Level (GMAL) - KBCN1394

				The Greater Manchester Accessibility Levels (GMAL) method has been created to provide a way of measuring the density of public transport provision at any location within the Greater Manchester region. It is derived from the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) approach used by Transport for London. As such, the Greater Manchester Accessibility Index (GMAI) scores generated by the GMAL method can be used as evidence of compliance against the BREEAM and HQM Accessibility Index requirements. Please note that project teams must ensure that they use the version of the GMAL dataset that is current at the time the transport assessment is undertaken. This is available from the data.gov.uk website (https://data.gov.uk/dataset/d9dfbf0a-3cd7-4b12-a39f-0ec717423ee4/gm-accessibility-levels-gmal).

02 08 2022 - Updated to clarify that the dataset used must be current at the time of the transport assessment, but this does not need to be updated at post-construction stage
				

			

					

				
Green Guide – Updated validity requirements - KBCN1466

				It has been recognised that, due to the withdrawal of the Green Guide methodology in the current version of BREEAM UK New Construction, some manufacturers are not updating their product certifications against this environmental profiling scheme.

Therefore, where robust evidence can be provided that the composition and properties of such products or materials have not changed since they were certified, the expired Green Guide Rating may be used, where available.

This supersedes the guidance previously provided in relation to Green Guide validity in KBCN0798				

			

					

				
Green Guide Rating of raised access flooring - KBCN00016

				There are currently no Green Guide ratings available for raised access floors, therefore the components making up the raised floor element itself should be excluded from the assessment of this issue.

24 01 18 Wording clarified to refer to raised floor components only
				

			

					

				
Green Guide ratings for multi-residential - KBCN0788

				For multi-residential buildings please use the Green Guide ratings listed under the ’Domestic’ category.

Where the Multi-residential building is a high rise building i.e. more than 3 stories high, ratings from the ‘commercial’ category of the Green Guide must be used for the external walls and window elements.

To obtain appropriate Green Guide ratings for floor finishes within Multi-residential development, select the ‘healthcare’ category for floor finishes fitted in the communal areas and corridors and ‘domestic’ for those fitted in the over threshold area.				

			

					

				
Green lease agreement – applicability - KBCN0897

				Green Lease Agreements or other shell & core options (green building guide and developer-tenant collaboration), which were included in UK NC 2011, International NC 2013 and earlier scheme versions are no longer available to demonstrate compliance.

The only exception to this is for Issue Ene 01 for Shell and Core assessments (as detailed in CN/Specific note 1.2).

For all other Issues projects are assessed based on the level of works/assessment type being undertaken.

17/04/18 Reference to 'specific note' added to align with UK NC2018
				

			

					

				
Green Lease Agreement – reference to the technical manual - KBCN0881

				The technical manual includes criteria, intended for the guidance and interpretation of licensed BREEAM assessors. It does not generally provide detailed practical solutions to meet the criteria.

In the BREEAM UK New Construction 2011 and International New Construction 2013 schemes, Shell only/Shell & core assessments included provision for demonstrating compliance for fit-out items using a Green Lease Agreement (GLA).

The future tenant and their design team should not have to rely on a licensed BREEAM assessor to assist them in interpreting the GLA to achieve a compliant fit-out. Specifications for achieving compliance must therefore be explicitly included within the GLA, with reference to the relevant BREEAM criteria, to allow the fit-out team to understand exactly what is required.

A compliant Green Lease Agreement must be a robust alternative to the actual implementation or installation of fit-out measures. A Green Lease Agreement which relies solely on reference to the BREEAM Technical manual is not considered a robust solution. 				

			

					

				
Green Lease Agreement: an alternative to - KBCN0378

				A legally binding lease agreement between the developer and tenant which requires tenants to use a fit-out guide with mandatory BREEAM requirements can be considered a Green Lease Agreement.

Green Lease Agreements refer to the mandatory BREEAM requirements. If the fit-out guide refers to non-mandatory BREEAM requirements, this can be considered a Green Building Guide.				

			

					

				
Green lease agreements – developments with multiple tenants - KBCN0411

				The 75% rule only applies to the floor areas of the building which are subject to a Green Lease Agreement. Areas of the building which are fully fitted or subject to any of the other shell and core options cannot contribute towards this rule.				

			

					

				
Green roofs - KBCN0628

				For the purpose of assessment, hard landscaping does not include green roofs.				

			

					

				
Green roofs – habitat distinctiveness - KBCN1332

				In GN36 Appendix C - Habitat Type Classification and Reference Index the distinctiveness types which have been set for Extensive and Intensive green roofs in part relate to ‘likely’ planting taking into consideration possible options for these roofs.

Taking into consideration evolving and changing practices around green roofs (and generally relating to habitat classification) notes A&B in GN36 Appendix C provide the ecologist with the flexibility to use their professional judgement to use alternative information / classification as long as this is justified.

As such, whilst the distinctiveness levels set in Appendix C should be used in normal circumstances, where the ecologist can provide evidence/justification for doing so, they can specify the distinctiveness of the green roof based specifically on the planting that has implemented on that project.				

			

					

				
Green walls – recognition of ecological value - KBCN0869

				Green walls cannot be considered compliant for the, 'Minimising impact on site ecology' Issue due to concerns over high maintenance requirements, whereby the plants are not self-supporting and cannot, therefore, be considered as a sustainable solution in themselves or in mitigating the impact of the loss of ground-based planting.

In terms of 'Enhancing site ecology', however, where a specific green wall system and species mix are supported by the SQE's recommendations and there is evidence that a comprehensive on-going maintenance strategy will be in place, this can be recognised.

In such cases, a separate calculator tool may be completed for this Issue to demonstrate the species richness of the site, including the contribution of the green wall.

The following methodology may be used:


30/11/17 Guidance on methodology added
				

			

					

				
Green-roofs - KBCN0263

				When assessing green roofs,  only the structural elements of the roof construction need to be considered i.e. the waterproof layer and above can be excluded. Where Green Guide is being used to assess the issue, it is likely that the online Green Guide Calculator will need to be used to provide a rating for the roof construction.

HQM - For the purpose of HQM, green roofs fall under 3.3 Specialist roof systems therefore should be included in the IMPACT model.				

			

					

				
Greenfield/Brownfield site – Definition - KBCN1259

				For the purposes of this Issue, the following definitions apply:

Greenfield site
A site which has never been built on, includes minimal development or which has been substantially cleared of all buildings and associated fixed surface infrastructure* and has subsequently remained undisturbed for five years or more.

* Typically, the site includes less than 5% residual development by area.

This supersedes the definition of 'Greenfield' for this Issue in the technical manual.

Brownfield site
Any site which does not fall within the above definition of 'Greenfield site'

 				

			

					

				
Grid NOx emission factors - KBCN0151

				The Grid NOx emission factors should be compliant and relevant to the scheme of the development under assessment i.e. BREEAM NC 2011/ 2014 or BREEAM 2008.

In the same way that we do not apply the more stringent requirements of some BREEAM NC 2011 / 2014 Issues retrospectively to 2008 schemes, for a BREEAM 2008 scheme, the emission figures stated in the relevant manual must be used.

09 Aug 2023 - Applicability to IRFO 2015 removed due to conflict with the guidance.
				

			

					

				
Guidance Note 35 withdrawn - KBCN1355

				Guidance Note 35 has been withdrawn following the publication of v3.0 of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 Technical manual.  This manual reissue includes all of the information contained in this guidance note in a revised form and supersedes the GN content.  As such the GN should not be used for assessment purposes and it has been archived.  A copy can be downloaded if required for archive purposes only.

Please see KBCN1221 regarding the original Guidance Note 35.				

			

					

				
Guidance Note 40 to be updated - KBCN1356

				Following the publication of v3.0 of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 Technical manual, the wording in Guidance Note 40 differs to some degree from that in the manual.  However, the underlying content is the same and the form may still be used to provide evidence for assessments.  Alternatively, it may be used to guide the preparation of evidence in a different format if preferred.  This GN will be updated to fully correspond to the wording in the reissued manual.

Please see KBCN1190 regarding the purpose and scope of Guidance Note 40.				

			

					

				
Guidance Notes – Applicability to BREEAM UK NC V6 - KBCN1534

				Some Guidance Notes that apply to BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 (UK NC 2018) remain fully or partly applicable to assessments using BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6 (UK NC V6):

Fully applicable

Partly applicable

Not applicable


31-Jan-2023 - Updated link for GN38
				

			

					

				
Habitat classification – Assigning a different classification to that specified in GN36 - KBCN1515

				Where the SQE provides written confirmation and robust justification that a particular feature should be assigned to a different habitat classification, the assessor can consider this as valid for their assessment.				

			

					

				
Habitat management plan – Level of detail required - KBCN0132

				The level of detail required in the landscape and habitat management plan needs to be commensurate with the complexity and extent of the landscaped areas. If there is a limited amount of landscaping, then a simple plan would be acceptable, commensurate with the significance of the area assessed.

Where the suitably qualified ecologist, appointed prior to commencement of activities on site, confirms that a landscaping and habitat management plan is not applicable due to the nature of the site and its surroundings, such as being nearly all or entirely hardstanding or having little or no external space, then full credits can be awarded for demonstrating that the relevant legislation has been followed.

21 Feb 2023 - Applicable to UK NC2018/V6
				

			

					

				
Hard landscaping – shared site - KBCN1458

				Table 9.2 of Mat 01, NC 2018 states:

Include hard landscaping that is installed as part of the project under assessment and:

Hard landscaping with no such distinction shall be excluded.

Where a site is shared between multiple assets, only assess the hard landscaping directly associated with the assessment. Exclude all shared elements.				

			

					

				
Head-end systems for smart meters - KBCN0933

				As the central component in an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), head end systems allow data communication and collation from a large and disparate set of smart meters.

Where smart energy meters and sub-meters are to be installed, a head-end system is required for any strategy utilising this technology to be considered for compliance.				

			

					

				
Healthcare buildings and HTM07-02 - KBCN1239

				Table 6.5 should be interpreted to mean that the analysis is only applicable to Healthcare developments that have large-scale equipment or sets of electrical equipment (numbering more than 50).  If the development does not have either of these, the analysis does not need to be done.				

			

					

				
Healthcare: BREEAM Assessor Training for Healthcare Buildings - KBCN0470

				There are no requirements for training or becoming a licensed BREEAM assessor specific to healthcare buildings. Please review the relevant courses available from the BRE Academy relating to BREEAM New Construction and BREEAM Refurbishment and fit-out.

17/04/18 Guidance clarified
				

			

					

				
Healthcare: BREEAM requirement - KBCN0472

				From 1 July 2008, all health authorities in the UK (Department of Health, NHS Wales, NHS Scotland and the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety of Northern Ireland) require new healthcare buildings seeking Outline of Business Case (OBC) approval to commit to an EXCELLENT rating (assessed against BREEAM New Construction) and all refurbishments (assessed against BREEAM Non-Domestic refurbishment and fit-out) to commit to a VERY GOOD rating.
In Scotland, project specific requirements in relation to the BREEAM assessment will be dealt with by Health Facilities Scotland as part of the NHS Scotland Design Assessment Process.

UK health authorities capital cost thresholds below which a BREEAM assessment is not required:
England: where capital cost1 is <£2M.
Scotland: where capital cost1 is <£2M.
Note: For NHS Scotland Boards, reference should be made to the Scottish Capital Investment Manual (available on http://www.scim.scot.nhs.uk/), especially the business case guide, which sets out the BREEAM requirements for Healthcare buildings.
Northern Ireland: where capital cost1 is <£2M.
Note: In Northern Ireland, listed buildings do not require assessment.
Wales: No minimum capital cost1 thresholds, however the Welsh Governments Planning Policy for all non-residential development applies.

All Countries: Where the capital cost falls below the relevant threshold, a Pre-Assessment should still be undertaken (at the OBC stage) to determine whether BREEAM certification is appropriate to that project.

1. Total Capital Cost for Publicly Funded Build Schemes includes all the items contained in the Capital Investment Manual Cost Forms OB1/FB1 (i.e. Construction Works, Fees, Non-Works Costs, including Land Purchase, Statutory and Local Authority Charges, Decanting, Enabling and Temporary Works etc., Equipment, Contingencies, including Optimism Bias, and VAT, as applicable). The Total Capital Cost for Privately Funded Schemes includes all the same items as for Publicly Funded Schemes plus the cost of Financing the Capital (i.e. rolled up Interest, Banking Fees - Arrangement, Due Diligence, Lawyers etc.
 – Third party Equity Costs).				

			

					

				
Healthcare: Privately owned healthcare developments - KBCN0481

				Where the project goes through outline business case approval, the development will be expected to also comply with the requirement for BREEAM (where the ‘thresholds’ outlined in KBCN0472 are met). This is in line with the fact that all UK health authorities support the Governments’ commitment to the sustainable development agenda and recognises the importance of delivering on this agenda through the design and build process.
In Scotland, project specific requirements in relation to the BREEAM assessment will be dealt with by Health Facilities Scotland as part of the NHS Scotland Design Assessment Process.				

			

					

				
Healthcare: Reasons to achieve a BREEAM rating - KBCN0474

				There are many reasons why organisations wish to achieve the required BREEAM rating:
				

			

					

				
Healthcare: Related publications/reports - KBCN0477

				The following publications/reports might help in addition to the BREEAM New Construction Manuals to support in the understanding of BREEAM and sustainability in the NHS:
				

			

					

				
Healthcare: Required stages of assessment - KBCN0478

				The requirement from the Department of Health (and other health authorities) embeds BREEAM in the design from the beginning of the design process: the target rating demonstrated in a Pre-Assessment for the Outline Business Case (OBC) approval or at RIBA stage 1 (Preparation and Brief).

Appointing a licensed assessor early will ensure the assessment process is well planned and proceeds smoothly. Appointing a Sustainability Champion at this stage can also add credits. This will ensure sustainable buildings are delivered without resorting to ‘engineering fixes’ that are often a very expensive last resort.

The Design Stage assessment should be carried out by a licensed assessor and the report submitted to BRE Global for Interim certification. This Interim certification would be used for Full Business Case (FBC) approval, or equivalent.

The mandatory Post Construction Stage report has to be completed after practical completion and final certification demonstrated as part of the Post Project Evaluation (PPE).				

			

					

				
Healthcare: The NHS & BREEAM - KBCN0475

				The Department of Health supports the Government’s commitment to the sustainable development agenda and recognises the importance of delivering on this agenda through the design and build process. As the successors to NEAT BREEAM Healthcare 2008, and going forward with BREEAM New Construction (which incorporates Healthcare buildings), supports that process to ensure standards continue to improve. This is further reinforced through HTM 07-07 Sustainable health and social care buildings: Planning, design, construction and refurbishment. BREEAM is a Government requirement under:
				

			

					

				
Heat pumps powered by renewable energy - KBCN0422

				Where renewable energy is used partially to offset grid electricity in heat pumps, this can contribute towards a reduction in equivalent NOx emissions. To account for seasonal variations in renewable energy generation, this must be calculated over the course of a year.				

			

					

				
HEEPI Labs 21 programme Commissioning - KBCN0248

				The weblink provided in the BREEAM 2008 and NC 2011 (issue 2.0 and 3.0) scheme documents for 'HEEPI Labs 21 programme Commissioning theme section' is no longer current.

Updated link to direct access the design guide:
http://www.i2sl.org/documents/toolkit/bp_commissioning_508.pdf

Updated link to access the commissioning section of the design guide (relative to Man01):
http://ateam.lbl.gov/Design-Guide/DGHtm/commissioning.htm				

			

					

				
High frequency ballasts - KBCN0284

				Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps are the only types of lighting where high frequency ballasts are required. The requirement does not apply to any other type of lamps.				

			

					

				
Home composting – Multi-residential - KBCN1004

				The requirement to provide home composting facilities and an information leaflet applies to both multi-residential developments with only self-contained units and those with individual bedrooms and communal facilities.				

			

					

				
Home composting facilities – clarification - KBCN0927

				Home composting facilities are individual composting containers placed within the kitchen area or communal space for each self-contained dwelling, bedsit or communal kitchen.

These containers are either emptied into local on-site communal facilities or are collected by composting collection services run by the waste collection authority.

Individual composting containers should be:

    
 	
  1. Located in a dedicated, non-obstructive position.
    2. 
 	
  2. Easily accessible to all users.
    3. 
 	
  3. Durable, low maintenance and cleanable.
    4. 
 	
  4. Enclosed to manage odour and pest issues.
    5. 

				

			

					

				
Hot water supplied by grid electricity - KBCN0549

				Where grid electricity is used to supply the hot water heating system, the NOx emissions will be the same as that stated in the guidance for any other heating systems.				

			

					

				
Hotels – acoustic performance standards - KBCN0644

				As hotels fall under the BREEAM Other/Residential Institutions building type, they need to be assessed against the ‘Office, Industrial, Prisons, Courts and other building types’ criteria, for which two credits are available.				

			

					

				
Hotels – calculating the required number of water coolers in public areas - KBCN0184

				The number of building users should be based on the maximum number likely to be using the public areas of the hotel, such as the gym or bar area,  at any time during a typical day. Hotel bedrooms can be excluded from the calculation.

 				

			

					

				
ILP Guidance Note 1 updated - KBCN1385

				Pol 04 references the ILP Guidance notes for the reduction of obtrusive light 2011.

This has now been updated to the ILP Guidance note 1 for the reduction of obtrusive light 2021.

This is available for free from the ILP website.

Requirements

Table 2 of the guidance note classifies different lighting environments into Zones E0 to E4. Use this table to define which sets of requirements apply to the assessment.

Tables 3-8 of the guidance note define the requirements for criterion 2.

For cut-off type luminaires which (by design) block out light in obstructive directions, calculations are not required for meeting requirements relating to:

This update will be reflected in the future revisions of the relevant manuals.

02-Nov-2021 Applicability to all UK BREEAM schemes confirmed.
27-Sep-2023 Updated for ILP Guidance Note 1 2021. Requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
IMPACT Compliant (or equivalent) Tools - KBCN0929

				The following are IMPACT compliant tools

The following are equivalent to IMPACT compliant tools:
				

			

					

				
IMPACT compliant software - KBCN0809

				For a list of all IMPACT compliant software please see How to get IMPACT on the IMPACT website.				

			

					

				
Impact of refrigerant – Refrigerants with low GWP - KBCN1472

				Where systems only use refrigerants with GWP ≤ 10

The Pol 01 calculator does not have to be completed.

Providing evidence of the compliant systems and refrigerants used is enough to award maximum credits for impact of refrigerant.

Mix of systems with GWPs below and above 10

The Pol 01 calculator does have to be completed.

The calculator must include systems with GWP ≤ 10 to ensure credits are based on the average value across all systems.

20-Dec-2023 Updated to include scenarios where there is a mix of systems with GWP above and below 10.
				

			

					

				
Inclusive and accessible design – TAN 12 in Wales - KBCN0324

				For buildings in Wales, ‘TAN 12: Design' can be used to support the design of the building so that it is inclusive and accessible. However, the document 'Design & Access Statements in Wales - Why, what and how' (referenced within TAN 12) will need to be used in addition to TAN 12 in place of the CABE publication as this gives specific guidance for writing the access statement itself.

 

 				

			

					

				
Independent Air Tightness Testing Scheme (IATS) - KBCN1076

				Professionals with membership to the Independent Air Tightness Testing Scheme (IATS) attained at organisational level maintaining UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accreditation (as air tightness testing laboratories to ISO 17025) can be considered a Suitably Qualified Professional for airtightness testing.				

			

					

				
Independent party - KBCN00058

				The client/design team carrying out the consultation/post-occupancy evaluation can demonstrate compliance with the requirement for an independent third party in two ways:

1) An independent third party, not involved in the design or development of the building, has conducted the necessary consultation exercise using a compliant method.

2) If the evaluation is carried out by an organisation involved in the design of the building, evidence demonstrating the party's independence of the design process must be provided. The design team or relevant individual must demonstrate a credible level of independence to meet the requirement.

 				

			

					

				
Individual and shared drying facilities in larger developments - KBCN0260

				Individual bedrooms: an adequate internal or external space with posts and footings, or fixings capable of holding:

This is to avoid over-provision of shared drying facilities in larger developments. 				

			

					

				
Indoor air quality plan – Guidance Note 6 - KBCN0618

				Latest version: v2.1 August 2022

Guidance Note 6 provides guidance to assessors and project teams regarding the content and rigour of an Indoor Air Quality Plan (IAQP) as required by the Hea 02 Indoor air quality criteria in the BREEAM New Construction and Refurbishment schemes.

It should not be interpreted as BREEAM criteria. It is intended to provide assessors and project teams with further, flexible information and guidance regarding the rigour, content and tasks of an IAQP.

Download Guidance Note 6 (licensed assessors only)

View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency.
				

			

					

				
Indoor air quality plan – later consideration - KBCN1544

				Where BREEAM has been engaged at a later stage in the project (for instance, at the beginning of a Post-Construction Assessment) the IAQ plan must still be produced.

The late stage plan must clearly identify opportunities to improve indoor air quality that:

The plan is focused on decisions and actions that can still be practically carried out.

The indoor air quality plan is an on-going consideration that extends into the operational life of the asset.				

			

					

				
Indoor air quality plan – pre-requisite – no link to later performance - KBCN1541

				The indoor air quality plan is a pre-requisite to achieving other credits in Hea 02.

However, achieving the pre-requisite does not depend on achieving the other credits in the issue:

The pre-requisite requirement is only for a compliant indoor air quality plan to be written.

17-Nov-2022 Wording clarified.
				

			

					

				
Indoor air quality plan – scope - KBCN0294

				Where possible, the indoor air quality plan must cover all items in the criteria. This means the plan must be completed for:

Within these requirements, there is flexibility for the design team to use their professional judgement to determine what is appropriate to meet the criteria.

Any exclusions must be clearly evidenced and justified.

As the basis for effective asset management, the indoor air quality plan must be written in a consistent and comprehensive manner. The report must address relevant aspects as fully as possible within the scope of the development.

11-Oct-2022 Title updated for clarity. Wording clarified. Content merged with KBCN0556. Reference to KBCN1544 added. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Instant hot / cold drinking water systems - KBCN0136

				In principle it is acceptable to use instant hot / cold water systems (for example zip taps) to meet the drinking water requirement, provided that their use is appropriate for the building type and user profile.

 				

			

					

				
Kitchen and catering facilities – CIBSE TM50 (2021) - KBCN1474

				The BREEAM guidance refers to TM50: Energy efficiency in commercial kitchens.

The BREEAM guidance refers to TM50: Energy efficiency in commercial kitchens. The 2009 version has now been superseded by TM50 (2021).
The updated version may be used to demonstrate compliance, however a number of the relevant section numbers have changed. These relate to the current BREEAM guidance, which is based on TM50 (2009) as follows:











TM50 (2009)




TM50 (2021)








1




Section 8 – Drainage and kitchen waste removal




Section 9








2




Section 9 – Energy controls – specifically controls relevant to appliances




Section 8








3




Section 11 - Appliance specification – excluding fabrication or utensil specifications




Section 13








4




Section 12 – Refrigeration




Section 14








5




Section 13 – Ware-washing: dishwashers and glasswashers




Section 15








6




Section 14 – Cooking appliance selection




Section 16








7




Section 15 – Water temperatures, taps, faucets and water-saving controls




Section 10








17 Nov 2021 - Re-formatted and applicability to BREEAM International schemes confirmed
				

			

					

				
Knowledge Base – Applicability of UK NC 2018 KBCNs to UK NC V6 - KBCN1531

				The assessment issues and criteria in BREEAM UK NC V6 are the same as BREEAM UK NC 2018 except for specific changes in:

The changes in Hea 02 do not affect the applicability of any current UK NC 2018 KBCNs

All UK NC 2018 KBCNs for assessment issues other than Ene 01 are, therefore, applicable to UK NC V6.

For Ene 01 we have reviewed and, where necessary, amended relevant KBCNs for UK NC V6. We are also taking the opportunity to update some of these for UK NC 2018.

 

Please also refer to the summary of changes for NC V6, provided in KBCN1530.

26/08/2022 Updated following review, to clarify that all current NC2018 Hea 02 KBCNs are applicable to UK NC V6.
				

			

					

				
Labelling and signage – Where provision of waste bins is out of scope - KBCN1380

				Where the provision of waste bins is outside the scope of the developer, it is clearly not possible to label the bins. In this situation, the following compliance options are available:

    
 	
  1. Provide compliant signage to the storage area and label bin spaces within the storage area according to the relevant waste streams.
    2. 
 	
  2. Where future waste streams are unknown, provide compliant signage to the storage area and a written commitment from the developer to ensure that the bins and/or bin spaces are labelled.
    3. 


See also KBCN1577

It is recognised that the bins may be provided by the tenant, local authority or waste management company after the time of certification.

22 Mar 2023 - Updated to align with KBCN1577 and to clarify applicability to all assessment types where providing bins is out of scope.
				

			

					

				
Laboratory containment level category definitions - KBCN0943

				BRE does not designate or define containment levels for laboratories. The categories listed in the manuals are based on industry standard definitions.

For further information, please refer to HSE/COSHH or DEFRA definitions, depending upon the hazard type.				

			

					

				
Laboratory facilities not restricted to building type - KBCN1340

				In order to allow buildings with appropriate laboratory facilities to assess the energy performance of their labs, all assessments containing laboratory space and containment areas will be able to assess Issue ‘Energy efficient laboratory systems’, even where the relevant technical manual confirms that the Issue is not applicable to this building type. The Issue remains not applicable to primary and secondary school buildings given the limited scale of their laboratories.

Assessments registered prior to 1 July 2019 have the choice to follow the guidance as stated in the technical manual. They can exclude laboratories by responding negatively to the questions regarding laboratory facilities. For assessments registered after this date, all projects containing laboratories within the scope of the assessment should include the Issue in the assessment.				

			

					

				
Land reclaimed from the sea - KBCN0558

				Land reclaimed from the sea cannot be considered as previously developed land.

It has not been occupied by a permanent structure and any associated fixed surface infrastructure (please refer to the Additional information section).				

			

					

				
Landscape and Habitat Management Plan – SQE involvement - KBCN0564

				Even if not stated explicitly, it is implied and expected that the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) does verify the content of the Landscape and Habitat Management Plan to ensure that it is consistent with the whole site ecological strategy.

19 Nov 2021 Applicability to UK NC2018 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Late appointment of SQSC/SQSS - KBCN0339

				Provided the appropriate security specialist confirms that the implementation of security measures has not been restricted due to the later stage at which their involvement was sought,  i.e. everything that would have been recommended can be still be implemented, then the credits can still be awarded (provided all other compliance requirements met).

Considering the security requirements at an early stage of a project should ensure that the full range of security options is still available to the project, leading to the best solution. If advice is sought later but this does not restrict the options available, then the intent of the issue can still be met. 				

			

					

				
Late appointment of the Suitably Qualified Ecologist - KBCN0603

				If the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) is appointed after the commencement of activities on-site and if the other requirements of this issue are met, then credits can still be awarded, provided that:


13th Jul 21 Correction - applied to UK NC2018 LE05
				

			

					

				
Late confirmation of site boundary - KBCN0307

				The ecologist must be appointed and engaged early on (equivalent RIBA Stage 1) so that they are able to inform the design brief. For projects where the site boundary is only confirmed at the next design stage (equivalent RIBA Stage 2), it would be acceptable to delay the full ecology survey until this time. In these circumstances, the ecologist's input at design brief may be based on a desk study or initial viewing of the site and its potential boundaries.

The aim of early engagement with an ecologist is to facilitate and maximise potential ecological enhancement, exact boundary definition does not negate this.				

			

					

				
LCA Concept Design stage submission before the assessment is registered - KBCN1437

				In certain circumstances, it may be necessary for the design team to submit the Concept Design stage LCA before the BREEAM assessment has been registered.

In such cases, please submit the LCA tool and associated files along with details of your situation as follows:
				

			

					

				
LCA modelling for multiple BREEAM assessments - KBCN0960

				Multiple buildings' assessments

Site-wide approaches are not acceptable and each BREEAM assessment needs to have its own Life Cycle Assessment model (using an IMPACT compliant software tool or equivalent).

This applies in all cases, including when the buildings are on the same plot and are built to the same specifications.

Developing assessment-specific LCA models ensures that material quantities are accurate, refer to the actual building (and building type) and account for external works included within the scope of the specific assessment.

Single building with multiple assessments within it

Where multiple assessments are conducted for different parts of a building, it is acceptable to have a single LCA model covering all assessments. In this case, an explanation of the allocation process used should be provided and the following guidance applies:
				

			

					

				
LCA submission stage – Applications for planning consent - KBCN1148

				An application for planning consent can fix aspects of the design very significantly, depending on the information included. The opportunity for building LCA to guide the design towards lower environmental impacts reduces as a consequence. More credits are, therefore, available for a building LCA submission at ‘concept design’ stage (which must be made before an application for planning consent has been submitted that includes information on external products or materials).

Concept Design Stage Mat 01 submissions
Two factors determine whether a Mat 01 concept design submission is valid: -

• The local authority planning and building control status
• The stage of the project

The table (link below) shows whether a Mat 01 concept design submission is valid according to the status of these two factors.
If a Mat 01 concept design submission has already been made but is now out of date (e.g. due to a change to the client’s brief or planning being refused) it becomes invalid. To achieve the concept design credits, an up-to-date re-submission must be made.

IMPORTANT: This KBCN shall be read in conjunction with KBCN1147 ‘LCA submission stage – ‘Concept design’ and ‘Technical design’’
NOTE: ‘Technical Design’ stage Mat 01 submissions are not affected by the planning status.
NOTE: According to the RIBA Plan of Work, “Planning applications are typically made using the Stage 3 [Developed Design] output”.

KBCN1148 Table

Exceptions (added 18.11.2020)

In circumstances where it is illogical to make the submission to BRE prior to planning consent, it may be appropriate for the assessor to take a view and/or seek guidance on the timing of the Mat 01 submission. This is envisaged in cases where buildings are ‘up-scheming’ (i.e. moving from UK NC 2014 to UK NC 2018, for example) or where a building was granted planning consent prior to the launch of UK NC 2018.

In these circumstances, it must be demonstrated that there would be no value lost in an adjusted application of LCA or post-planning approval submission (one example would be if an independent review has supported the case, such as a technical design panel and/or other third party).

A later submission would be accepted by the BRE where sites are located in a conservation area and/or have other designated status, such that the timing of a planning application would not significantly limit early design options; where aspects such as height, shape/massing, style, external materials are constrained. Assessors will need to quote this KBCN entry and submit evidence in support of their claim, including planning submission reference number(s) and the specific impacts on the building form of any constraints and designations.

There may be other examples where the assessor believes this approach is appropriate. In such cases, the assessor should submit a technical query outlining why the project is unable to submit Mat 01 prior to planning AND how it is able to evidence that no LCA value would be lost in a later submission. Please ensure that the supporting information (evidence) accompanies the query to enable an expedient determination.

18.11.2020 'Exceptions' paragraph added
05/10.03.2020 Updated for clarity and Table added
21.11.2019 Wording clarified
				

			

					

				
LCA submission stage – ‘Concept design’ and ‘Technical design’ - KBCN1147

				As a building design passes through successive design stages, more and more aspects of the design become fixed.  The opportunity for building LCA to guide the design towards lower environmental impacts reduces as a consequence.  More credits are, therefore, available for a building LCA submission at ‘concept design’ stage, when there are more opportunities than at the later ‘technical design’ stage.

Concept design Mat 01 submissions

Two factors determine whether a Mat 01 concept design submission is valid: -

The table in KBCN1148 shows whether a Mat 01 concept design submission is valid according to the status of these two factors.

If a Mat 01 concept design submission has already been made but is now out of date (e.g. due to a change to the client’s brief or planning being refused) it becomes invalid. To achieve the concept design credits, an up-to-date resubmission must be made.

Technical design Mat 01 submissions

As stated in the manual, a technical design Mat 01 submission shall be submitted at the end of technical design.

If a technical design submission has already been made but is now out of date (e.g. due to a change to the client’s brief) it becomes invalid. To achieve the technical design credits, an up-to-date re-submission must be made.

Where parts of a project are at different design stages

The whole project will often be at the same stage in the design process. However, it is possible for the three Mat 01 issue scope types ‘Superstructure’, ‘Substructure and hard landscaping’ and ‘Core Building Services’ to be at different stages. For each scope type, the most developed element comprising the scope type determines its stage. For example, if the roof element is at ‘concept design’ stage but the façade element is at ‘technical design’ stage, the ‘superstructure’ scope type is considered to be at the ‘technical design’ stage. In situations that are unclear, KBCN1156 should be used to confirm the design stage for the building and, if necessary, each scope type.

Which scope types can be included in a Mat 01 concept design stage submission depends on the stage each scope type has reached. For example, if the ‘Superstructure’ and ‘Core building services’ are at concept design but ‘Substructure and hard landscaping’ has already progressed to a later stage, only ‘Superstructure’ and ‘Core building services’ can be submitted at concept design. If ‘Superstructure’ has progressed to a later stage than ‘concept design’, none of the Mat 01 scope types can be submitted at ‘concept design’.

 

IMPORTANT: This KBCN shall be read in conjunction with KBCN 1148 ‘LCA submission stage – Applications for planning consent’

05//03/2020 Updated for clarity
10/10/2019 Clarifications added to paragraphs 2 and 4
				

			

					

				
LCC – Competent person - KBCN1582

				The technical manual provides the following definition:

Competent person
An individual who has acquired substantial expertise or a recognised qualification for undertaking life cycle costing studies and is not professionally connected to a single manufacturer.

It is the responsibility of the assessor to determine whether an individual meets this definition, and they must provide evidence and justification (if necessary) in their assessment.

BREEAM does not approve or hold a list of competent LCC practitioners.				

			

					

				
LCC – LZC energy sources discounted - KBCN0606

				When sufficient information can be provided to justify that LZC energy sources are not appropriate for the development, the LCC analysis, for those LZC sources, do not need to be included in the feasibility study.

The feasibility study (covering all the areas required as stated in the manual) intends to demonstrate, to a reasonable level of certainty, that the chosen LZC is the most appropriate of all those available.				

			

					

				
LE03 / LE04 calculator – number of habitat types rows - KBCN0880

				Unfortunately, due to the complexity of the calculator tool it takes a significant amount of time to add additional rows, but in cases where there are more than 20 habitat types, the following method can be followed to calculate the overall ecological value and number of credits achieved:

    
 	
  1. Open two LE03&LE04 calculator tools (LE03&LE04 Ecology Calculator 2)
    2. 
 	
  2. Enter 20 habitat types into the first tool
    3. 
 	
  3. Take the total Ecological Value for pre-development (cell H51) from the first tool and enter this into the first habitat row of the second tool (cell F8 in NC 2011 v1.10 and cell F9 in NC 2014 v.2.0)
    4. 
 	
  4. Take the total site area for pre-development (cell H49) from the first tool and enter this into the first habitat row of the second calculator (cell H8 in NC 2011 and H9 in NC 2014)
    5. 
 	
  5. Take the total Ecological Value for post-development (cell K51) from the first tool and enter this into the second habitat row of the second calculator (cell F10 in NC 2011 and cell F11 in NC 2014)
    6. 
 	
  6. Take the total site area for post-development (cell K49) from the first tool and enter this into the second habitat row of the second calculator (cell K10 in NC 2011 and cell K11 in NC 2014)
    7. 
 	
  7. This will combine 20 species types into 2 rows, leaving space for a further 18 habitat types
    8. 
 	
  8. Send in both tools as evidence at QA, including this compliance note.
    9. 


For a project which needs even more rows, this process can be repeated using a third tool if required. In this case all tools need to be send as evidence to QA, including this KBCN.				

			

					

				
Leak detection – extent of responsibility - KBCN0688

				For the credit to be awarded, all the pipework in a development that the owner/occupier has responsibility for must meet the leak detection criteria.  In situations where third party organisations place restrictions on the pipework that can be metered, the scope of works (and hence placement of a meter for the use of leak detection) will start immediately after this point.  For instance where the utility company's meter is placed midway between the boundary and the building, the scope of leak detection for BREEAM purposes will be between utility meter and the building, not to the boundary (as stated in the guidance).

The scope of the BREEAM criteria is only on pipework that the owner/occupier has control over.				

			

					

				
Leak detection – inseparable building and site boundary - KBCN0388

				Where there is no distinction between the site boundary and the building; the utility meter being either located on the boundary or within the building, the leak detection criteria apply to the mains water supply within the building only.

The BREEAM criteria apply to the pipework that the owner/occupier has responsibility for.

 				

			

					

				
Leak detection – recycled water use - KBCN0433

				The leak detection requirements still apply to all relevant water systems where water recycling systems are specified for WCs and urinals.

Recycled water should be considered as a valuable resource as it replaces potable water use and, in many instances, recycling systems will still incorporate a mains-water back up.

 

 				

			

					

				
Leak detection – shell-only projects - KBCN0900

				For shell-only projects, where no internal plumbing works are within the scope of work and the developer is only providing a capped-off water supply, it is acceptable to demonstrate compliance using one of the shell & core options 1-3.
The assessor must also demonstrate that the developer has, within the base-build, provided the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the future installation and connection of a leak detection system which complies with criteria 1 and 2.

Where the scope of the developer's work does not allow the installation of a leak detection system, the shell & core options provide a route to compliance.				

			

					

				
Leak detection – using a BMS - KBCN0439

				A BMS can be used for leak detection purposes if it can be demonstrated that its integrated or add-on features meet all the requirements for a leak detection system.

07 Feb 2022 - Applicability to BIU V6C confirmed
				

			

					

				
Leak detection between building and utilities meter - KBCN1116

				For all pipework which is the responsibility of the building owner or occupier leak detection is required between the building and the utilities water meter. This requirement is applicable regardless of the length of the pipework.

Where it can be demonstrated that it is not physically possible for a meter to be installed on the pipework, the requirement for leak detection between the building and the utilities meter can be considered not applicable, and the credit awarded based on the leak detection within the building.				

			

					

				
Leak detection system based on pressure changes - KBCN0326

				A system that uses pressure changes to detect leaks is not necessarily compliant. To be deemed compliant the leak detection system would need to monitor the refrigerant pressure and the operating conditions to address the problem of natural fluctuation.				

			

					

				
Leak detection system notification - KBCN0245

				So long as the compliant system alerts the appropriate person to the leak so they are able to respond immediately, the assessor can judge if the aim of the issue is being met by a reliable, robust and fail-safe means of notification.

 

 				

			

					

				
Leak detection technologies – Compliance Principle - KBCN1566

				Where it can be demonstrated that alternative water leak detection technologies can meet or exceed the capabilities of systems set out in the BREEAM guidance, subject to approval, these can also be considered compliant.

It is the role of the Assessor and the project team to provide evidence and justification in a compliance principle query (see KBCN1555).

The following alternative solutions are currently recognised:
				

			

					

				
Learning Mat 01 - KBCN1343

				To support learning of the UK New Construction 2018, Mat 01 issue, an online e-learning module is available on the BRE Academy website which pulls together much of the information and links contained in this KBCN.

https://www.bre.ac/course/mat-01-explained

The module is free to access, and requires signing up for a free account with BRE Academy.

For additional detail on Mat 01, the below lists a recommended sequence (to optimise learning and understanding) of learning resources consisting of a variety of reading material and video tutorials.

    
 	
  1. Why whole building life cycle assessment (LCA)?
Explains why BREEAM has introduced building LCA.
    2. 
 	
  2. Getting results with building LCA
Explores ways to reduce impacts using building LCA.
    3. 
 	
  3. The BREEAM UK New Construction manual
Note that the mat 01 issue allows for flexibility:

      
 	
    • In the tool used; results are accepted from several different 3rd party building LCA tools.
      • 
 	
    • In the assessment approach:-

        
 	
      • Comparison with the BREEAM benchmark - to see how the design compares with average buildings of the same type.
        • 
 	
      • Option appraisal – to encourage designers to explore options to reduce impacts for their specific building (regardless of how it compares with the benchmark).
        • 

      

      • 
 	
    • In the stages building LCA is done.
      • 
 	
    • In how many design options are appraised.
      • 
 	
    • In what parts of the building is included in the assessment scope (superstructure; substructure and hard landscaping; core building services).
      • 
 	
    • and
      • 
 	
    • Reward for integrating LCA options appraised with LCC options in Man 02 – to better inform the designers and client on overall sustainability.
      • 
 	
    • Reward for having the building LCA work done by, or verified by, an independent 3rd
      • 

    

    4. 
 	
  4. Credit Score Ready Reckoner
A tool to assist users early in the process to determine what they need to do to achieve different credit award levels. There is a PDF and interactive Excel version.
    5. 
 	
  5. The Results Submission Tool
To submit results from the chosen building LCA tool and to work out the credit award.
The following video tutorials provide detailed guidance


    6. 


Further reading

    
 	
  1. Building LCA benchmarks
Explains how the benchmarks are developed and how they are used in BREEAM.
    2. 
 	
  2. The BREEAM Simplified Building LCA tool
A free tool for users instead of the paid-for 3rd party full building LCA tools.
The following video tutorial provides detailed guidance


    3. 
 	
  3. The knowledge base
Guidance on how to comply if specific situations arise on a project.
    4. 


Case study webinars

    
 	
  1. Tips & Tricks to master Mat 01 for BREEAM 2018 from One Click LCA
Demonstration on how to achieve LCA credits with One Click LCA (Life Cycle Assessment software) and Buro Happold.
    2. 
 	
  2. Life Cycle Design Modelling for BREEAM UK NC 2018 using eToolLCD
Demonstration of the basics of completing life cycle design modelling in eToolLCD LCA software  from start to finish.
    3. 


Note: More webinars and other related content may be added to the BRE Academy website from time to time.

 				

			

					

				
Legally harvested and traded timber – Examples - KBCN0956

				The following examples are considered compliant for BREEAM purposes.

Legally harvested:

    
 	
  1. Evidence of compliance with the CPET (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
    2. 
 	
  2. FSC, PEFC or SFI certification
    3. 
 	
  3. Evidence of compliance with the EUTR (timber bought inside the EU only)
    4. 
 	
  4. Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally harvested’ requirements given in the manual.
    5. 


Legally traded:

    
 	
  1. Evidence of compliance with the CPET (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
    2. 
 	
  2. FSC, PEFC or SFI certification
    3. 
 	
  3. Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally traded’ requirements given in the manual.
    4. 

				

			

					

				
Legally harvested and traded/Legal and sustainable timber – Reclaimed/recycled timber - KBCN0654

				Timber should, wherever possible, be sourced in accordance with the UK Government’s Timber Procurement Policy. However, if for reclaimed timber the original procurement details are unobtainable, robust evidence to demonstrate it has been reclaimed can be acceptable.

The government UK Government Timber Procurement Policy Timber Procurement Advice Note (6th edition) states:

As an alternative to demanding timber and wood-derived products from a Legal and Sustainable source, Contracting Authorities can demand ‘recycled timber’. Documentary evidence and independent verification will also apply to recycled timber and recycled wood-derived products but will focus on the use to which the timber was previously put rather than the forest source.

And defines ‘recycled timber’ as:

“…recovered wood that prior to being supplied to the Contracting Authority had an end use as a standalone object or as part of a structure and which has completed its lifecycle and would otherwise be disposed of as waste. The term ‘recycled’ is used to cover the following categories: pre-consumer recycled wood and wood fibre or industrial by products but excluding sawmill co-products (sawmill co-products are deemed to fall within the category of virgin timber), post-consumer recycled wood and wood fibre, and drift wood. It also covers reclaimed timber which was abandoned or confiscated at least ten years previously.”

As per the above policy, BREEAM requires “Documentary evidence and independent verification” that all reclaimed/recycled timber products meet the definition of ‘recycled timber’ given above.

01/06/2020: Amended to clarify and extended applicability to Mat 03
				

			

					

				
Life Cycle Cost - KBCN0385

				Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is a methodology that aims at selecting the optimal option amongst a number of option appraisals.

An LCC should therefore consider:

This allows project teams and clients to make informed choices about the long term financial implications of different design decisions.

27-Mar-2024 - Wording and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Life cycle cost (LCC)- QS change - KBCN0605

				If a Quantity Surveyor (QS) changes during a project, the new QS must demonstrate that subsequent criteria are met in order to gain the 2nd and 3rd credits. While the initial modelling data may not be available, the results and outputs given to the client team will be and can be used to remodel the LCC at the later stages of development using the new QS's data. Provided the new QS can model and determine the best option based on the latest project information, the 2nd and 3rd credits can still be attained.

It may be necessary to repeat modelling where there has been a change of QS however, provided the intent of the issue and criteria are met, the credits can still be awarded. 				

			

					

				
Life cycle cost – Multiple assessments on the same site - KBCN000003

				Where there are multiple assessments on a site and a single life cycle cost (LCC) plan will be carried out, it is acceptable to use this plan as evidence provided that the results of the LCC plan can be applied to all of the assessed buildings and therefore may have a positive influence on the material specification of such buildings. Where the design of some assessments differ to the extent that the LCC plan cannot reasonably be applied, a separate LCC plan is necessary to achieve credits for this issue.

Where multiple assessments are covered under a single LCC plan, there must be sufficient detail for each building to enable them to be adequately assessed. 				

			

					

				
Life cycle environmental impact of curtain walling - KBCN0178

				Curtain walling performs two functions – the provision of windows and the provision of external walls. Specifications performing the same function are grouped together in the Green Guide to Specification.  This means that curtain walling needs to be modelled as two separate building elements (external walls and windows).

The overall performance of the curtain wall will combine the ratings for the two parts according to their areas. It will depend on the curtain walling system selected, the choice of internal lining and the relevant proportion of glazed and opaque elements.

    
 	
  1. For the opaque area of the external wall (Area A in the figure below):

      
 	
    1. Select the relevant generic specification from the Green Guide (element category – External walls / Curtain walling, then either aluminium or timber framed and the internal skin specification) and note the rating and element number. If your specification is different from all of the generics, please submit a request for a bespoke rating.
      2. 
 	
    2. Enter the rating into the BREEAM Materials calculator with the area for the opaque section of the curtain wall (Area A).
      3. 

    

    2. 
 	
  2. For the glazed (window-like) area of the curtain wall (Area B):

      
 	
    1. Select the relevant specification from the Commercial window element category of the Green Guide. There are two specifications: Aluminium curtain walling system (Element no: 831500016) and Laminated timber curtain walling system (Element no: 831500015)
      2. 
 	
    2. Enter the rating into the BREEAM Materials calculator with the area for the glazed (window-like) section of the curtain wall (Area B).
      3. 

    

    3. 


The BREEAM Materials calculator will calculate the overall performance for the curtain walling system. It will also calculate the performance of the building elements and the overall number of credits to be awarded.



 

 

 				

			

					

				
Lifts with speeds 0.15m/s or less - KBCN1146

				Lifts with speeds 0.15m/s or less fall outside the scope of ISO 25745 and can, therefore, be excluded from the assessment of this Issue. This applies, for example, to lifts in single dwellings or those installed in other low-rise buildings, specifically for the use of persons with impaired mobility.				

			

					

				
Lighting zones and control - KBCN0131

				Where the occupancy density is known to be greater than 1 person/workspace per 10sqm, justification for the zones to be greater than every four workspaces, for example to fit with the adopted lighting strategy, is acceptable. The assessor must be satisfied that the aim of this criterion is upheld, i.e. that there is suitable zoning/control of lighting to enable a reasonable degree of occupant control over lighting in their personable work area. The relevant design team member, e.g. lighting consultant, should set out how this is to be achieved in such an instance.				

			

					

				
Limited site space for segregation and storage - KBCN1036

				When a site has limited space to segregate materials on site, a waste contractor can be used to separate and process recyclable materials off-site. Manufacturers' take-back schemes can also be used to do this. In such cases, evidence to demonstrate segregation of materials was carried out to the agreed levels and that materials were reused or recycled appropriately must be produced. Such evidence could be Environment Agency (EA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Environment Agency Wales (EA Wales) or Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Waste Return Forms.				

			

					

				
Location of car sharing priority parking - KBCN0796

				Priority spaces for car sharers need to be located in the nearest available parking area to the main building entrance or to an entrance regularly used by the car sharers.

22 09 2022 - Applied to UK NC2018
Technical manual to be updated accordingly in next reissue.
				

			

					

				
Louvered panels/facades on Green Guide - KBCN1252

				The BRE Green Guide defines the 'functional unit' for applicable materials, which may be assessed under the Mat 01 Issue:

Louvres on a facade provide a role outside of the 'functional unit' and hence can be excluded from the calculations for the external wall.

Only elements forming part of the 'functional unit' need to be included in the external wall.				

			

					

				
Low or no ecological value to manage and maintain - KBCN1383

				The purpose of the criteria is to recognise projects that are positively contributing to local ecological value by managing and protecting it as part of the site being assessed.

If there is no ecological value to maintain or manage on the site, the purpose of the criteria is not being met and credits cannot be awarded by default.

For sites with low ecological value to begin with, the criteria encourage projects to consider ways to create ecological features that support local biodiversity as part of the development (e.g. habitat creation as part of the ecology issues focused on ecological enhancement).				

			

					

				
LZC feasibility study – timing - KBCN1052

				If a feasibility study is undertaken at a stage later than Concept Design, this must include an explanation for any local LZC technologies ruled out because of constraints arising from the late consideration. Compliance may still be achieved if other LZCs are feasible and the criteria are met. If the late completion of the feasibility study resulted in no LZC being installed, the credit must be withheld.

 				

			

					

				
LZC technologies – energy centre or other LZCs connected at a later stage - KBCN0267

				If a project specifies LZCs that have been proposed in the feasibility report which reduce emissions, and/or will be connected to a site-wide energy centre operational at a later stage of the phased development, after the Post Construction Stage review has been submitted, the Energy and Pollution issues can be assessed as follows:

In a phased development where the primary heating system will be upgraded at a later stage than the building being assessed, a commitment to install the new heating source must be made in the General Contract Specification (as per the BREEAM requirements). BREEAM does not specify a particular time for phasing as it is difficult to set parameters, however as a rule building users should have to wait the least time possible before they can use the upgraded heating source.

For the quality audit, two Energy model outputs/EPCs must be produced at the final stage - one with the actual interim system installed for building control, and one for the BREEAM assessment which can include the predicted energy from the proposed energy centre.  Additionally, the legally binding general contract specification for the new heating source must be submitted with details of the timescales proposed for the completion of the second phase of work. Where this approach is to be followed BREEAM must be consulted in each case to ensure that the arrangements are sufficiently robust to award the credits.

BREEAM seeks to recognise the environmental impacts of a building's energy use throughout its life, therefore temporary arrangements can be accommodated, provided there is robust evidence on future connection to the permanent systems.

24/08/2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
LZC technologies – planning conditions and restrictions - KBCN0535

				Where a mandatory planning condition exists (eg to attach to a District Heating Scheme), this will clearly affect the number of options available in a feasibility study. In such cases, compliance can still be achieved where evidence on the planning condition restrictions is provided, and it is clarified how this excludes other technologies from being considered.

The feasibility study will still need to be carried out to cover the remaining energy needs of the building (eg Electrical and lighting load in the case of a district heating scheme).

 				

			

					

				
LZC technologies – shell only feasibility study - KBCN0409

				For a shell only project, compliance may be assessed on the built form only i.e. demonstrating that sufficient space and clearance for the installation of future LZCs has been considered, the built form is suitably sited, and that massing and orientation are optimised for the future systems.				

			

					

				
Majority of water demand from rainwater harvesting - KBCN0860

				If the majority of water use is supplied by sources other than mains or private water, for example rainwater harvesting, and this use will be monitored, additional metering of the smaller water demand that is masked by the larger demand is not necessary.				

			

					

				
Manual errata – Passive design – Industrial assets with no occupied spaces - KBCN1492

				This KBCN relates to industrial assessment targeting the 'Passive Design' credit in Ene 04.

Specific note 2.1 in Ene 04 states:

Industrial


Hea 04 Thermal comfort: Criterion 1 is not applicable to industrial units that only contain an operational or storage area and are without office space or other occupied spaces. However, to achieve the Ene 04 Passive design analysis credit, compliance with criteria 1, 2 and 3.b.ii in Hea 04 Thermal comfort must be demonstrated.

This is incorrect. It should say:

Hea 04 Thermal comfort: This issue is not applicable to industrial units that only contain an operational or storage area and are without office space or other occupied spaces.

If the industrial asset is Shell Only without any occupied spaces, this specific note 2.1 overrides specific note 1.2 regarding thermal modelling requirements for Shell Only assets.

This will be clarified and corrected in the next re-issue of the manual.

 				

			

					

				
Manual errata – Passive design – Shell only assets - KBCN1493

				This KBCN relates to Shell Only assets targeting the ‘Passive Design’ credit in Ene 04.

Specific note 1.2 in Ene 04 states:

Hea 04 Thermal comfort: Criterion 1 is not applicable to Shell only assessments. However, to achieve the Ene 04 Passive design analysis credit, compliance with criteria 1, 2 and 3.b.ii in Hea 04 Thermal comfort must be demonstrated.

This is incorrect. It should say:

Ene 04 Low Carbon Design: Criterion 1 is not applicable to Shell only assessments. However, to achieve the Ene 04 Passive design analysis credit, compliance with criteria 1, 2 and 3.b.ii in Hea 04 Thermal comfort must be demonstrated.

This will be corrected in the next re-issue of the manual.				

			

					

				
Manual errata – up to V6 – prediction of operational energy consumption and minimum standards - KBCN1602

				The technical manual refers to ‘4 credits for prediction of operational energy consumption’ as one of the requirements for achieving either Excellent or Outstanding minimum standards.

This reference to 4 credits is incorrect, and will be removed in a future update. This is to make it clear that the requirement for Simple Buildings is for achieving the 'Prediction of operational energy consumption' criteria, not achieving four credits.

08-Nov-2023 - Title updated. Wording clarified.
26-Jun-2023 - This errata KBCN separated from KBCN1336.
				

			

					

				
Manual watering - KBCN0553

				Where the design team can justify that manual watering provides a reduction in unregulated water consumption, this can be considered as an acceptable method for reducing unregulated water use.				

			

					

				
Manufacturer’s information – system specific data - KBCN0926

				The BREEAM technical manual provides a set of default figures, for use within the DELC calculation. Where available, system-specific data, provided by the manufacturer, can be used in the calculation where this is more representative. Any such system-specific figures used must be supported by publicly available, published data, which substantiates the manufacturer’s figures.				

			

					

				
Master plans with multiple stakeholders - KBCN0953

				Assessment of a building forming part of a master plan co-ordinated by a third party (developer or local authority)

In such cases, it may not be possible for the design team to control elements affecting issues such as land use and ecology, access, external lighting and surface water pollution.

It is therefore acceptable for the assessor to define the assessment boundary according to one of two following options:

    
 	
  1. Restrict the boundary only to what the design team can control.
    2. 
 	
  2. Extend the boundary to include elements of the master plan, assessing any associated benefits or disadvantages that arise. Relevant Knowledge Base Compliance Notes should be reviewed, and BREEAM Technical contacted for additional guidance if required.
    3. 


The assessment boundary must remain consistent throughout all issues. Facilities outside of the boundary but serving the assessment (i.e. cycle facilities, parking etc) can be assessed as standard.

Assessment of a building forming part of a master plan co-ordinated by the design team with third party elements

Where there are third party elements in the master plan which are not BREEAM compliant (e.g. external lighting by local authority), evidence should be submitted to QA that efforts have been made with the third party to align these elements with BREEAM criteria.

Where this is not possible, these elements can be excluded. Full justification should be provided when submitting the assessment for certification.				

			

					

				
Mat 01 / Mat 03 calculator not big enough - KBCN0647

				If a project has more specifications than there is rows available in the tool you can group specifications that have the same green guide rating/responsible sourcing level with each of the specifications with the same rating listed in the same row. The proportion that they contribute to the overall area is also combined. For example where a project has 30 different upper floor specifications, if 10 upper floor specifications are A+, 10 are A, 5 are B and 5 are C then you would only need to use 4 lines.				

			

					

				
Mat 01 EPD uplift calculation - KBCN1335

				The methodology for calculating the EPD uplift requires use of the Responsible Sourcing of Materials search tool, available on the assessor extranet.

The Responsible Sourcing of Materials search tool will list the relative mass of each constituent material of a defined element as a percentage. However, due to an error on the system the Responsible Sourcing of Materials search tool is currently referring to volume instead of mass.

This error will be resolved shortly. However for clarification in the interim, the EPD uplift calculation is based on mass, as per the methodology within the manual. The Responsible Sourcing of Materials search tool lists the relative mass of each constituent material of a defined element as a percentage, and until the tool is updated the term ‘volume’ should be ignored.				

			

					

				
Mat 01 Tools tutorials - KBCN1119

				1 Introduction to the File Set Up  (4.06)

2 Importing Results from Building LCA tools (6.42)

3 Introduction to the BREEAM Simplified Building LCA tool (16.24)

4 Completing the Mat 01 parts of the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool (39.04)

 				

			

					

				
Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool – brief guidance - KBCN1107

				This is available on BREEAM Projects within the 'Tools and Calculators' folder of this scheme along with 'how-to' tutorials'.

06/09/2018 Updated following publication of further guidance
				

			

					

				
Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool – concept and technical design submission - KBCN1209

				As stated on the Mat 01/02 Results Submission tool, uploading the Mat 01/02 Results Submission Tool to BREEAM Projects is the required method for submitting the tool at Concept and Technical Design stages; it is not required to be submitted to BRE via email. The upload will be date-stamped for the purposes of QA checks.				

			

					

				
Mat 03 calculator – combined elements - KBCN1245

				Where a building element acts as two or more of the building elements combined (e.g. reinforced concrete slab that acts as substructure and ground floor), the assessor has a choice between two methods for inputting the elements into the Mat 03 calculator tool:

Method 1: The entire element specification can be entered into one of either element. This produces the worst case scenario.

Method 2: The element specification can be split into notional specifications as if the elements act independently.

 

Example: a reinforced concrete slab that acts as foundation and ground floor

Method 1: The element specification is input as one of either the foundation/substructure OR ground floor

Method 2: The notional specification as if the slab acts solely as ground floor is entered under ground floor (components of the specification that are 'added' to the slab so that it also acts as foundation are removed) AND the notional specification as if the slab acts solely as foundation is entered under substructure/foundation (components of the specification that are 'added' to the slab so that it also acts as ground floor are removed)				

			

					

				
Material not listed in the Green Guide calculator - KBCN0377

				Please refer to Guidance Note GN17 'Bespoke Green Guide Specification Guidance' available from the BREEAM Extranet under 'Green Guide to Specification - Assessor information'				

			

					

				
Meaningful reduction in emissions - KBCN00027

				The definition of 'meaningful reduction' is context specific. The required reduction in active cooling demand or CO2 emissions are not specified in the criteria as this is specific to each project. To demonstrate a meaningful reduction, the passive design analysis must show that:

- A rigorous and pragmatic approach was taken in selecting the most suitable strategies / technologies
- The strategies sought to maximise the potential for reduction in energy consumption, taking into account technical and site constraints

As the potential for reduction is context specific, the assessor's judgement can determine whether a 'meaningful reduction' has been achieved. For instance:

Scenario 1: Assessment has multiple site constraints which result in a 2% reduction in CO2 emissions. The assessor is satisfied that the design team have made a significant effort to maximise the potential for reduction having considered technical and site constraints. This would be considered a meaningful reduction.

Scenario 2: The passive design analysis has highlighted a potential for significant reduction with LZCs, however many of these technologies were discounted due to capital cost considerations. The resulting building achieves a 6% reduction in CO2 emissions, however the actual potential was significantly higher. This would not be considered a meaningful reduction.

 				

			

					

				
Measurements and calculations for reporting on amenities – design stage - KBCN1381

				Reporting on accessible amenities is an explicit requirement of the Site-Specific Transport Assessment in Tra 01. However, if this assessment does not provide enough information to satisfy the relevant requirements for Tra 02, it must be supplemented by an additional report. This does not have to be provided by author of the transport assessment, and could, for example, be produced by the BREEAM assessor or a member of the design team.

 

02 Nov 2023 - Reference to calculating the AI removed. This, and reporting on accessible amenities are explicit requirements of the transport assessment in Tra 01. Title and wording updated to clarify the intent and made applicable to Tra 02.
				

			

					

				
Measuring ecological change – Using Defra Metric 3.0, 3.1, 4.0 and the Statutory Biodiversity Metric - KBCN1476

				Defra Metric 3.0, 3.1 and 4.0 have been mapped to the BREEAM Change in Ecological Value Calculator and can be used in assessments for BREEAM UK New Construction 2018, BREEAM Infrastructure Version 6 (formerly CEEQUAL Version 6), and Home Quality Mark ONE.

Please see the table below for the applicable benchmarks where Defra Metric 3.0, 3.1 or 4.0 is used. The benchmarks from the Defra Metric are taken from the lowest score from the three metrics (Habitat, Hedgerow, River).

If a metric is not present, e.g. there is no river on the site, the score of 0 for that metric must be ignored when taking the lowest score.





Metric result
Credits awarded




BREEAM (GN36) / Defra Metric 2.0
Defra Metric (3.0, 3.1, 4.0)
and the Statutory Biodiversity Metric
BREEAM UK NC 2018
HQM ONE
BREEAM Infrastructure V6






Less than 75%
Less than -25%
0
0
0




Between 75% and 94%
Between -24% and -6%
1
2
10




Between 95% and 104%
Between -5% and 4%
2
4
20




Between 105% and 109%
Between 5% and 9%
3
6
30




110% and above
10% and above
3 + 1 exemplary level credit
8
40





The above approach can be used to determine the percentage score that describes ecological change in Guidance Note 36 (Table 9: Reward Scale), if the following is also met:

Alternatively, the BREEAM Change in Ecological Value calculator tool will continue to be accepted until stated otherwise.

03 Mar 2022 - Updated to clarify how Defra Metric 3.0 can be applied to current schemes
27 May 2022 - Updated to Defra Metric 3.1
21 Sep 2022 - Clarification on the figure to use from Defra Metric 3.0 or 3.1
14 Oct 2022 - Updated following rebrand of CEEQUAL to BREEAM Infrastructure
16 Feb 2023 - Added rules and clarification from KBCN1407.
01 Jun 2023 - Addition of DEFRA Metric 4.0
				

			

					

				
Measuring ecological change with Defra Metric 2.0 ~ superseded ~ - KBCN1407

				For DEFRA Metric 3.0 and 3.1, please see KBCN1476 - Measuring ecological change – Using Defra Metric 3.0 and 3.1

The Defra Metric tool 2.0 can be used to determine the percentage score that describes ecological change in Guidance Note 36 (Table 9: Reward Scale), if the following is also met:

Alternatively, the BREEAM Change in Ecological Value calculator tool will continue to be accepted until stated otherwise. This is subject to change as part of transitioning to Defra Metric 2.1, once this has been finalised and released. The latest timescales and information on this are available from Natural England: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

Edited 21/09/22: 

The BREEAM Ecological Change tool determines credits using the lowest 'Post development percentage of Pre development' score for the Area based and Linear habitats. If the Defra Metric tool 2.0 has been used, the 'Total net % change' results should be used to calculate this, which is the lowest score of the three metrics.

For example, if the Defra Metric 2.0 tool suggests that there is a net change of -65%, then the 'Post development percentage of Pre development' would be 35% for the purposes of BREEAM. Likewise, if the net change is +8%, then the percentage would be 108%.

21 09 2022 Paragraph added to clarify
				

			

					

				
Measuring the flow rate of domestic components - KBCN0641

				On site testing can be carried out by an appropriate professional to determine the flow rate and capacity of domestic components. This must be overseen by the client’s facilities manager and as-built drawings must be provided to confirm the presence and location of the components and any flow restrictors. Note that the conditions under which the testing is completed must be recorded, e.g. the pressure and the temperature of the water for taps. The assessor could conduct the test provided they are able to carry it out accurately.

15/02/2021: amended to cover all component types.
				

			

					

				
Metering recycled water - KBCN0658

				Water-consuming plant or building areas consuming 10% or more of the building’s total water demand need to be sub-metered. This applies to recycled water, such as rainwater, grey water or process water as well as mains water.

The aim of the Issue is to encourage reductions in water consumption, which is beneficial, regardless of its source. Monitoring the use of recycled water, may also help to reinforce the benefits of doing so and encourage further reductions.				

			

					

				
Methodology items to consider – Land use and ecology - KBCN1264

				The methodology section provides a list of considerations for several credits, for example, a list of possible stakeholders and a list of items to be included as part of the survey and evaluation. The items in these lists can be applied flexibly, therefore if they are not deemed appropriate or relevant to the site by a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (or project team member if using route 1), they do not need to be included or referred to in the report. The items should be used as a basis for ensuring the delivery of the required outcomes, by ensuring all relevant aspects have been considered.				

			

					

				
Minimising water course pollution – no water courses present - KBCN0550

				The credit for 'minimising water course pollution' has to be assessed even in cases where no water courses are in close vicinity to the site under assessment. This is because the aim of this credit is to encourage developments to minimise water course pollution by restricting the discharge of potentially contaminated water from entering the public sewer.

Minimising water course pollution does not focus on water directly entering water courses.				

			

					

				
Minimising watercourse pollution – end of pipe solutions - KBCN1025

				End-of-pipe solutions, such as ponds and basins, will only be deemed to comply with the 5mm criteria where the principal run-off control, to prevent discharge from the first 5mm of a rainfall event, is achieved using source control and site control methods.				

			

					

				
Minimising watercourse pollution – Extensions and infill developments - KBCN1027

				When assessing an individual building on an existing site, i.e. infill development, the criteria apply to areas within the construction zone that present a risk of pollution as well as any areas outside the construction zone affected by the new works, eg. drainage onto or from the proposed development.				

			

					

				
Minimising watercourse pollution – First 5mm of rainfall requirement - KBCN1059

				It may not be possible for the first 5mm of rainfall to be prevented from leaving a site completely. An appropriately qualified professional must explain comprehensively why this criterion cannot be fully met and design a system to meet the intent of this criterion as far as possible. Where this can be justified and all other relevant criteria have been achieved, the credit can still be awarded.				

			

					

				
Minimising watercourse pollution – Green roofs - KBCN1026

				Rain that falls onto the surface of green roofs can contribute to this requirement. Evidence,however, still needs to demonstrate that the 5mm rainfall from all impermeable surfaces on-site is being dealt with.				

			

					

				
Modelling basecase for Low/Zero carbon technology – efficiency of gas boiler - KBCN0297

				Assume the worst acceptable efficiency permitted by the relevant Building Regulation or, the efficiency that would be required to ensure the Buildings Emission Rate (BER) is the same as or better than the Target rate (TER) so that it is compliant with Part L2 of the Building Regulations.

Note: Low or Zero Carbon (LZCs) technologies may have been specified to help a building achieve its TER; replacing the LZCs with a gas boiler results in the BER failing to achieve or better the TER and as such, the building is theoretically not compliant with Building Regulations. Under these circumstances, it is not considered robust for BREEAM compliance to account for the carbon dioxide emissions savings delivered by the specified LZCs in bringing the building's BER up to the TER. Thus, where the BER is worse than the TER (for the purpose of this analysis) the percentage reduction in regulated CO2 emissions as a result of specifying an LZC technology should only account for CO2 savings made on the TER and not the BER.

 

 

 				

			

					

				
Multi-Residential: Internal recyclable waste container if waste is sorted off site - KBCN0354

				Where the Local Authority or waste management company for the scheme provide evidence confirming that recyclable waste will be sorted after they have collected it from site, it is acceptable to provide one internal storage bin of a minimum capacity of 30 L rather than 3 separate internal bins. The relevant recycling scheme must collect at least 3 of the following materials; paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, metals or textiles.

 

 				

			

					

				
Multi-residential: Waste storage shared by more than six bedrooms - KBCN0856

				Where multi-residential buildings contain communal facilities shared by more than six bedrooms, the requirement for total waste storage can be increased on a pro-rata basis to demonstrate compliance.

For instance, if the standard requirement is 30L for six bedrooms, this equates to 5L per bedroom. Where assessing a flat with eight bedrooms, this requirement increases to 40L (8 x 5L).

The minimum size of individual containers remains unchanged as per the criteria.				

			

					

				
Multi-storey car parks - KBCN0729

				The hard landscaping requirements of this BREEAM issue do not apply to a multi-storey car park.

The aim of the issue is to encourage the specification of new materials with low environmental impact to external hard surfaces only.

 				

			

					

				
Multiple buildings on a wider estate - KBCN1065

				For one or more buildings or units assessed as part of a wider estate or campus, compliance can be demonstrated through the provision of dedicated centralised storage space and waste management facilities. These must have the capacity to accommodate the recyclable waste material generated from all buildings and their activities.				

			

					

				
Multiple buildings on the same site - KBCN0559

				The areas of hard landscaping and boundary protection that need to be assessed on a site that contains several developments/buildings depends on the scope of works and scope of the assessment(s) being undertaken.

Essentially, the areas that need to be assessed are all the areas of hard landscaping (as defined within the relevant definitions of the credit issue) and boundary protection within the construction zone (again defined within the relevant definitions) that are within the scope of works of the building under assessment.

Therefore, if all buildings on one site are being assessed in one BREEAM assessment, then the hard landscaping and boundary protection related to all of these building's scope of works will need to be assessed.

If there are several buildings with individual assessments and their own defined scope of works, then the hard landscaping and boundary protection applicable to the scope of works of each individual building will be assessed for each associated assessment.

The assessment is concerned with the hard landscaping and boundary protection associated to the project under assessment, i.e. the areas under the control of the project under assessment. 				

			

					

				
Multiple developments monitoring construction waste on a site - KBCN00036

				Where the same contractor is working on a site with more than one development, a single Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP)/Resource Management Plan (RMP) can be produced to demonstrate compliance, if it can be justified that separation of the waste would be impractical.

Where the developments are of a similar nature, such as all new-build or all refurbishment with similar scope, the results from the whole development can be apportioned on the basis of floor area to derive the figures upon which the separate developments will be assessed.

Where the buildings are not similar, the design team will need to provide calculations to demonstrate that the waste has been apportioned as accurately as possible according to the project types.

21/11/16 Clarification added in relation to dissimilar projects on the same site.
				

			

					

				
NABERS – Compliance with the requirements of Ene 01 - KBCN1463

				Undertaking energy modelling for NABERs (DfP process) can be used to demonstrate compliance for the 4 predicted energy modelling credits and also the 2 exemplary credits for committing to post-occupancy measurement of energy.				

			

					

				
New build extension using existing lifts - KBCN0444

				Where the assessment is only of a new build extension (and not the existing building), lifts present in the existing building fall outside the scope of Ene 06 and do not need to be assessed. The applies only when the lifts are not being renewed or undergoing a major refurbishment.				

			

					

				
New EU energy labels - KBCN1445

				
Background

In recent years, the market for domestic-scale appliances has seen excellent progress, with increasingly energy-efficient products becoming widely available. Consequently, the A-rated category was extended over time to include A+, A++, and A+++ ratings. Meanwhile, the lower ratings, such as E, F and G have become increasingly rare. It was clear that an adjustment to a new, simpler set of ratings was required.

Statutory Changes

From 1st March 2021, the European Commission requires new, updated energy labels of A to G for dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and electronic displays.

Lamps will require the new ratings from 1st September 2021 and requirements for re-labelling tumble dryers are yet to be confirmed.

This means:


Changes for BREEAM and HQM

As a result of the introduction of the new EU ratings and in order to maintain the original intent of the BREEAM criteria, the approach for our schemes has had to change.

It is not possible to establish direct equivalence between the old and new energy labels, therefore the updated approach will be to recognise the best-performing 25% of each appliance type, based on a comprehensive market sample. The table below shows how this translates into the new EU Energy Labels for different appliance types.







Appliance type




Rating required








Fridges, fridge-freezers, freezers




E








Washing machines




B








Dishwashers




D








Washer-dryers




D - D







 

This approach will ensure that BREEAM continues to drive the energy efficiency of appliances by demonstrating a meaningful reduction in energy consumption. Note that these new requirements will be reviewed from time to time and may be subject to change.

Where assessments have already specified (and can procure) products bearing the old labels, it is acceptable to follow the previous criteria. However, where products bear the new label and for all assessments registered after 31/05/2021, the new criteria must be met.

 

17 Apr 2023 - Applicability to NC2013 confirmed.
21 Mar 2022 - Confirmation added that washer-dryers require a D rating for both cycles
23 Nov 2021 - Reference to 'freezers' added to appliance types
12 May 2021 - Guidance updated and applicability to HQM One and BREEAM NOR confirmed
				

			

					

				
Night-time operation – requirement for controls - KBCN1048

				Projects which operate at night-time can adapt or omit the requirement to provide controls or presence detection to align with the building’s hours of operation.

The aim of this Issue is to reduce the energy use for external lighting and should not interfere with the building’s operation.				

			

					

				
No acoustically sensitive areas or rooms used for speech - KBCN0660

				If written confirmation is provided by the Suitably Qualified Acoustician that there are no acoustically sensitive rooms or rooms used for speech (as defined in the technical guidance), the credits can only be awarded based on achieving all the remaining, applicable credit(s).

Where compliance with criteria for this Issue cannot be demonstrated due to the nature of the development, the credits are not awarded by default, but by demonstrating that the acoustic performance has been addressed by meeting the available criteria.

16/12/16 - Clarification added for situations where there are no acoustically sensitive rooms and/or rooms used for speech.
				

			

					

				
No car parking provision - KBCN00059

				Where the assessment criteria are applicable to a building that has no car parking spaces and where there are no parking spaces accessible to building users, the benchmarks can be considered to be met. If, however, parking is shared with other buildings or parking spaces are available on a campus-type site then the provision must still be assessed.

 

 

 

 

 				

			

					

				
No change in impermeable area - KBCN1273

				The Methodology includes a section titled 'No change in impermeable area'.  Where this text is applied to a site, and the Surface Water Run-off - Rate credit is not targetted, criterion 5 is not applicable because no calculations or surface water design solutions are required.

Note: the design for exceedance criterion (criterion 10) must still be demonstrated.				

			

					

				
No data for AI at Design Stage - KBCN0551

				If there is insufficient data for a future transport service to include this in the calculation of the AI at the Design Stage, it should not be accounted for.

If at Post Construction stage the data is available, this can be incorporated.

Whilst certain Design Stage requirements can be based on commitments to achieve a certain performance, this must be based on verifiable data.

16/04/18 Wording amended to clarify that this applies to future services and to allow applicability to UK NC 2018

 				

			

					

				
No demolition - KBCN1122

				Where, under the developer's ownership, no demolition will be undertaken to enable the assessed development, the pre-demolition audit credit is filtered-out of the assessment.

To be clarified in the next re-issue of the manual.
				

			

					

				
No discharge for up to 5mm rainfall - KBCN0599

				The criterion requires no run-off to leave the developed site into the local watercourse(s) for a storm event that results in rainfall depths up to 5mm.  It is not acceptable to collect the rainfall within an attenuation tank and allow the runoff to be released from the site at a restricted rate. This simply slows the rate at which it is released to the watercourse(s).

The 5mm rainfall event is considered one of the most common rainfall events and, therefore, a system should be designed to prevent this run-off leaving the site thus protecting a receiving watercourse from pollution.				

			

					

				
No external plant specified - KBCN0931

				Where there is no external plant specified and the acoustician confirms that there is no significant noise source, it is acceptable for the acoustician to provide a formal statement in lieu of the noise impact assessment. All other evidence for this issue must be provided as listed in the Evidence table.

The formal statement should be produced by a 'suitably qualified acoustician' (as defined in the Relevant Definitions for this issue) and should justify this approach with reference to the specific internal plant to be installed and the proximity of any noise sensitive areas or buildings.

The statement must explain clearly how the aim of the issue is being met.				

			

					

				
No refrigerant use – shell & core assessments - KBCN1058

				The credits for Pol 01 can be awarded if the asset requires no refrigerants as per the criteria.

In speculative assessments, future tenant systems are unknown. To award the credits, evidence must show that the asset has been designed to operate without the need for air-conditioning or comfort cooling for the conditioning of occupied spaces. One way to demonstrate this is to achieve the ‘Free cooling’ credit.

Only refrigerants used for occupant comfort are assessed. Do not assess any refrigerant use for process-related functions.

21.09.2021 Wording amended for clarity
				

			

					

				
No relevant areas for room acoustics - KBCN1291

				Where a building does not have areas relevant to the 'room acoustics' criteria, the credit available for room acoustics can be awarded by default where the building complies with the indoor ambient noise levels and the sound insulation criteria.				

			

					

				
No unregulated energy consumption in the building - KBCN00066

				Where there are no items, contributing to the unregulated (or equipment) energy consumption in the building, there is currently no mechanism to award credits. If, however, in this situation, significant contributors, not listed in the table, will be specified, the design team should justify how a meaningful reduction will be achieved for these contributors, in order to demonstrate compliance.

08/05/19 Wording amended to account for situations, where a meaningful reduction in unregulated energy can be demonstrated by other means.


18.05.2017 KBCN applicability removed for NC2011 and NC2013, for which compliance can be demonstrated via the three shell and core options, as per the technical manual.
				

			

					

				
No water components installed by the developer - KBCN000007

				For shell and core developments where no sanitary fittings are installed by the developer, no credits can be awarded for issue Wat 01. However, the minimum standard can be waived.

The Assessment Scoring and Reporting tool reflects the above change to the minimum standards for Wat 01. If a previous version of the tool is used, the assessor should submit a technical query providing justification and requesting an amended tool.

Where a proportion of the element are not installed, for example tea points, a 'base performance' level should be assumed for those fittings.

 				

			

					

				
Not enough rows in the Pol 01 calculator - KBCN1274

				If additional rows are required in the calculator, it is acceptable to add the specification of multiple models together in one tool, provided they are the same model and have all the same inputs for columns F to M. The weighting of the systems across the building is done by the System Capacity and Total Refrigerant Charge (columns E and F), so you would multiply each of these two figures by the total number of the system specified. This gives the contribution of the systems to the building's cooling capacity and charge.

If further rows are still required please submit a query using the webform in BREEAM Projects, attaching a copy of the tool and specify the number of additional rows required.

08/10/21 link to webform added
				

			

					

				
NOx emissions – Units of measure - KBCN1393

				For gas and oil appliances, NOx emissions should be measured on a dry basis at 0% excess oxygen, in accordance with the Ecodesign regulations.				

			

					

				
Obligation to provide a minimum number of car parking spaces exceeding BREEAM requirements - KBCN0401

				Where it can be demonstrated (by documentary evidence) an obligation to meet a ’minimum car parking requirement’ which exceeds the BREEAM benchmarks is imposed by the planning authority, as long as no more than the stipulated minimum spaces are provided, a single credit can be awarded.				

			

					

				
Occupancy calculation – Buildings with shift patterns - KBCN0431

				In buildings with shift patterns, as shifts may overlap, the building users calculation should be based on the maximum occupancy of the building at any given time.				

			

					

				
Occupancy rates – 24-hours consulting or treatment rooms - KBCN1258

				The default occupancy rate for 24-hour consulting or treatment areas in hospitals and care homes is 0.07.

Published pending reissue of the technical manual UKNC2014/REISSUE UKNC2018/REISSUE
03.11.2021 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual amended.
				

			

					

				
Occupant control – BMS and degree of control - KBCN0175

				A Building Management System controlled set point with local override controls limited to a set range would satisfy the occupant control requirement so long as the temperature range available to building users is confirmed as appropriate for the building type and user profile.				

			

					

				
Occupant control – spaces requiring user controls - KBCN0170

				This guidance is intended to clarify the types of area for which user controls are required or would be considered beneficial.

Zoning is required in all areas of the asset where specified in the assessment criteria. Please refer to the specific requirements of the applicable BREEAM standard to interpret this guidance appropriately.

User controls required

Spaces where users are expected to have independent control over their environment.

User controls not required

Spaces where users are not expected to have independent control over their environment.


14-Dec-2022 - KBCN applicability updated to include BIU. Wording clarified, and amended for compatibility with BIU criteria.
				

			

					

				
Off-site ecological enhancement - KBCN1495

				In line with LE 04 Criterion 4, in certain circumstances, BREEAM may recognise ecological enhancements which are not within the boundary of the site being assessed.

Off-site enhancement may be accepted where:

    
 	
  1. Assessment Route 2 is followed
    2. 
 	
  2. On-site enhancement is not possible, or the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) confirms that the proposed ecological enhancements are appropriate and more effective than can be done solely within the red line boundary.
    3. 
 	
  3. The enhancement is made within the “Zone of Influence” [See LE 02 - Definitions]
    4. 
 	
  4. There are arrangements in place for the on-going maintenance of the enhanced land. This could be demonstrated by compliance with LE 05
    5. 


Full justification and robust evidence must be submitted when relying on this approach.				

			

					

				
Off-site ecological enhancement - KBCN0651

				BREEAM does not recognise enhancements which are not within the boundary of the site being assessed, as the aims of the land use and ecology section relate to the ecological value and biodiversity of the specific site under assessment.

However, off-site ecological enhancement can be accepted where:

Full justification and robust evidence must be submitted when relying on this approach.

BREEAM recognises that the red-line boundary drafted for planning purposes may not reflect the entire site within the control of the developer or building owner.				

			

					

				
Off-site waste sorting - KBCN0696

				All schemes

Where a building's recyclable waste is collected regularly and sorted off-site, the aim of this issue can be met by:

This means providing evidence for all of the following:

    
 	
  1. A waste management plan which provides on-site storage between collections, adequately sized based on the frequency of collection.
    2. 
 	
  2. An on-going waste recycling contract.
    3. 
 	
  3. The typical recycling rates from the waste management company.
    4. 
 	
  4. A permanent structure (or internal space) within the asset site boundary that can be converted to comply with all criteria requirements. Layout drawings must be provided showing how this space could be converted in future, including meeting all relevant criteria for:
• User and vehicle access,
• Area requirements for waste storage,
• Appropriate size and number of containers for the expected waste streams, and
• Space allowance for any additional waste processing requirements e.g. compactors, composting containers, water outlets etc.
    5. 


BIU only

This KBCN applies to off-site sorting for construction waste arising from fit-out activities (Answer E, BIU V6, Rsc 02).

It does not apply to the storage of reusable construction products (Answer F, BIU V6, Rsc 02). This must be a permanent structure or space currently in the asset.

BREEAM assesses the sustainability of the intrinsic asset. Where robust management practices may be accepted as an alternative, BREEAM still requires that the asset's facilities have the potential for future conversion to achieve compliance.

09-Feb-2024 - Requirements clarified. Applicability updated to include construction waste storage for BIU V6 Rsc 02.
17-Jan-2024 - Scheme applicability updated.
16-Apr-2018 - Wording clarified.
				

			

					

				
Office equipment – mobile devices - KBCN00041

				Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, which are generally used without connection to an electrical power source, should be excluded from the assessment of the energy efficient equipment issue.

Devices which are not generally connected to an electrical power source when used are excluded from the 'office equipment' definition as they do not directly affect the unregulated energy consumption of the building.

 

 				

			

					

				
On site fabrication - KBCN1292

				Where concrete (or another construction product) is produced on site, there is no requirement to provide responsible sourcing certification for the end product. As in this case fabrication on site is effectively part of the onsite building process, the certification of the individual products (e.g. aggregates, cement), as delivered to site, shall be used in the assessment instead.				

			

					

				
On-demand public bus services - KBCN1404

				These can be recognised as follows:

This is limited to genuine on-demand bus services, which are operated as public transport with multiple pick-up and drop-off points and does not extend to private hire, taxi or other similar operations. 				

			

					

				
On-site LZC – whole site shared connection - KBCN1424

				To be recognised in BREEAM, the on-site Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) technology must have a direct physical connection to the assessed asset.

OR

Where the LZC technology is;

It is acceptable to allocate the renewable energy generated proportionally as a calculation of the asset's predicted energy consumption compared to the total energy consumption of the whole site.

To allocate renewable electricity by proportional consumption:

Where consumption data is missing, renewable electricity must not be allocated to the assessed asset. In this case, it is assumed that all electricity consumed is sourced from the grid.

17-Jan-2024 - Applicability BIU V6 Ene 13 removed, as this approach is not applicable to assessing the area of PV fitted.
21-Dec-2022 - Applicability to In-Use V6 confirmed.
24-Aug-2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed.
				

			

					

				
Only lifts in building are for persons with impaired mobility - KBCN1330

				Where the only lifts, escalators or moving walkways in the assessed development are for persons with imparied mobility with speeds no greater than 0.15m/s, and there are no lifts which fall within the scope of the criteria, the Issue should be filtered out of the assessment. Credits cannot be awarded by default.				

			

					

				
Operational waste – Additional requirements for multi-residential buildings with individual bedrooms and communal facilities only - KBCN1519

				These criteria are intended for situations where occupants of individual rooms have access to shared kitchens, which can be used to prepare food, regardless of whether central catering is also available.

In developments where all catering is managed centrally and no communal/shared kitchens are provided, these requirements do not apply.

If, for example, catering is managed centrally, but there are small satellite kitchens for staff to sort/reheat food for residents, the assessor must justify whether and to what extent recyclable waste will be generated in these kitchens and demonstrate that adequate recyclable waste storage provided as appropriate.				

			

					

				
Operational waste requirement for catering – applicability - KBCN1162

				The additional operational waste storage requirement for developments which include catering is generally only applicable where a commercial scale kitchen is present.

Where the design team can justify that there will be no significant waste streams from a modest facility, such as a small cafe, selling only drinks and pre-prepared snacks, the additional waste storage area identified in the default values does not need to be provided to meet compliance.				

			

					

				
Operational waste storage sizing - KBCN0560

				The dedicated space requirements given in the technical manual are default guidance, for situations where it is not possible to demonstrate the required size based on known waste streams.

Compliance can, therefore, be achieved provided that it is clearly demonstrated and evidenced that there is adequate justification for the type of facilities & size of waste storage provided, and that the assessor is satisfied that the sizes and facilities meet the criteria based on the building type, occupancy and the likely waste volumes generated as a result of these.				

			

					

				
Optimal Ecological Outcome - KBCN1265

				The optimal ecological outcome for a site can be defined as a solution that both, provides maximum benefit to the ecology, whilst accounting for other priorities for the development. This may result in several options/iterations and the most favourable option selected and justified, taking account of all site-specific considerations (for example scale, scope, size and any other priorities).				

			

					

				
Other buildings specified fittings worse than baseline - KBCN00021

				Where the performance of a sanitary fitting is worse than the baseline level, the baseline level as specified in the manual should be input as the level of performance in the Other Buildings calculator tab of the Wat 01 tool.

 				

			

					

				
Outdoor foundations - KBCN0787

				Outdoor foundations for lighting poles, bike racks, charging stations, etc., need to be included under hard landscaping, provided they are above the cut-off volume.				

			

					

				
Outdoor space – shared with other buildings - KBCN1045

				Where a building has existing external space, or will be developing new external space, that is or will be shared with other buildings, this can be deemed acceptable if the space meets the definition of ‘Outside space’ and is of a size able to cater for the building users of all the associated buildings.				

			

					

				
Outside space – Appropriate seating areas - KBCN1509

				For fully-fitted assessments, where the end-user is known, a compliant outside space must have suitable outdoor furniture installed . However, where justified by the design team, for shell only, shell and core and all speculative assessments, it is sufficient to provide evidence that an appropriate 'seating area' is provided including any associated hard landscaping, along with design drawings showing a suggested arrangement and type of furniture.

The installation of outdoor furniture at an incomplete and unoccupied building could lead to security issues and attract antisocial behaviour.

03/05/21 Wording amended to clarify the level of detail required for the future fit-out.
				

			

					

				
Outside space – Public realm - KBCN1508

				As per the definition, compliant outside space must be non-smoking. This requirement precludes compliance for areas within the public realm, where a non-smoking policy would be unenforceable.				

			

					

				
Park and Ride Schemes - KBCN0754

				'Park and ride' bus services run from one or more car parks to a city centre or other destination to allow travellers to park their car at a convenient location and complete their journey by bus. These generally stop at transport nodes en route to allow passengers to board or alight.

Provided the service meets the aim of the Issue with reference to the guidance, they can be considered for this Issue in the same way as any other bus service.				

			

					

				
Parking integral to development’s use - KBCN1145

				Dedicated on-site parking which is integral to the function of the development can be excluded from the calculation of parking capacity. Examples could include, but are not limited to:

The spaces are only to be used for this purpose, and must have appropriate signage and / or markings.				

			

					

				
Parking spaces with electric car recharging stations - KBCN00044

				Electric car spaces should be included in the total number of car parking spaces calculation for maximum car parking capacity.

Whilst electric cars provide benefits in terms of reduced emissions, they do not directly reduce congestion which is one of the aims of this issue.				

			

					

				
Part Shell and Core Part Fully Fitted assessment - KBCN0426

				This CN has been suspended and is currently undergoing technical review.				

			

					

				
Partial assessments - KBCN1001

				Where the assessment covers only some of the floors in the building, the roof must still be assessed as it is protecting the assessed building below. If the roof is directly above domestic accommodation (e.g. flats), the equivalent domestic Green Guide rating for the roof must be used, as opposed to the ratings for non-domestic roofs. Roof areas not protecting parts of the assessed building or space can be omitted from the assessment.				

			

					

				
Parts of the building not subject to national thermal regulations - KBCN0534

				Where you have parts of the assessed building which are not subject to national thermal regulations then these should be omitted from the EPR calculation.

24/08/2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Passive design analysis – Modelling the standard building when existing building elements are retained - KBCN1270

				In circumstances where an existing building element (e.g. a facade) is being retained it is acceptable to incorporate them into the modelling of the 'standard building' baseline, for the purpose of undertaking passive design analysis.

All other building elements should be modelled with fabric performance equivalent to that of the local Building Regulations Notional Building (or for Scotland, an equivalent compliant building) and without the passive design measures (where feasible i.e. building orientation is likely to be fixed).

				

			

					

				
Passive design analysis where Hea 04 is not applicable - KBCN1236

				Where Hea 04 is not applicable to the building type and options selected (for example an industrial building with no office areas), criterion 1 of Ene 04 is not applicable.				

			

					

				
Performance standards of BB101 - KBCN0249

				The Compliance Note ‘appropriate industry standards and criteria for schools’ must be followed, which states that Requirement a) of BB101 must be improved upon. Therefore if this improvement is achieved for performance standard a) then it is sufficient, for BREEAM compliance, for EITHER b) or c) of BB101 to be achieved.				

			

					

				
Playground or other specialist surfaces - KBCN0694

				Where the hard landscaping surface is specified to meet safety related performance (e.g. non-slip or soft surfaces for playgrounds) or particular performance related requirements (e.g. specialist sports performance surfaces such as astro-turf, netball courts and running tracks), then these surfaces can be omitted from the assessment. The standard specification of surfaces for multi-use areas (e.g. cement, tarmac, asphalt) must still be assessed.				

			

					

				
PMV and PPD reporting for mixed mode ventilation buildings - KBCN0632

				When assessing buildings where both naturally ventilated and air conditioned spaces are included, reporting the PMV and PPD indices is required.				

			

					

				
Point of use water heaters - KBCN0773

				Small 'point of use' water heaters can be excluded from the sub-metering requirements.

Only major energy consuming systems that have a measurable impact on the operational energy consumption need to be included.				

			

					

				
Pol 02 benchmarks – Oil-fired boilers - KBCN1208

				It has come to our attention that there is an error in Table 12.4 in Pol 02, relating to the NOx emission benchmarks for oil-fired boilers. The table below confirms the correct benchmarks.

 





Appliance type and unit
Fuel
1 credit (Low pollution location)
1 credit (High pollution location)
2 credits (Low pollution location)
2 credits (High pollution location)




Boiler (mg/kWh)
Oil
56 73
56
55 67
50






This will be confirmed in the next re-issue of the technical manual, but can be applied immediately in all issues of the UK NC2018 scheme.
				

			

					

				
Pollution Prevention Guidance documents - KBCN1051

				On 17 December 2015, the Pollution Prevention Guidance documents (PPGs) published by the Environment Agency were withdrawn. These can be found in the National Archives or on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency website where they are still current documents.

Many BREEAM schemes and the Home Quality Mark refer to these PPG documents as they are still considered to be best practice even though they have been withdrawn. Projects should continue to use the PPGs referenced in the relevant manuals.

BREEAM will continue to review this situation and provide an update as and when appropriate.

26 09 2018 Made applicable to Man 03 and Pol 03 in UK NC2018 and Man 03 in UK NC 2011, UK NC2014 and UKRFO 2014
				

			

					

				
Portable clothes drying racks - KBCN0164

				Portable clothes drying racks are not compliant.

These are not a fixed feature of the built asset and could be removed or moved to rooms which are not sufficiently ventilated.				

			

					

				
Post construction noise level testing - KBCN00043

				Noise level measurements do not need to be taken at the post construction stage if the acoustician has accurately modelled the noise level from the plant, using manufacturer's literature, and site measurements taken at the design stage. Any attenuation measures specified by the acoustician in their report must be confirmed as being present post construction.

If the acoustician has been unable to model the noise level accurately, post construction measurements are needed to demonstrate compliance.

Calculations and recommendations from the acoustician are relied on to be accurate and in keeping with best practice; attenuation measures are assumed to be specified and installed correctly. 

 				

			

					

				
Post Occupancy Evaluation – Bespoke - KBCN0678

				It is acceptable to use a bespoke POE providing that the assessor is satisfied that the methodology covers all relevant aspects of a compliant POE. The assessor should therefore refer to the further guidance on POE provided in the BREEAM technical manual for information on what a compliant POE methodology should contain, as copied below:
				

			

					

				
Post-construction measurement – formaldehyde / VOC levels exceed limits - KBCN0258

				If the measured formaldehyde / VOC concentrations were above the prescribed limits, the appropriate remedial action must be taken, as described in the IAQ Plan. The criterion requires confirmation of 'the measures that have or will be undertaken' however it does not specifically address re-testing. We would expect, however that the IAQ Plan should outline what remedial measures are appropriate depending upon the severity and type of the non-compliance with prescribed limits. Such measures may include re-testing as a matter of 'best practice'.

Where levels are found to exceed these limits, the project team confirms the measures that have, or will be undertaken in accordance with the IAQ plan, to reduce the TVOC and formaldehyde levels to within the above limits.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
				

			

					

				
Post-construction measurement – sampling methodology and KPIs - KBCN0380

				When testing for VOCs post-completion and pre-occupancy, a representative sample of the building needs to be carried out. Each sample TVOC and formaldehyde measurement needs to achieve the threshold levels individually, either in the initial testing or after remedial measures have been implemented. This ensures that all tested areas of the building are below the limits, and that areas of non-compliance are not ‘averaged out’.

'When providing KPI test results for air quality post-construction / pre-occupancy within scoring and reporting tool, where the limits are exceeded and remediation and re-testing are carried out, the figure should be an average for the whole building post-remediation, as this is the key figure that reflects the building at its certified state'.

Where testing is not a requirement of the IAQ Plan and this is not carried out, the original testing figures should be entered and the assessment report should provide details of the remediation measures undertaken to reduce these to within the prescribed limits.

10-Oct-2022 Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.
06-Dec-2017 Amended to account for situations where re-testing is not required by the IAQ Plan.
				

			

					

				
Post-construction measurement- TVOC concentration using BS ISO 16000-6: 2021 VOCs in air by active sampling - KBCN1642

				Where BS ISO 16000-6: 2021 VOCs in air by active sampling is used, the TVOC concentration measurement can be performed over a 40-60 minute period.				

			

					

				
Postal pick up service - KBCN0303

				An organisation's postal pick up service would not be sufficient to meet the criteria for this issue, even if the organisation guarantees a regular post picked up service equivalent to a post box. The aim of BREEAM is to assess performance of the built asset not necessarily the operational procedures of the organisation that will occupy the building. The operational procedures for the building's post service are reliant on the management of that building and can be altered at any time.				

			

					

				
Potential for natural ventilation – areas exempted - KBCN0806

				For projects where the majority of a building's occupied spaces will meet the criteria to achieve the potential for natural ventilation credit, but a relatively small area will not comply due to functional requirements of the space, (e.g. a lecture theatre), the credit can be awarded where this approach can be justified.

The intention is to encourage the design of buildings where a strategy of (potential for) natural ventilation has been implemented as far as practically possible, given functional constraints. 				

			

					

				
Potential for natural ventilation – mechanically ventilated and mixed mode assets - KBCN1533

				Scope of KBCN

This KBCN clarifies the associated compliance note for this credit.

Clarification

Mechanically ventilated and mixed mode assets can potentially achieve the 'potential for natural ventilation' credit by:

    
 	
  1. Meeting the relevant criteria for room depth and glazing area OR, where this is not possible:
    2. 
 	
  2. Show through modelling that the building has the potential to be ventilated entirely via a natural ventilation strategy.
    3. 


For 2. the second paragraph of the CN allows flexibility in demonstrating adaptability to an entirely natural ventilation strategy.

An asset can allow for mechanical ventilation for ≤ 5% of its annual operating hours to boost ventilation rates, and (for this credit) can still be considered to be a fully naturally ventilated strategy.

≤ 5% mechanical ventilation requirement

The focus of this credit is to demonstrate future adaptability to introduce fresh air into the asset for occupant comfort, so this requirement relates only to the time that mechanical systems are used to drive air through the asset. The use of active heating / cooling is not considered in this calculation.

Natural Ventilation Heat Recovery Units (NVHR) systems can also be used, provided it meets this ≤ 5% requirement.

≤ 5% is a weighted average over all of the asset's occupied spaces. The basis for the weighting will be determined by the modelling software used.

Scope and time scale of modelling

The modelling covers all occupied spaces. Where relevant, exclusions are allowed - see related KBCNs for details.

The modelling period is one year, during the asset's operating hours.

The modelling must be based on a plausible scenario that is realistic. This means that:


22-Oct-2022 Content from KBCN1126 merged to this KBCN.
				

			

					

				
Potential for natural ventilation – shell only assessments - KBCN0408

				Where compliance depends on a speculative layout which is unknown, it is the responsibility of the design team to demonstrate that it is feasible for a future tenant to achieve compliance in the relevant areas via the use of a notional layout.

This ensures that the shell allows the potential for compliance, and if this can be demonstrated the credit may be awarded.

 				

			

					

				
Potential for natural ventilation – use of doors to comply - KBCN0690

				Doors can only be used to demonstrate potential for natural ventilation where:

In all cases, the use of doors must be clearly and robustly justified by the Assessor.

19-Oct-2022 - Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Pre-demolition audit & diversion of resources from landfill - KBCN00025

				There is currently no requirement to carry out a pre-demolition audit to allow the award of the credit for diversion of resources from landfill.				

			

					

				
Pre-demolition audit – criterion 1d - KBCN1168

				To clarify, the comparison between actual waste arisings and waste management routes used with those forecast is to be drawn by re-visiting the pre-demolition audit, following completion of the relevant work.

The intent of this criterion is to draw lessons learnt from the project under assessment to inform future improvements. 

The pre-demolition audit criteria will be clarified in the next re-issue of the technical manual.
				

			

					

				
Pre-demolition audit – demolition in a later phase - KBCN1012

				Where the demolition of an existing building forms part of the works to enable the assessed development, a pre-demolition audit must be carried out to comply with the criteria, even if the demolition occurs as part of a later phase.

28/02/2018 Wording amended for clarity
				

			

					

				
Pre-demolition audit requirement - KBCN0243

				Where the site demolition/clearance does not form part of the principal contractor’s works, but has been undertaken by the developer for the purposes of enabling the assessed development, a pre-demolition audit must be carried out and referenced within the SWMP as per the guidance.

Where justification and robust evidence can be provided, the following exceptions may apply:

This requirement seeks to encourage good practice by developers and design teams in relation to previously developed sites.

28.03.2022 Reference to pre-refurbishment audit removed, and separate KBCN1504 drafted for pre-refurbishment audit exemptions.


11.12.2019 Additional exception added to align with KBCN1257 and guidance re-structured for clarity


22.11.2017 Reference added to the pre-refurbishment audit for RFO assessments.


15.11.2017 Wording amended for clarity
				

			

					

				
Pre-demolition audit/(pre-refurbishment) on other structures and hard surfaces - KBCN00045

				A pre-demolition/(pre-refurbishment) audit is required where any existing buildings, structures or hard surfaces are present on a development site.

The intent of the pre-demolition/(pre-refurbishment) audit is to ensure that any potentially useful materials are considered for re-use or diversion from landfill, not just materials resulting from buildings. 

22.11.17 Reference added to the pre-refurbishment audit for RFO assessments.
				

			

					

				
Pre-payment systems - KBCN0293

				Pre-payment systems do not meet the criterion for a cash machine and therefore cannot be used as an alternative.

Cash machines provide additional services for building users, such as cash to use in other shops, the checking of bank balances, which a pre-payment system would not provide.				

			

					

				
Pre-refurbishment/demolition audit – late development - KBCN0537

				Where the pre-refurbishment/demolition audit has not been done at RIBA stage 2/Concept Design, as required in the criteria, the credit can still be achieved. Robust evidence must be provided confirming that the timing of the pre-refurbishment/demolition audit has not compromised its ability to influence the design, consideration of materials re-use and the setting of targets for waste management. Evidence must demonstrate that this allowed decisions to be made before the start of strip-out/demolition works.

26.07.2018 Applicability of KBCN extended to include the UKNC2018 scheme.
				

			

					

				
Pre-requisite compliance at post construction - KBCN0667

				Criterion 1 is a pre-requisite, requiring early design advice to be given by a suitably qualified acoustician.  For the post construction review/assessment, evidence must confirm that this advice was given at the correct time, with the credits awarded based on the test results and performance of the building.  Where the pre-requisite requirements have not been met no credits can be awarded.				

			

					

				
Prediction of operational energy consumption – Multiple (similar) buildings assessments - KBCN1479

				Sampling is not appropriate to meet the aim of the criteria; it is necessary to model the predicted operational energy consumption of all assessed units.

Credits are awarded for undertaking the detailed modelling, therefore there is no requirement to identify the worst performing unit and KNCN1382 is not applicable.

24/08/2022 - Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Prediction of operational energy consumption – alternative route to Excellent minimum standard - KBCN1336

				Where the ‘Prediction of operational energy consumption’ criteria are achieved, the minimum standard for Excellent in Ene 01 is met.

This is independent of meeting any minimum credit score in the issue to achieve the Excellent minimum standard. See KBCN1602.

Substantial improvement

To meet this minimum standard, the asset must show a substantial improvement in operational energy performance, following the ’Prediction of operational energy consumption’ criteria.

This 'substantial improvement' is defined as achieving 4 credits using amended metrics generated using the dynamic simulation modelling and for:

Amended definitions

Performance is calculated based on amended definitions of an actual and a notional building:

Amended actual building:

Amended notional building:

*The notional building servicing system may be replaced with a gas boiler as the heat generation source.

Where the performance improvement over the amended notional building does not achieve 4 credits, the BREEAM Excellent standard may still be met. Robust evidence must be provided showing that this level of performance improvement is not possible, based on constraints outside of the control of the project team.

Additional notes for UK schemes

Projects assessed under UKNC V6.1 can manually input amended figures from the modelling into the platform to demonstrate the 'substantial improvement'. See "DSM Alternative Ene 01 inputs" in BREEAM Projects for this issue.

For the energy modelling and reporting criteria, the CO2 metric can be calculated using either:


08-Nov-2023 - Additional wording and link to KBCN1602 added to clarify situation for UK simple buildings.
26-Jun-2023 - Content updated to apply to International schemes. Title and wording clarified. Text on manual errata in NC 2018 3.0 moved to KBCN1602.
14-Jun-2023 - Note added to confirm this is integrated into the platform for UKNC V6.1 in all countries. 
24-Aug-2022 - Content updated and applied to UKNC V6
19-Aug-2019 - Clarification for UKNC 2018 3.0.
				

			

					

				
Prediction of operational energy consumption – passive design analysis - KBCN1647

				The credits for ‘Prediction of operational energy consumption’ in Ene 01 require the project team to have first identified opportunities to implement passive design measures.

For Ene 01, it is acceptable for the analysis of potential passive design measures to be completed later than Concept Design if there are still opportunities to implement passive design measures in the project.

The intention of including the criterion on passive design analysis in Ene 01 is to ensure passive design features that could reduce the operational energy demand of the building have been considered before credits are awarded for predicting operational energy demand. The analysis must occur when there are still opportunities to influence the design.				

			

					

				
Prediction of operational energy consumption – risk assessment - KBCN1477

				The risk assessment ensures that the asset (as designed) is able to achieve the predicted performance.

It identifies where differences between the design assumptions and the operational situation could negatively impact on energy performance, and proposes how these risks can be managed.

The risks that should be considered may include:

- Product specification and the management of value engineering decisions.
- Construction and installation considerations, particularly for complex or novel systems.
- Sensitivity to occupancy assumption (particularly for speculative projects).
- Appropriate commissioning of servicing systems.
- Making sure end users know how to operate the building as intended.

For risks that cannot be directly managed by the design team, (and may, for instance, be under the control of the contractor or asset owner), evidence should be provided showing how the recommendations of the risk assessment are communicated to these parties, and any agreed actions.

The risk assessment is not intended to be a complex document. It is a list of risks to changes in the design, and how they will be managed in a practical way.

The format of the risk assessment can vary, and could include:

- Annotations or comments in the energy modelling report.
- An addendum to the energy modelling report.
- A separate document.

If the risk assessment is part of another document, relevant sections and comments should be clearly highlighted so that QA can identify how the intent of the criteria has been met.				

			

					

				
Preliminary design workshop – RIBA stage requirement - KBCN1207

				In Issues 1.0 and 1.2 of the technical manual, Criterion 2 appears under the heading 'Prerequisite' and must be completed prior to the end of ‘Concept Design’ stage.

Clarification of the requirements in Ene 01:

The prerequisite currently states:

‘2. Prior to completion of the Concept Design, relevant members of the design team hold a preliminary design workshop focusing on operational energy performance.’

Clarified criterion (superfluous reference to 'Prerequisite' removed):

‘2. Involve relevant members of the design team in an energy design workshop, focusing on operational energy performance (see Methodology).'

This will be confirmed in the next re-issue of the technical manual, but can be applied immediately in all issues of the UK NC2018 scheme.
				

			

					

				
Prerequisite – Alternative compliance for Route 2 - KBCN1475

				The purpose of the prerequisite (Criterion 2) is to ensure that there is ecological value to be managed and maintained.

To align fully with this aim, the following additional route to meeting the prerequisite can be considered compliant (see 2.c):

2.b: Comprehensive route (Route 2) - Criterion 8 in LE 03 has been achieved, and at least one credit under LE 04 for 'Change and Enhancement of Ecology' has been awarded. [Criterion 6]

OR

2.c: Comprehensive route (Route 2) - Criterion 8 in LE 03 has been achieved and one credit under LE 04 for 'Ecological Enhancement' has been awarded [Criteria 4 and 5]

 				

			

					

				
Prerequisite for BREEAM AP credits (Concept and Developed Design) - KBCN1050

				Agreeing on strategic performance targets aims to ensure BREEAM is considered early enough to influence the design and that relevant requirements do not increase the cost due to their late consideration. The project is not penalised if these targets are not met as the BREEAM credits can still be awarded. Justification should, however, be provided explaining the reasons why the targets have not been met.				

			

					

				
Previously developed land – temporary structures - KBCN0659

				The presence of concrete and hardstanding areas established as temporary structures for enabling works are not considered to be previously developed land on a site.

The nature of enabling works are temporary; with the purpose of enabling the delivery of a development and are not constructed to be permanent. Temporary structures of this kind are not included in the definition of previously developed land no matter how long they have been present on a site.				

			

					

				
Previously developed land- Definition of ‘Curtilage’ - KBCN0148

				Although the local authority may determine the buildings curtilage in relation to planning matters, in relation to BREEAM, curtilage is considered as the small area immediately surrounding the building which comprises of hard landscaping and / or permanent fixed structures and minor areas of soft landscaping. Large expanses of soft landscaping should be excluded from the calculations.

 				

			

					

				
Previously occupied land – Fixed surface infrastructure - KBCN1140

				Car parks and other hard-landscaped areas often incorporate small pockets of soft landscaping. Where these are integral to the hard landscaping and constitute a small proportion of the total area, these areas can be considered as part of the fixed surface infrastructure.				

			

					

				
Previously occupied land – multi-use games areas (MUGAs) - KBCN1464

				For education assessments, playing fields are considered previously occupied land if an equivalent area of playing field is reinstated on land of low ecological value within one year of completing the construction works.

Multi-use games areas (MUGA) or similar are also acceptable as replacements for playing fields.				

			

					

				
Previously occupied land – multiple assessed buildings - KBCN1093

				For sites with multiple assessed buildings, where it is not possible to clearly define separate development footprints for each building, the assessment can be done on a site-wide basis.

In this approach, the boundary of the development footprint is considered to be the whole site.

This overall result is used to assess compliance for each included BREEAM assessment.

20-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Private transport measures – no car parking provision - KBCN1368

				Options 4 and 5 cannot be awarded by default when there is no car parking provided.

Consultations indicated that compliance with maximum car parking capacity criteria was being achieved through projects conforming to external requirements and limitations (e.g. planning conditions or limited site area), rather than through actively seeking to reduce reliance on transport by private car.

Instead, where no car parking is provided, Option 11 may be available. KBCN1135 gives instructions on the requirements applicable to achieve the Option. Review by BRE for using Option 11 is still required, as stated in the manual.				

			

					

				
Process Notes - KBCN0611

				Process notes can be accessed by licensed assessors here.

When a new process note has been released, you may be required to tick the box to confirm you have read the note to be able to access other documents in BREEAM Projects. To do this scroll to the bottom of the Process Note index page and tick the box and click next.



 				

			

					

				
Process water to offset potable water demand - KBCN0586

				Where it is demonstrated that it is safe to do so, process water resulting from the building under assessment, can be considered for off-setting potable water demand from components that would otherwise be supplied using potable water, when in line with the criteria requirements for greywater systems.

Process water resulting from the building under assessment can be considered as a form of greywater for the purposes of off-setting potable water demand.

21 Dec 2021 Additional wording added, requiring it to be demonstrated that process water is safe to use and KBCN applied to BIU standards.
				

			

					

				
Process: Project team member no longer operational - KBCN0590

				In situations where a member of the project team is no longer operational, for example where a company has gone in to liquidation or administration, and the assessor is unable to obtain the required evidence to meet the requirements of BREEAM schemes and HQM, any credits affected must be withheld.

Whilst BRE appreciate and sympathise with the circumstances surrounding these types of situations, BREEAM schemes and HQM rely upon an auditable trail of evidence with which to award credits. This trail of evidence is used to demonstrate how criteria have been met. BREEAM standards and HQM must be applied consistently to all developments undertaking assessment to ensure that certificates issued provide an accurate and consistent representation of the level achieved.

If the necessary evidence cannot be presented and the assessor deems it insufficient to demonstrate compliance in accordance with the schedule of evidence then credits should not be awarded.				

			

					

				
Process: Registration date and applicable scheme manual issue - KBCN0708

				Typically the scheme technical manual issue which is current when a project is registered should be used for the assessment. For example, if a BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 development was registered on 01/07/2016, the current issue of the scheme technical manual at that point would be issue 4.1, which was published on 11/03/2016 (the next issue 5.0 of the technical manual was published on 05/09/2016). However, it is permissible for the assessor to decide to use a later issue of the technical manual. The scheme technical manual version and issue used for the assessment should be clearly referenced within the assessment report.

Note that in any case, the same technical manual version and issue should be used for the entire assessment. It is not acceptable to assess different credits based on different issues of the technical manual and it is not acceptable to change issues between submissions of the assessment.

26 09 17 Clarification added that the 'Issue' of the technical manual may not be changed between assessment submissions
				

			

					

				
Product classification code for ‘Other’ materials/products - KBCN1229

				In the ‘MAT02_EPDSchedule’ sheet of the Mat01/02 Results Submission Tool, the product classification ‘P8’ should be entered for products classified as ‘other’ (according to the mat 02 materials classification table in the technical manual).				

			

					

				
Project delivery planning – Operational Energy - KBCN1237

				There is no interdependence between the Ene 01 requirement and achieving Man 01. The reference of Ene 01 within Man 01 Operational Energy aims to highlight what aspects of operational energy the design team should be considering in terms of Man 01 (and assuming Ene 01 is being targetted). If Ene 01 is not being targetted, then the reference is not relevant. However, compliance with Man 01 would still require appropriate consideration of operational energy.
				

			

					

				
Projected climate change weather file - KBCN0117

				Although other scenarios are available, for the thermal simulation of climate change environments, the 50th percentile weather file should be used for consistency with other assessments.

03.11.2020 Amendment made to include this information in issue 2.0 of UK RFO 2014 technical manual, but this KBCN is applicable to all issues of the technical manual.
				

			

					

				
Proposed development – definition for use in assessment - KBCN1255

				The correct definition to use for the assessment of LE01 is 'Proposed development'.

The definition of 'Development footprint' will be removed and Criterion 1 clarified in the next re-issue of the technical manual.				

			

					

				
Protecting vulnerable parts of the building from damage – underground car parks - KBCN1331

				Exposed elements, such as columns in an underground car park, should have been designed against structural damage from minor vehicle collision and, therefore, do not require any additional protection to meet compliance for this BREEAM Issue. Assessors should, however, consider whether additional protection is required at the vehicular entrance to underground car parks.

The requirements are intended to address the issue of damage to vulnerable parts of the facade, which would require repair/replacement in the event of minor vehicular collisions.				

			

					

				
Provision of fresh drinking water – risk of contamination - KBCN0302

				Mandatory requirements relating to microbial contamination must be met for all buildings, however, the provision of fresh drinking water only applies where there are relevant areas in the building types. It may be justified that the drinking water requirement is not applicable to achieve the credit.

 

 				

			

					

				
Proximity to amenities – Multi-residential assessments - KBCN0357

				The single credits are awarded independently of each other i.e. you may have the three amenities within 500m but not the eight within a 1000m or vice versa.

 				

			

					

				
PTAL report supporting evidence - KBCN0230

				For developments in Greater London where a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) report is provided, this report does not need to be supplemented by additional evidence to demonstrate compliance with criteria. The assessor should be satisfied that the PTAL report is current and accurately relates to the assessed site.				

			

					

				
PTAL web-links - KBCN0705

				For a detailed description of the PTAL methodology, see the 'Assessing transport connectivity in London' document at the following link:

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/connectivity-assessment-guide.pdf

The link to calculate your PTAL score is:

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/urban-planning-and-construction/planning-with-webcat/webcat

UK NC2014 Technical manual - hyperlinks to be updated accordingly in next re-issue.
				

			

					

				
Public car parks - KBCN00092

				Any public car parks in the vicinity of the assessed building, for which the building owners/operator are not providing some form of subsidy or an agreement with the car park operators to provide priority spaces for building staff, can be excluded from the assessment.

 				

			

					

				
Public transport information system – requirements - KBCN1244

				This transport measure requires the provision of a ‘system’, installed in a suitable location, which displays up-to-date information on local public transport systems. This could include a ‘real time’ display or other innovative system which allows building users to plan their travel on a daily basis, based on current transport information.

The provision of paper timetables or a notice board cannot be considered compliant for this transport measure.

Solutions which rely on smartphone ownership cannot be considered compliant. Whilst smartphone use is widespread, it is not universal, therefore such solutions cannot be considered as meeting the needs of all potential building users.

1st Sep 2023 - Note added regarding smartphone-based solutions.
5th March 2021 - Wording updated to clarify the intent.
				

			

					

				
Rainwater harvesting standard – BS 8515:2009 replacement - KBCN1179

				BS 8515:2009 (+A1:2013 where relevant) has been withdrawn and replaced by BS EN 16941-1:2018, which can be used for new assessments.

The basic approach in BS EN 16941 is equivalent to the intermediate approach in BS 8515 is. The detailed approach is still described in the same way.

The relevant schemes will be updated in the next reissues.
03.11.2021 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual amended.
				

			

					

				
Raised access floors - KBCN00018

				For the purposes of Mat 03, raised access floors should be considered as part of the floor structure.

HQM - Applies to HQM's Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products assessment issue.				

			

					

				
Re-used electrical equipment - KBCN0325

				BREEAM does not currently recognise the reuse of electrical equipment as the most energy efficient option for compliance with this issue. If it can be demonstrated that such existing electrical appliances meet the criteria for inclusion in the relevant national or international energy efficient equipment schemes, these can be considered compliant.

If new equipment is procured in addition to the re-use of the old equipment, the existing equipment may be excluded from this assessment. In these situations the assessor must be satisfied that the new equipment would make a meaningful reduction to overall unregulated energy consumption.

This issue assesses the reduction of unregulated energy consumption in operation and does not currently assess embodied energy in the manufacture of equipment. 				

			

					

				
Recognised local ecological expertise - KBCN1193

				Organisations/individuals that have the expertise to provide specialist input or guidance to inform the adoption of locally relevant (within the zone of influence) ecological measures that enhance the ecological value of the site.  This may include bodies such as:
a. Local Government and other statutory relevant organisations.
b. Local community groups, organisations, or charities, such as the Wildlife Trusts.
c. Local, regional, or national fauna focused groups such as Bug life, RSPB, Bat Conservation Trust etc.

This definition will be added to the relevant technical manuals in their next re-issue.
				

			

					

				
Recyclable, general and organic waste storage – Space, labelling and segregation - KBCN1577

				Strategies may vary according to the specifics of each project, their waste streams and collection arrangements.

The aim of these requirements is to encourage recycling, ensuring that it is correctly sorted and to prevent cross-contamination of waste streams.

Labelling the recycling area
This is required to alert building users and collection agencies to the location of the recycling facility.

Labelling each recyclable waste stream
This can be done by labelling the bins or their dedicated space within the recycling facility, or both.

Co-mingled recyclable waste
This must be labelled, as above. See also additional requirements outlined in KBCN0696

General or organic waste
Sufficient space for general and, where relevant, organic waste is required in addition to meeting the requirements for recyclable waste. This does not have to be within a separate facility, but if combined with recyclable waste storage, there is greater risk of cross-contamination. The following requirements therefore apply in this situation:

Shell only/Shell and core projects
Please also refer to KBCN1380				

			

					

				
Recycled aggregate evidence prior to contractor’s appointment - KBCN0231

				If the contractor has not been appointed at the time of submitting the Design Stage assessment, whilst it is imperative for the design team to demonstrate a firm commitment to meet the criteria and award the credit at this stage, a letter from the design team or developer to confirm that no contractor has been appointed should be submitted in lieu of the stated letter of confirmation. This should also be clarified in the Assessment Report.

BREEAM recognises that it may not be desirable to confirm the specification, source and availability of a particular recycled aggregate for a project where the contractor has not been appointed yet. This would restrict the contractor's ability to source the most economically viable recycled aggregate to meet the BREEAM criteria. 				

			

					

				
Recycled aggregates requirements - KBCN0343

				The amount of recycled and/or secondary aggregate must be greater than 25% of the total amount of high-grade aggregate specified for the development. In order for the recycled/ secondary aggregate in each high-grade application to be included in the calculation of the 25% amount, the minimum percentages in the relevant table must first be met.

Note: not all high-grade applications must meet the percentages in the table in order to award a credit, however all high-grade aggregate must be included in the total.

 

The following example is taking figures from UK NC 2014. The applications and percentages vary with each scheme version.

If only Structural Frame, Building foundations and Granular fill/capping are present. The following calculation would be carried out to confirm compliance:

Structural Frame = 50 tonnes of aggregate; of which 5 tonnes is recycled/ secondary aggregate


Building foundations = 50 tonnes of aggregate; of which 8 tonnes is recycled/ secondary aggregate


Granular fill/capping = 80 tonnes of aggregate; of which 80 tonnes is recycled/ secondary aggregate

 

Table 54 minimum percentages are:

Structural Frame must have 15% recycled/ secondary aggregate for 1 credit, i.e. at least 15% of 50 = 7.5 tonnes. In our example we have 5 tonnes, therefore this amount cannot be included in the total calculation, and all 50 tonnes must be considered as primary aggregate.


Building foundations must have 20% recycled/ secondary aggregate for 1 credit, i.e. at least 10 tonnes. We have 8 tonnes, so again, this must all be considered as primary aggregate.


Granular fill/capping must have 100% recycled/ secondary aggregate for 1 credit. In our example all 80 tonnes is, therefore this amount can be considered as recycled/ secondary aggregate.

 

To determine if a credit can be awarded, the following calculation is then carried out:

Total aggregate; 50 + 50 + 80 = 180 tonnes
Aggregate to be included in calculating % = 80 tonnes (Granular fill/capping only)
% therefore is 80/180 = 44% which exceeds the 25% minimum

This shows that despite two high-grade applications not meeting the minimum threshold percentages, the overall % is sufficient to award the credit.

The same principle applies to the calculation of the Exemplary level criteria.				

			

					

				
Recycled and sustainably sourced aggregate – Compliance prior to contractor’s appointment - KBCN1097

				If the contractor has not been appointed at the time of submitting the Design Stage assessment and, as a result, there is insufficient information available to complete the Wst 02 Calculator Tool, this should be clarified in the Assessment Report.

The following documentary evidence from the design team must also be provided:

BREEAM does not seek to restrict the contractor’s ability to source the most economically viable recycled or sustainably sourced aggregate.

12 05 2022 Wording amended to improve clarity
				

			

					

				
Recycled materials in hard landscaping - KBCN0975

				When recycled material is to be used for hard landscaping, the Green Guide rating will depend on whether the material comes from the same site or from another location.

Typically, on-site recycled material is treated with very little impact, or ignored, as there is little or no energy/material input in putting it in place. When recycled material is brought in from elsewhere, transport, as well as any processing the material has gone through to make it fit for purpose, will be taken into account.

If the assessor is in doubt, they need to submit a landscaping proforma along with any supporting documentation on the materials and their use and BRE will provide a rating and/or guidance.				

			

					

				
Reduction of night time light pollution – Night-time operation - KBCN0697

				Note: This KBCN supersedes INC 2016/INC V6 Pol 04 CN3.1 

During hours of operation between 23:00 and 07:00, lighting required for operational reasons does not have to be modified for BREEAM compliance.

The aim of this Issue is to reduce light pollution by automatically switching off the external lighting or by complying with lower levels when the building is not in use.

 

 

23 Jan 2023 - Note added to address conflict with INC Pol 04 CN3.1. KBCN title updated for consistency - The technical manual will be updated accordingly in the next re-issue
008 Mar 2018 Wording amended to add clarity.
				

			

					

				
Regenerative drives – requirement for specification - KBCN1253

				Requirements for the specification of a regenerative drive for lift installations are subject to an analysis of resultant energy savings. However, where it can be demonstrated that this is not financially viable, accounting for payback over the service life of the installation, this option can be discounted.

Please also refer to other scheme-specific guidance relating to this requirement.				

			

					

				
Registering assessments to UK NC2018 or UK NC V6 – Version of Part L - KBCN1535

				BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 was developed for buildings in England which are demonstrating compliance against Part L 2013. The New Construction V6 version is intended for buildings in England which are demonstrating compliance against Part L 2021.

Accordingly, UK NC 2018 will only accept 'inp' files created using Part L 2013 building regulations software for England and UK NC V6 will only accept 'inp' files created using Part L 2021 building regulations software for England.

 

Assessments already registered to BREEAM UK NC 2018 that must comply with the Part L 2021 of the Building Regulations may follow either of the options below:

    
 	
  1.  Transfer to the UK NC V6 scheme
    2. 
 	
  2. Assess under UK NC 2018 and do two Part L models:
    3. 



New assessments subject to Part L 2021 may register to UK NC V6 or follow Option 2, above.

10 Feb 2023 - Applied to Issue Ene 01 to improve visibility
				

			

					

				
Relating drainage reports to BREEAM – GN15 and GN38 - KBCN1169

				Guidance Note 15 (GN15) and Guidance Note 38 (GN38) have been produced to help assist BREEAM Assessors relate the contents of drainage reports to the ‘Surface water run-off’ and ‘Minimising watercourse pollution’ criteria in Pol 03. They do not cover the criteria for the ‘Flood resilience’.

We have published two separate Guidance Notes because there are small, but significant, differences between the criteria in the two schemes (UK NC 2014 and UK NC 2018). This means that the Guidance Notes are not interchangeable:

Note: Completing either template is optional. They are aids for demonstrating compliance and are not a requirement.				

			

					

				
Relating green roofs to multiple assessments in the same building - KBCN1195

				A green roof on top of such buildings can be used to award credits for each assessment for which the Land use and ecology Issues apply. The benefit can be applied to to all assessments undertaken for the building provided all are completed within the appropriate time-frame of a valid ecological survey.				

			

					

				
Remedial works – timing of acoustic re-testing - KBCN1164

				The intent of CN "Remedial works" is that, where these are required, re-testing is carried out prior to handover and occupation.

However, it is permissible to carry out the re-testing post-occupation. This is provided any specific guidance for particular building types related test conditions have been met (for instance, it may be that some building specific guidance requires furniture or carpets to not be present during the testing).

Compliance cannot be achieved based on a letter from the SQA confirming that the contractor has followed their advice to achieve the required performance.

07.11.18 KBCN amended to allow for re-testing to be carried-out post-handover.
				

			

					

				
Reporting PPD and PMV Figures - KBCN0867

				The PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) and PPD (Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied) values need to be entered into the scoring & reporting tool for data recording purposes.

The thermal modelling specialist should be able to provide values for both the PMV and PPD for the asset.

The values to report are the observed range of values for PMV and PPD:

If the software or calculation method used does not generate these PMV / PPD metrics, they do not have to be provided.

[accordion]

[accordion_block title="Example"]

An asset has the following thermal comfort ranges across its occupied spaces:

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15.09.22 Wording and example clarified.
				

			

					

				
Responsible construction management – corporate registration - KBCN1084

				Where credits are awarded for the assessment of the site against a compliant scheme, corporate registration, which assesses the contractor's overall operations and performance across multiple sites, is not in itself recognised.

To award considerate construction credits, BREEAM requires the assessment of the specific assessed development, in line with the criteria				

			

					

				
Responsible construction practices – Demolition or strip-out - KBCN1257

				
Demolition or strip-out undertaken by a previous site owner or by the current owner, as part of a significantly earlier site clearance



 Demolition or strip-out undertaken by the current developer to enable the assessed development


 

1 Project scale

For smaller contractors/projects, for ‘Monitoring of construction site impacts’ and ‘Environmental management’, it may be acceptable to demonstrate that the intent of the criteria has been met for this stage of works, as far as possible. This should be proportionate to the scale and risks associated with the demolition or strip-out. In such cases, the approach should be fully justified and evidenced.

12 Jan 2022 Wording and title updated to clarify the intent.
				

			

					

				
Responsible construction practices – Multiple contractors on the same project - KBCN0352

				It is the site that must comply with BREEAM issues rather than any individual contractor. Several different contractors may have obligations to meet compliance criteria. One of the contractors and/or site managers may have responsibility for ensuring compliance during site operations. It is ultimately the client/project team's responsibility to determine and demonstrate compliance.				

			

					

				
Responsible sourcing – Apportioning areas within a building - KBCN1334

				Where there are common elements between the various areas within a building, for example where multiple assessments are conducted for different parts of a building, or where one area of a building is under assessment and others are not, an apportioned approach can be taken to Mat 03. 

For products following Route 2, an allocation process can be considered acceptable. An explanation of the allocation process used should be provided and the following guidance applies; 

Common elements (e.g. roof, foundations, external walls etc) - apportion a percentage of the total impact of the element to each assessment based on their percentage share of the GIFA (e.g. if an assessment accounts for 10% of the total GIFA, 10% of the element's impact is apportioned to that assessment) 

Elements that are only in a given assessment (e.g. internal partitions, internal finishes etc.)- 100% of the impact is allocated to the assessment they are in. 

Route 1 products do not take in to account quantities so, if they are common element, they will still need to be included in the assessment. 				

			

					

				
Responsible Sourcing – Scope when a BREEAM assessment covers only part of the new building - KBCN1217

				To give reliable results, the assessment of responsible sourcing must capture the interactions that occur across an entire design (the system). A design decision in one part of the design will, in many cases, cause knock-on effects to other parts of the design. If only part of a building being designed is included in the assessment the designer may choose a design option that optimises responsible sourcing performance for the limited part analysed, but will be unaware of potential detrimental effects to the overall responsible sourcing performance of the building.

In addition, if a responsible sourcing assessment only includes the construction products that form the BREEAM assessment area, inconsistencies arise with regards to construction products that serve all areas of the building in common. For example, an assessment on a central floor that excludes the roof, compared with an assessment on the (otherwise identical) top floor that does include the roof. This approach would be unfair.

Therefore, notwithstanding the exception below for internal finishes, the responsible sourcing scope must include the whole building design (as defined in Mat 03, 'Scope of assessment') even if the area covered by BREEAM assessment is only part of the design.

The exception to this is any construction products classified as '3. Internal finishes'. Internal finishes are specific to each part of the building with little or no functional relationship with other parts. Therefore, the scope of the assessment of internal finishes shall be limited to the assessed area only.				

			

					

				
Responsible Sourcing – Evidence requirements for two (or more) BREEAM assessments on different parts of the same new building - KBCN1218

				As the responsible sourcing assessment work must cover the whole new building design (see KBCN1217 'Measuring Responsible Sourcing - Scope when a BREEAM Assessment covers only part of the new building design'), it is equally applicable to all BREEAM assessments being carried out on the building, with the exception of internal finishes.

If the assessment scope does not include any construction products classified as '3. Internal finishes', the same responsible sourcing assessment evidence may be submitted for each BREEAM assessment.

If the assessment scope does include construction products classified as '3. Internal finishes', then the responsible sourcing assessment evidence submitted must be unique to each BREEAM assessment.				

			

					

				
Responsibly sourced timber – government licence - KBCN1033

				A government licence, e.g. a UK Forestry Commission felling licence certificate, can be used as evidence of legally sourced timber. It does not meet the definition of a third party timber certification scheme so cannot demonstrate compliance with the responsible sourcing requirements of this Issue.				

			

					

				
Restricted movement within a secure perimeter - KBCN000009

				Where the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles is tightly controlled within a secure perimeter due to security considerations, these areas may be excluded from the safe access criteria. Where the whole assessment is within such a zone, the credit may be awarded by default.

08 Jun 2022 Applicability to UK NC2018 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Retail/Industrial showroom assessments - KBCN1178

				For Retail/Industrial showroom assessments, Tra 04 is not applicable as suggested in the Retail/Industrial Showroom Appendix.

In order to remove the applicability of Tra 04 for this building type on BREEAM Projects, please select any of the retail types of buildings under Tra 03, so that credits under Tra 04 become unavailable.

Regarding the assessment of Tra 03, please continue to refer to the ‘industrial’ building criteria of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 technical manual as per Retail/Industrial Showroom Appendix.				

			

					

				
Retail/Industrial Showrooms Appendix - KBCN1115

				This Criteria Appendix has been developed for developments such as car showrooms which incorporate both retail and industrial areas. The appendix clarifies, for specific BREEAM issues, which criteria are applicable to each area of the assessment. This should be read in conjunction with the relevant scheme version of the BREEAM UK  technical manual. This is applicable to BREEAM UK New Construction 2014, 2018 and V6 and BREEAM UK RFO 2014.

Such assessments should be registered against the 'Retail' building type and the Appendix will soon be available for download in the guidance for 'Retail' assessments for each relevant scheme on BREEAM Projects.

In the meantime, the Criteria Appendix can be requested by emailing [email protected]

22/09/2022 Applicability to UK NC V6 confirmed
22/05/2018 The title of this appendix has been changed and additional information provided. This includes removal of the specific reference to 'Car Showrooms' in order to clarify that this approach can be applied to other similar retail developments, which include industrial servicing areas.
				

			

					

				
Retaining wall acting as site boundary protection - KBCN0304

				Where a retaining wall also acts as the site boundary protection it must be excluded from assessment in this issue as boundary protection is not its primary function.

 				

			

					

				
Reversible heat pump (VRF) providing both heating and cooling - KBCN0735

				Where a reversible heat pump, which provides heating and cooling on reverse cycle with heat recovery, is used, the cooling capacity only should be used for the Direct Effect Life Cycle CO2e emissions (DELC) calculation.

The cooling capacity of heat humps is normally less than the heating capacity, so compliance against the criteria will be based on the more challenging DELC value calculated.				

			

					

				
Reward Scale for UKNC LE04 - KBCN1376

				Guidance Note 36 outlines a rewards scale (table 9) for the credits awarded in LE04, Ecological Change and Enhancement.
Table 9 breaks down the credits into 4 sections:

    
 	
  1. Minimising loss
    2. 
 	
  2. No net loss
    3. 
 	
  3. Net Gain
    4. 
 	
  4. Significant net gain
    5. 


For UKNC 2018, sections 1-3 correspond to the 3 credits awarded when a project follows the comprehensive route. Exemplary level credits are given if section 4 is achieved.

 

 				

			

					

				
RGB LED lighting - KBCN0986

				RGB LED lighting must be assessed against the average external lighting efficacy benchmark.

The current criteria do not completely rule out the use of RGB LED lighting as it can potentially be combined with other types of external lighting to meet the average efficacy benchmark.				

			

					

				
RIBA Stages 2007/2013 - KBCN0404

				RIBA has published guidance on equating 2007 RIBA stages to the revised Plan of Work 2013. Please see publication 'RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Overview' which can be downloaded from the RIBA website www.architecture.com.

 				

			

					

				
RICS category for roof terraces - KBCN1344

				Roof decks and terraces should be categorised under 2.3.2 ‘Roof coverings’				

			

					

				
Risk to Ecologist’s safety - KBCN0704

				In some situations a significant safety risk may prevent a suitably qualified ecologist from attending the site to undertake a site survey. In these cases a desktop study can be used to demonstrate compliance, where the ecologist confirms that it is an acceptably robust substitute.

In these cases, the assessor must provide evidence to confirm the type of significant safety risk present.

 				

			

					

				
Robust Details – Testing requirements - KBCN1251

				For self-contained dwellings, which form part of a Multi-residential assessment, compliance can be demonstrated where the use of constructions for all relevant building elements have been registered with and assessed and approved by Robust Details Limited (RDL) and found to achieve the performance standards required for the number of credits sought.

Robust Details (RDs) are construction solutions that provide an alternative to pre-completion sound insulation testing as a method of complying with Requirements E1 of Approved Document E (2003 Edition) of the Building Regulations (England and Wales), DOE Technical Booklet G - Sound 2012 (Northern Ireland) and Technical Handbook Section 5 - Noise, 2013 (Scotland). The relevant plots on a development must be registered with RDL and built in accordance with the RD specification. To give a reasonable level of assurance that these details will achieve the required minimum standards, RDL carry out random inspections during construction and random sound insulation tests after construction. A Robust Detail is deemed to be approved for BREEAM (Multi-residential building) credits only when it achieves a specified performance level as assessed by RDL. Robust Details can only be used in relation to assessment for new build dwellings and cannot be used to assess the performance of construction details in rooms for residential purposes or material change of use.				

			

					

				
Role of the SQE in planning and measures on-site - KBCN1372

				The main role of the Suitably Qualified Ecologist for 'planning and measures on-site' is to make recommendations in their Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. It is important that these are incorporated into the project’s scheduling, management and resources and that ultimately, they are implemented in practice. The person coordinating this does not need to be the SQE, as long as this individual has the appropriate level of authority to take the relevant actions and the methodology is followed. At post-construction stage, evidence needs to demonstrate these measures are implemented in practice, through site visits and appropriate evidence. In some cases, the SQE may need to be involved themselves in checking their recommendations are implemented for certain measures, if they consider this is required. However, if this is required, it would be up to the SQE to confirm in their Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.

 				

			

					

				
Room acoustics – residential institutions in Scotland - KBCN1512

				For projects in Scotland, Approved Document E3 of the Building Regulations shall be used as the benchmark for the assessment of room acoustics.

This Approved Document covers reverberation in the common areas of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes.

This addresses the absence of relevant requirements in the Scottish building regulations for this building type and ensures consistency between assessments.				

			

					

				
Rounding the number of parking spaces - KBCN0602

				Where the calculated number of car parking spaces is a fraction of a whole number, this should be rounded down to the next whole number to assess the issue.

Fewer parking spaces are preferable as the more sustainable solution.

 				

			

					

				
RSCS summary score level for BES 6001 products - KBCN0955

				For products certified under BES 6001, the rating score (between 5 and 7) can be found in the Green Book Live. This is the rating that needs to be entered in the Mat 03 calculator.

The RSCS score that is entered into the Mat 03 calculator comes from the relevant table in Guidance Note 18. However, for BES 6001, the score is per certificate because 6001 works at different levels of rigour. 

Once you have found the product, by searching on the page below, click 'More..' on the right-hand side to reveal further details, including the BREEAM score level.

GreenBookLive Responsible Sourcing				

			

					

				
Safe access – vehicle delivery routes - KBCN1046

				Vehicle delivery routes which cross cycle or pedestrian routes may be acceptable provided there are adequate physical control measures in place to ensure safe access and thus minimise the possibility of delivery vehicles coming into conflict with cyclists and pedestrians.

Examples of such measures could be vehicle barriers or retractable vehicle bollards, which only allow access to delivery vehicles when required and whose operation and controls account for cycle and pedestrian movements.

18 Mar 2021 wording clarified


07.06.2018 Intent and wording clarified.
				

			

					

				
Safe access criteria requirements for small infill developments and extensions - KBCN0810

				For smaller infill developments (typically those with a total gross floor area of less than 1,000m2) where there is no opportunity to make changes to the surrounding site or access to the building itself (other than those directly related to connecting building access points to existing pathways etc.), it is recognised that full compliance with the BREEAM criteria for safe access may not be achievable.  This applies to developments where either:

In such instances the existing site layout should undergo a risk assessment against the BREEAM 'Safe Access' criteria to identify areas where there is potential for enhancement across the site.  The findings should be reported to the client and design team and any non-compliant aspects should be resolved as far as practically possible within the scope of the project, however there is no express requirement to achieve full compliance in every respect.  Where the assessor is satisfied that the above requirements have been met,  the credit for 'Safe access' can be awarded.

31/03/17 Reference to achieving 'Security' credit removed
				

			

					

				
Safe pedestrian routes: definition, measurement and verification - KBCN0238

				Definition
Safe pedestrian routes include pavements and safe crossing points, which may be controlled or, for example, be identified by tactile paving, a crossing island or a dropped kerb. An element of judgement may be required, in which case justification should be provided.

Measurement
Distances could be measured, for example, along a pavement, across a road at a safe crossing point and along the pavement on the other side.  The distance should not be measured diagonally across a road, following the most direct route.
Evidence from Google Maps or other digital sources may be used to indicate routes and distances, provided that the scale is appropriate and clearly indicated.

Verification
The assessor’s site inspection is an important aspect of the assessment of this issue as it must confirm that all relevant information is current and should include photographs of any key areas. This may also help to identify safe crossing points or hazards which may not be apparent from a desktop study.
For BREEAM NC and RFO assessments, Google Streetview may be acceptable as evidence to demonstrate safe pedestrian routes and the presence of key features or amenities at Design Stage only. Such information must be verified as above for Final Certification.

07 Mar 2024 - No changes have been made. This appears as 'updated' due to an administrative error.
11 Jan 2024 - Wording re-structured for clarity
19 Dec 2023 - Applicability to BIU V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Safety and security lighting – definition - KBCN0888

				BRE does not provide a specific definition of safety and security lighting, as this could vary, depending on the project and location of the lighting. Together with the design team, the assessor is required to determine which lights are provided purely for safety and security purposes and which should be considered as general lighting.				

			

					

				
Sanitary fittings used in religious practices – updated - KBCN1624

				Such fittings should not be included in the scope of this Issue. Please refer also to KBCN0418

This guidance relates to fittings and facilities used in some religious practices, for example, for washing before prayer.

03 Nov 2023 - Updated. Previous guidance was incorrect and contradicted the approach outlined in KBCN0418
				

			

					

				
Scheme classification – Education - KBCN0398

				The Education scheme classification criteria is tailored to the requirements of buildings that are likely to be used by large numbers of students, whose requirements differ slightly from the general population. Where a building on an education campus, or owned by an educational institution:

- is not used for teaching / study
- is primarily used by staff or other non-students
- and transport requirements differ from a standard Education building

The building may be assessed under a different, more appropriate scheme classification. Where it is unclear how this building should be assessed, a scheme classification query should be submitted.

 				

			

					

				
Scheme classification based on anticipated occupancy & building use - KBCN0421

				In the instance where there is potential for the building occupancy and use to change during the building lifetime, scheme classification should be based on the most likely occupancy and use of the building as anticipated at the time of the assessment.

Please refer to Guidance Note 10 (GN10) for further details				

			

					

				
Scheme classification for residential projects (UK) - KBCN1225

				Choosing the right scheme for developments is the starting point to ensure successful outcomes and value, in terms of quality and sustainability to building owners and for occupants of the building.

In light of the release of Home Quality Mark (HQM) ONE we have reviewed the existing guidance around scheme classifications of new build residential buildings and have removed ‘GN03 – Scheme Classification – Domestic buildings’ from BREEAM Projects.

When GN03 was written, the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) did not fully consider communal areas within residential blocks as part of the assessment. CSH was also not applicable in Scotland. GN03 was developed to clarify the differences between BREEAM Multi-Residential, CSH and EcoHomes, and when each scheme should be applied.

There is now a clearer distinction between BREEAM Multi-residential and HQM and when these should be used. Ultimately, the determining factor for a scheme classification is now focused on the intent of the building and who is going to be the end user (as opposed to previous guidance which considered aspects such as percentage of communal areas, etc.). Broadly, if the building’s main purpose is for long term homes then Home Quality Mark is the correct scheme to use.

Please use the following as guidance to identify the most appropriate scheme:

Home Quality Mark (HQM)

HQM has been designed with the occupant in mind. It assesses homes individually, but can also account for common areas associated with blocks of self-contained homes. HQM outputs (rating and indicators e.g. ‘my cost’, ‘my wellbeing’ and ‘my footprint’) are specifically aimed at those living in the home and are designed to better inform the occupant about the benefits of the home that they are purchasing or renting.

An HQM project will meet one or more of the following criteria:

Be designed to meet the function of a long-term self-contained home even though there may be some provision of communal facilities which can be used on a voluntary basis
Be classified under Building regulations Part L1a (i.e. required to complete SAP assessments, although there may be some linked SBEM assessed spaces associated with the project)
As such, HQM projects could be homes for sale, social housing or homes for rent (PRS and Built to Rent). They may also include some student and retirement/sheltered accommodation where the units are comparable to a normal self-contained flat/home.

BREEAM Multi-residential

For the purposes of BREEAM Multi-residential assessments, the term ‘multi-residential’ is used in the context of buildings that contain rooms for residential purposes alongside communal facilities for catering, leisure, care etc. These residential rooms would normally not have the full, self-contained functions of a home. This scheme usually covers more specialist residential care homes, student halls of residence, and other more communal accommodation. The scheme can cater for a small number of self-contained dwellings where these form part of a larger multi-residential development (e.g. on-site warden homes etc.). Under this scheme, the project is assessed on a whole building basis and as such does not seek to reflect the performance of individual residential units/rooms.

A BREEAM Multi-residential project will meet one or more of the following criteria:

Be provided for transient /non-permanent occupants
Provide suitable accommodation for occupants requiring support from carers, wardens or similar
Include shared living spaces
Be classified under Building regulations Part L2a (i.e. required to complete SBEM assessments, but can account for some SAP assessed spaces where associated with the project)
As a rule of thumb, if the building contains rooms rather than self-contained flats or homes, a BREEAM Multi-residential assessment would probably be most appropriate. We are aware of some confusion over the meaning of the term ‘multi-residential’ in this context and will be considering the use of term as part of the next review of the BREEAM Multi-Residential scheme.

If you are unsure of the appropriate scheme classification for a particular project, please contact the BREEAM office before registering the project.				

			

					

				
Scheme classification queries - KBCN0540

				As the Operational Guidance clarifies ‘…A scheme classification requires the assessor, client or design team to submit floor plans showing the layout of the building(s) along with its intended functional areas and any other relevant information. BRE Global will then confirm the appropriate means of assessing the development, using either one or more standard schemes or by developing project-specific bespoke criteria…’

BREEAM Technical cannot definitively confirm a scheme classification in the absence of drawings.

Relevant information could also include specification of the scope of works, clarification of general building functions, spaces within them, as well as their management and access to the public.

 				

			

					

				
Scope – Fully-fitted assessments with areas completed to shell & core - KBCN1233

				In such situations, the following options can be followed:

1. Include the shell & core area in the fully-fitted assessment, however this may have a negative impact on the assessment, as all aspects of this area would need to be assessed against the fully-fitted criteria.

2. Exclude the shell & core areas from the assessment. Note that this may require the BREEAM certificate to be endorsed to clarify that the whole building has not been certified.

It may be possible to assess the shell & core area separately, if required.

3. Wait until the shell & core areas have been fitted-out before certifying.

Please also refer to KBCN0702.				

			

					

				
Scope of ‘Building services’ location/use category - KBCN000001

				'Building services' refers to the equipment and distribution systems specified for providing heating, power, ventilation, lighting, air-conditioning and domestic water services in a building. As a minimum, this location/use category should include the equipment and controls specified for the building services.

Refer to Guidance Note GN24: Demonstrating Compliance with BREEAM Issue Mat 03 issue for more information.

18/10/2018  Applicability to UK NC2018 removed; relevant guidance is included in the technical manual.
				

			

					

				
Scope of construction works included - KBCN0642

				Only the scope of works the principal contractor is responsible for needs to be considered in the assessment of this Issue. This also includes works carried out by sub-contractors that are engaged by the principal contractor.

03.11.2021 Above text added to issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual. Text remains applicable to all previous issues of the manual.
				

			

					

				
Scope of energy efficient cold storage - KBCN00029

				Technical guidance

The intent of the following wording in the technical manuals is to exclude self-contained refrigeration units.

NC 2018 Ene 05: “The scope of this issue covers freezer or cold storage rooms which are integral to the building and served by the building’s own refrigeration systems.”
NC 2016 Ene 05: "If the building contains no refrigeration systems or only refrigeration systems which stand-alone, i.e. are not integral to the building and served by the building services, this issue is not applicable to the assessment.

Clarification

The scope of this issue covers freezer or cold storage rooms which are integral to the building, and includes cooling systems that require commissioning and optimisation for the specific requirements of the cold storage space. This applies whether the cold storage space has a dedicated cooling system serving this space, or one which is connected to wider building cooling services.

"Kitchen and catering facilities", are excluded from this issue. They refer to commercial-sized, but self-contained, off-the-shelf units - these include large freezers, fridges, or stand-alone self-contained walk-in cold storage units. These types of units are manufactured as a self-contained product, and contain their own integral cooling systems - they operate according to manufacturer pre-sets, and do not require commissioning of the cooling system.

For this reason, these are not assessed under this issue, but they may still fall within the scope of the 'Energy efficient equipment' issue.

The guidance will be clarified in future reissues or updates of the technical manuals.

22-Feb-22 Wording clarified.
02-Jun-17 Wording clarified.
02-Dec-16 Wording clarified - no change to approach.
				

			

					

				
Scope of hard landscaping - KBCN1305

				Roads, paths and paving-like elements that are within the footprint of the building or are internal to it are to be classified under substructure or superstructure (as appropriate). Those that are outside the building’s footprint or are external are external works.

date amended: 26/03/2021 to align with RICS NRM
				

			

					

				
Scope of hard landscaping - KBCN0634

				For the purpose of assessment, hard landscaping includes (but is not limited to) parking areas (including manoeuvring areas, lanes, roads within the parking area), pedestrian walkways, paths, patios. The definition excludes basement parking, access or approach roads and designated vehicle manoeuvring areas, balconies, roof terraces,specialist sports areas (running tracks, netball areas etc.) and retaining walls.				

			

					

				
Scope of issue – clarification – fixed installations - KBCN1660

				The scope of this issue covers noise from external building services (or 'fixed installations' as written in the manual) serving areas designed for human comfort.

The noise impact assessment excludes:
				

			

					

				
Scope of the criteria for lifts – Small service lifts (dumbwaiters) - KBCN1589

				Small service lifts, of the type typically used to transport prepared food and crockery in restaurants (sometimes referred to as 'dumbwaiters'), fall outside the scope of this assessment issue.				

			

					

				
Scope of the refrigerant leak detection system - KBCN0530

				The refrigerant leak detection system is required to cover any part of the plant or pipework which contains refrigerant.

21/08/17 KBCN amended to include pipework containing refrigerant.
				

			

					

				
Scope: Assessment of apart-hotels - KBCN0396

				Where the apart- hotel has been classed as ADL2a by building control and therefore not considered as 'self -contained dwellings', BREEAM Other buildings Residential Institutions assessment should be used to assess it.

However, if the building is classified by building control as ADL1a (‘new dwellings’) and therefore considered as 'self-contained dwellings' then it would not be appropriate to use BREEAM New Construction Other buildings Residential Institutions. Where this is the case floors plans and details of the operation of the building (e.g. management of apart/hotels, cleaning and other services, etc.) should be submitted to BRE for confirmation.

 				

			

					

				
Scope: BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 and 2018 in different countries - KBCN0498

				Separate versions of the BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 and 2018 technical manuals are available for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to reflect the differences in building regulations for each country. These separate versions are derived from the main BREEAM UK NC technical manual and enable country-specific assessments within the single UK scheme.

BREEAM UK NC accounts for the differences in building regulations in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

17/04/18 Amended to include BREEAM UK NC2018
				

			

					

				
Scope: Discontinued Schemes – Fire Stations & Forestry Commission Visitor Centres - KBCN0493

				The standalone BREEAM New Construction schemes for Fire Stations and Forestry Commission Visitor Centres have been discontinued. Assessments of these building types should be registered under BREEAM UK New Construction, which addresses all relevant issues from the superseded schemes.				

			

					

				
Scope: Fully fitted, shell and core and shell only – guidance for classification - KBCN0702

				In cases where a project is a mix of fully-fitted, shell & core, or shell only, or the scope falls somewhere between assessment types, BREEAM cannot determine the type of assessment on behalf of the assessor/developer.

For example, assessing a project which falls between (or is a mixture of) shell only and shell & core as 'shell only' will result in a BREEAM certificate for that part of the work and will not account for any work beyond the scope of that assessment type. For the same development a 'shell and core' assessment would take account of a wider scope of work, however some BREEAM credits might not be achievable because compliance cannot be demonstrated for the shell only areas. The latter approach would achieve a higher level of certification (as shell & core) but may result in a lower score and BREEAM rating being achieved.

Similar considerations apply in the case of fully fitted and shell and core projects.

The assessor should, therefore, review the scope of the development and advise the developer accordingly.				

			

					

				
Scope: Mixed BREEAM CSH/HQM developments - KBCN0383

				In general terms, any relevant areas or facilities which serve the building should be included in the BREEAM assessment, regardless of whether they are also assessed under CSH/HQM.

Whilst CSH is a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) scheme, it was developed by BRE Global and the requirements are generally aligned with BREEAM. This should not, therefore involve the duplication of work, but means that the same evidence can be applied to each scheme as appropriate.

 				

			

					

				
Seasonal commissioning evidence - KBCN0818

				Where the criteria require that seasonal commissioning activities are to be completed over a minimum 12 month period following the occupation of the building, it is accepted that completed records may not be available at the time of Final Certification.

In such cases, evidence of the appointment of a seasonal commissioning manager and schedule of commissioning responsibilities which fulfils the BREEAM criteria are acceptable to demonstrate compliance.

 				

			

					

				
Seasonal commissioning of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) - KBCN0244

				Solar PVs can be excluded from the requirements for seasonal commissioning. This is because commissioning at a particular time of the year will not affect the original commissioning of the system.				

			

					

				
Secure Government sites – Security criteria - KBCN1652

				Government security procedures, such as those for MoD sites, may take precedence in dealing with security risk. Therefore, the security criteria under which this issue is assessed may not be fully appropriate.

However, BREEAM requires that a Suitably Qualified Security Specialist (SQSS) or the relevant Government department's security consultant undertake a risk-based security needs assessment during or prior to the Concept Design stage. The final design must embody the recommendations of the security consultant.

Evidence requirements

Where it is confirmed that, due to security issues, the assessor cannot provide complete evidence of the security assessment and implementation of the recommended measures, the following can be accepted:

A written statement or report from the SQSS confirming:
				

			

					

				
Secure Government sites – Security criteria (2011-2014 schemes) - KBCN0785

				Government security procedures, such as those for MoD sites, may take precedence in dealing with security risk. Therefore, the Secured by Design criteria under which this issue is assessed may not be appropriate.

However, BREEAM requires that a Suitably Qualified Security Specialist/Consultant (SQSS/C), such as the MoD security consultant, should be consulted during or prior to the Concept Design stage or equivalent, and the final design must embody the recommendations / solutions of the MoD security consultant, in line with the security criteria.

Evidence requirements

Where it is confirmed that, due to security issues, the assessor cannot provide complete evidence of the security assessment and implementation of the recommended measures, the following can be accepted:

A written statement or report from the SQSS confirming:


06/07 Mar 2024 - Title updated and minor clarifications to wording. Additional paragraph on 'Evidence requirements' added
				

			

					

				
Secured by Design certificate - KBCN0772

				The Secured by Design (SBD) consultation process, when undertaken in-line with the BREEAM criteria, may provide an appropriate framework for demonstrating compliance, however achieving SBD certification is not a specific requirement of BREEAM.

27/02/17 Amended to clarify that SBD framework may comply but BREEAM criteria must be met
				

			

					

				
Security – Change of SQSS and recommendations - KBCN1044

				If the SQSS working on the project changes during the assessment, the recommendations of the original SQSS can be modified if the new SQSS can provide justification for this.				

			

					

				
Security lighting - KBCN0915

				The criteria generally apply to all external lighting, including security lighting. However, due to specific security requirements, there may be situations where a particular aspect of the criteria cannot be met, as they would compromise the development's security. For example, the use of PIR sensors may not be appropriate in high security developments, where continuous night-time CCTV surveillance is required.
In such cases, where this is justified by the security consultant or other appropriate member of the design team, compliance can demonstrated for the security lighting by meeting all other relevant criteria.

BREEAM does not seek to not impose requirements which could potentially compromise the development’s security strategy

10.03.2020 - KBCN amended following review. It has been determined that the criteria for this Issue must be applied to all security lighting, except as described above. KBCN no longer applicable to UK NC2011 as there is no criterion relating to PIR in this scheme.
				

			

					

				
Security lighting - KBCN1029

				Light fittings specified to comply with specific security standards, but which conflict with the BREEAM criteria, can be excluded from the assessment of this issue. The assessor must obtain evidence confirming the specific security standards and that they are applicable to the assessed development.				

			

					

				
Security needs assessment (SNA) – Formal consultation with relevant stakeholders - KBCN1470

				Providing the SQSS can provide evidence of reasonable attempts to obtain feedback from relevant stakeholders, this aspect of the SNA requirements will be satisfied.

In the event that a relevant stakeholder does not provide a response when consulted (e.g. if they do not respond following a reasonable period, or they confirm that are unable to deal with the enquiry), it would be expected that SQSS consider alternative sources of information. For example, the SQSS may decide to refer to freely-available crime data on the Police UK website, and include a summary or analysis of this in their SNA.

13 Sep 2021 Applicability to HQM confirmed
				

			

					

				
Security Needs Assessment for ‘Shell only’ /Part1 and ‘Shell and core’ projects - KBCN0109

				The Suitably Qualified Security Specialist (SQSS) must confirm that they have addressed all parts of the project where it is feasible to do so. Where security recommendations cannot be made for certain aspects of the project, this should be explained / justified in the Security Needs Assessment by the SQSS.				

			

					

				
Self-contained dwellings or units with individual utility meters - KBCN0199

				Where self-contained dwellings or units covered by the assessment have their own individual energy supply and utility meter (e.g. water, gas or electricity), this supply can be excluded from the scope of the issue. All shared energy supplies and common areas under the responsibility of building management are still included in the assessment.

For example, if self-contained flats in an assisted living development have individual gas supplies with their own utility meter, this supply will be excluded from the assessment. However, the lighting and small power comes from a shared distribution board on each floor, in which case this shared supply will need to be sub-metered in accordance with the criteria.

This same principle applies to scenarios involving speculative industrial or retail units with capped services, where these units have their own utility meter.

12/09/2018 Applicable to Water Monitoring Issue where appropriate
27/09/2017 The word 'units' added to include a wider range of scenarios falling under this principle.
17/06/2022 Added other industrial / retail situations for further clarity on the applicability of this KBCN.

 				

			

					

				
Setting of Responsible Sourcing Certification Scores (RSCS) - KBCN00017

				Mat 03 credits require the majority of the materials used to be sourced with a high RSCS score. While maximum points (10) are available for reused materials the points available for RSCS's are typically less than 10. The available points are representative of the relative merits of each source while also providing some incentive for each scheme to improve and gain higher scores in the future.

The latest points scores for each RSCS route are available in the latest version of GN18.

 				

			

					

				
Shared ecological enhancements - KBCN0656

				A site-wide approach to ecological enhancements can be used on sites where multiple buildings share areas of soft landscaping. The enhancement benefits are applied to the individual building assessments within the site.

Similarly, where a building comprises more than one assessment, eg different floor assessments, a green roof on top of that building can be used to award credits for each assessment for which the Land use and ecology issues apply.

The benefit can be applied on a site-wide basis provided all developments are completed within the appropriate timeframe of a valid ecological survey.

 

 				

			

					

				
Shell & Core – ‘Condition of sale agreements’ as evidence - KBCN0485

				A 'condition of sale agreement' provides a less robust solution than a 'green lease agreement' and cannot be used to demonstrate compliance under Option 1.
Conversely, a Green Building Guide (Option 2) whilst considered less robust than Option 1, would be equally likely to be implemented, whether the building were leased or sold. Where a shell & core building is being developed for sale, it is therefore acceptable for half credits to be awarded on the basis of a Green Building Guide. This includes mandatory credits/minimum standards, but only for Issues where a green Building Guide is a recognised route to compliance as indicated in the guidance.				

			

					

				
Shell & core assessments – elements outside the scope of the base-build - KBCN0167

				For shell & core developments, all building elements which fall within the developer's scope of work should be assessed as set out in the technical manual. For any aspects which can be justifiably considered as falling within the future tenant's scope of work, compliance can be demonstrated using Shell & Core Option 1 or Option 3.

Where relevant building elements are not within the scope of the base-build, but are required to ensure the robustness of the completed building following fit-out, the developer is not expected to install these. These options cannot, however, be used to impose onerous requirements on the future tenant, which could reasonably have been included in the base-build.

05 07 2017 - Wording amended to clarify and principle expanded to explain the limitations on the applicability of this CN

 				

			

					

				
Shell & core options where tenants become known before final certification - KBCN0858

				In such situations the route to demonstrating compliance may change from that at design stage certification. The following approaches to some possible scenarios should be followed:

    
 	
  1. Where tenants become known and a Green Building Guide (Option 2) is supported by the tenants' own compliant fit-out specification, full credits can be awarded on the basis of Option 3.
    2. 
 	
  2. Where tenants become known and the developer has fulfilled their obligation in producing a compliant Green Building Guide (Option 2) at the appropriate time and provided this to the prospective tenant, half credits can be awarded regardless of whether the tenant follows the guide.
    3. 
 	
  3. If the tenants become known and a Green Lease Agreement (Option 1) will not be signed and complied with in full, the GLA is no longer valid. Where relevant, a revised GLA document must be produced, signed and enforced for credits to be awarded.
No recognition can be given for any Issues in the original GLA which will not be complied with as the superseded GLA cannot be retrospectively considered as a Green Building Guide.
    4. 

				

			

					

				
Shell & core project: Completing as fully-fitted - KBCN0394

				It is possible to complete an assessment as fully fitted following a design stage certification as a shell & core project. Whilst the assessment will reference much of the same evidence gathered for design stage, it must be re-registered and may be submitted as a fully-fitted Post-construction assessment.

17/04/18 Wording clarified
				

			

					

				
Shell and Core – Green Lease Agreements – 75% rule - KBCN0392

				The 75% rule, referred to in Appendix D Option 1, only applies to the floor areas of the building which are subject to a Green Lease Agreement. Areas which are fully fitted or subject to either of the other shell and core options cannot contribute towards this.				

			

					

				
Shell and Core Floor Finishes – Mat01 Calculator - KBCN0593

				Floor finishes are always applicable, however if they are not specified due to the speculative nature of the building and therefore CN11 is applicable you should select 'Shell Only Applicable' in the drop-down list in the Floor Finishes section of the Mat 01 tool.				

			

					

				
Shell and Core Options – Change option between Design Stage and Post Construction - KBCN0595

				It is acceptable for the Shell and Core option to change between Design Stage and Post Construction Review. For example, Option 1 (Green Lease Agreement) could be used to award credits in the Design Stage assessment. As a project progresses, if a tenant was found, Option 3 (Tenant collaboration) could then be used to award credits in the Post Construction stage assessment.				

			

					

				
Shell and core – option 2 for floor finishes - KBCN0877

				If Option 2 ‘Green Building Guide’ is selected to demonstrate compliance, the Mat 01 calculator will halve the points achieved for this element type rather than the credits, as stated in the relevant Compliance Note.

Only the contribution of the element type assessed under this option should be halved.				

			

					

				
Shell only – Installation of building services - KBCN00078

				Content removed. Please refer to KBCN1488 for more comprehensive guidance.				

			

					

				
Shell only – retail glazing not within scope - KBCN0937

				Where a retail building envelope is not complete and glazing will be provided by the future tenant/(s), there are two options available:

A 'Green fit-out agreement' (see Definition under this Issue in the technical manual) can be used to ensure that the performance level of the glazing used in the energy model is met in the completed building. This must be accompanied by evidence that the performance of the assumed glazing does not impose overly onerous requirements on future tenants and that it falls within the scope of glazing typically used in retail developments.

Alternatively, the assessment can be based on worst permissible performance under the relevant national building regulations.

In all cases, for shell only assessments, the assessment method detailed in CN1 (for UK New Construction 2014 and International New Construction 2016) and Assessment type specific note 1.3 (for UK New Construction 2018 and UKNC V6) must be followed.

24/08/2022 - Reference and applicability to UKNC V6 added
14 11 2017 Wording amended to clarify the intent
				

			

					

				
Shell only – zero net regulated carbon emissions - KBCN0567

				For Shell only projects, 12 credits can be awarded when the EPRED ratio is 0.90, without the requirement for zero net regulated CO2 emissions applying.

Shell only projects only assess the buildings heating and cooling energy demand and so credits are awarded just on this basis.				

			

					

				
Shell only – zero net regulated carbon emissions - KBCN1101

				For Shell only projects, 9 credits can be awarded when the EPRED ratio is 0.90, without the requirement for zero net regulated CO2 emissions applying.

Shell only projects only assess the buildings heating and cooling energy demand and so credits are awarded just on this basis.

24/08/2022 Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Shell only and Shell and Core assessments – using SABRE - KBCN1549

				Where the SABRE assessment is registered and certified as shell & core, this can be accepted for meeting both the standard and exemplary level criteria of shell only/shell and core BREEAM assessments.

Currently, Shell and Core SABRE certificates are identified as 'interim', but there is no requirement for further 'final certification' of shell & core SABRE assessments or any further evidence of the fit-out.

Please also refer to KBCN1499 - Exemplary level credit – Using SABRE				

			

					

				
Shell only assessments – demonstrating compliance - KBCN0771

				It is recognised that shell only developments may only include a capped-off water supply, with responsibility for installing the water meter and leak detection system resting with the incoming tenant. In such cases, compliance can be demonstrated where the spatial arrangements, distribution strategy and infrastructure can be shown to facilitate future compliance.

This could be demonstrated by evidence such as schematic drawings showing how compliance can be achieved for the assessed development at the fit-out stage.

Whilst shell only assessments are intended to consider only aspects which fall within the scope of such developments, in order that the aim of the Issue can ultimately be met, the works should not preclude future compliance.				

			

					

				
Shell only – Energy modelling requirements - KBCN1488

				For a shell only assessment, only the EPR demand metric is used to determine the energy performance. Therefore, we would not expect to see improvements to equipment and services accounted for in the BRUKL/NCM calculation. It is, therefore, recommended that assessors submit a BRUKL/NCM document incorporating the fabric improvements, but which retains the equipment and services of the notional building with heating and cooling provided by multi-split systems.

Credits for shell only assessments are determined by the demand metric alone. The inclusion of more efficient equipment and services may, therefore, lead to lower heat gains, a subsequent increase in demand for space heating and, hence, a lower number of credits being awarded.

28 Aug 2022 - Guidance updated and applied to UKNC V6
				

			

					

				
Shell only/shell and core assessments and applicability of minimum standards - KBCN0612

				For BREEAM Issues where the Minimum Standard refers to work which falls outside the scope of a shell only/shell and core assessment, as noted in the technical manual, the Minimum Standard is not applicable.

This affords shell only/shell and core projects the potential to achieve their target BREEAM ratings.				

			

					

				
Shower with multiple shower heads - KBCN0855

				To calculate the water use of a shower with more than one shower head, one of the following should be done:


22 Feb 2024 - Applied to BIU, BREEAM NC and RFO standards
				

			

					

				
Similar speculative developments (Shell and Core) - KBCN1382

				For speculative, Shell and Core projects there will be a significant level of uncertainty regarding equipment loads and usage patterns. Project teams should make the best estimates they can based on available data for similar projects, instead of using the National Calculation Methodology occupancy assumptions. Where sites have multiple speculative, Shell and Core buildings it is acceptable for the 'Prediction' work to be the same across all the units. The design team would need to be sure that all the units would have the same type of tenant and be used in the same way. This is in keeping with the aim of the 'Prediction' credits; to predict energy consumption as accurately as possible. If the users are known to be different, this approach would not be acceptable.

24/08/2022 Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings –  definition - KBCN0448

				The building services are predominantly of limited capacity and local in their delivery, largely independent from other systems in the building fabric and avoid complex control systems. The building can be classified as any of the building types within the scope of the scheme, including mixed use developments or building types. For UK NC 2011 assessments please refer to the Simple Buildings Guidance on the Extranet. For UK NC 2014, 2018 and UK RFO 2014 please refer to Appendix E within each technical manual.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Additional training - KBCN0464

				The Simple Buildings technical guidance does not constitute a separate BREEAM scheme. It is an approach which can be applied to developments which meet the relevant BREEAM definition. This means that a suitably trained, qualified and licensed assessor can conduct a Simple Buildings assessment without further training.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Category weightings - KBCN0458

				Category weightings are the same for standard and Simple Buildings assessments.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – connecting to existing services - KBCN00037

				Where a building extension will connect to existing building services, a Simple Buildings assessment can be carried out if the total services systems is of limited capacity and complexity conforming to the definition and scope of a Simple Building.

Refer to the Applicability of Simple Buildings assessments for more detailed information.

For example, the total capacity, when assessing the space and/or hot water heating services, must be less the 100kW.
Compliance would be met by any of the following:

The assessment (in this case, extension) cannot be assessed against the Simple Buildings methodology if the definition of a Simple Buildings is not meet.  				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – connection to BMS - KBCN1405

				For Simple Building assessments, criterion 3b does not apply.

Simple Buildings generally do not have BMS, or other complex monitoring and management systems.

This is a manual error which will be corrected in the next re-issue.
				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Introduction and robustness of Simple Buildings criteria set - KBCN0454

				Simple Buildings criteria have been developed to meet the need expressed by stakeholders for a simplified and cost effective approach for the assessment of less complex buildings.

The standards and robustness of a BREEAM rated building have not been compromised by the development of Simple buildings criteria. The criteria have been carefully reviewed to be more in line with and relevant to simpler buildings and servicing strategies.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – No size or cost limits - KBCN0451

				Variations in project specification make setting limits on the size or the cost of simple buildings problematic. Therefore, no limits have been set.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Quality Assurance (QA) - KBCN0459

				The process and rigor of quality assurance does not change for Simple Building assessments.  As with any assessment, the correct classification of the development will be checked.  Where a project is incorrectly classified, the project will require re-assessment against the correct BREEAM criteria before the QA and certification process can progress. There may be additional charges associated with this process.

Due to Simple Buildings not being a separate scheme, the audit level assigned to the assessment (Admin, Partial or Full) will follow the standard approach, i.e. previous audit records for that building type will be reviewed. Also, QA response times are the same as for other assessments of the same building type.				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Shell & core assessments - KBCN00026

				Registrations for assessments applying the simple buildings criteria to shell & core developments are not permitted. These are incompatible because the shell & core criteria are already simplified.

15 11 17 Applicability to UK NC 2011 removed - see separate guidance under KBCN0397

 				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings – Use of BMS - KBCN0948

				Where a building does not require complex controls, but a BMS is installed primarily for its monitoring capabilities, this does not preclude assessment using the simple buildings criteria set.

Buildings which require complex control systems cannot be considered as simple.

 				

			

					

				
Simple Buildings: Applicability of Shell & Core - KBCN0397

				Shell and Core options cannot normally be applied to Simple Buildings with the following exception;

- The Simple Buildings classification must be based on the full fit-out of the speculative building.  This may be achieved through Shell and Core Option 3 (developer-tenant collaboration) only.

If the project team is unable to demonstrate this (for example where the end-user is unknown or the end-use is uncertain) the full version of BREEAM New Construction must be used.

Shell and Core Option 3 ensures a collaborative process between the developer and tenant which allows the assessor to be certain of the end fully-fitted specification. Thus the assessor can be certain that, in its fully-fitted state, the building will still fall within the remit of a 'Simple Building'. 

 				

			

					

				
Simplified transport analysis - KBCN0562

				Where a single lift is provided in a low rise building for the purpose of providing disabled access only; or where a goods lift is selected based on the size of the goods it is intended to carry, a simplified transport analysis can be provided in the form of a written statement from the appropriate member of the design team.				

			

					

				
Single functional area and no tenanted areas – operational energy monitoring - KBCN00056

				Where the building has a single functional or tenanted area for sub-metering, with no other significant energy uses that must be separately metered, then:


26-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Site clearance prior to purchase of the site - KBCN1197

				For sites cleared prior to purchase of the site and less than five years before assessment, a Suitably Qualified Ecologist should estimate the site’s ecological value immediately prior to clearance using available desktop information (including aerial photography) and the landscape type/area surrounding the site. Where it is not possible for the ecologists to determine ecological value of the site prior to site clearance, i.e. where there is no evidence to determine compliance, the credits must be withheld.

For sites cleared more than five years ago, the ecological value of the site must be based on the current situation, on the basis that, within five years, ecological features would have started to re-establish and this is, therefore, representative of the site’s ecological value prior to development.				

			

					

				
Site wide approach to ecological enhancements - KBCN1194

				A site-wide approach to ecological enhancements can be used on sites where multiple buildings share areas of soft landscaping. The enhancement benefits are applied to the individual building assessments within the site. The benefit can be applied on a site-wide basis provided all developments are completed within the appropriate timeframe of a valid ecological survey.				

			

					

				
Sites with multiple assessed buildings - KBCN0920

				For sites with multiple assessed buildings, where it proves difficult to clearly define separate construction zones for each building, the assessment of this Issue can be done on a site-wide basis where the boundary of the construction zone is considered to be the whole site.

Similarly, when it is difficult to define the proposed development footprint for each assessment, the issue can be assessed on a site-wide basis.

This can be applied to each BREEAM assessment.				

			

					

				
Small power significantly contributing to unregulated energy consumption - KBCN1224

				Small power has been removed from the list of potential significant contributors of unregulated energy consumption, as in most cases tenants would select their new office equipment or reuse the already existing and hence this was not applicable in most assessments. However, it is up to the design team to calculate the unregulated energy consumption and decide if small power is a significant contributor of unregulated energy consumption and hence if it should be included in the assessment. If small power is identified as an additional significant contributor, the design team should justify how a meaningful reduction will be achieved for this contributor.				

			

					

				
Small retail stores not meeting the definition of ‘baseline supermarket’ - KBCN1121

				Where the design team can confirm that the 'baseline supermarket' defined in the Refrigeration Road Map does not provide an appropriate benchmark for the small retail store (i.e. it is below 2,000m2 as specified in the Road Map and the store has proportionately higher energy per sq m delivered values) then it would be appropriate to comply with the 'Carbon Trust Refrigeration Road Map' guidance in the Methodology section and generate a more appropriate baseline.  As per the guidance, typical installations and technologies should be proposed for this baseline where the systems being compared should have the same duty/service conditions and include relevant consumption from the refrigeration systems’ ancillary equipment.				

			

					

				
Small retail stores not meeting the definition of ‘baseline supermarket’ - KBCN0214

				Where the design team can confirm that the 'baseline supermarket' defined in the Refrigeration Road Map does not provide an appropriate benchmark for the small retail store (i.e. it is below 2,000m2 as specified in the Road Map and the store has proportionately higher energy per sq m delivered values) then it would be appropriate to comply with the guidance on 'Non retail buildings and the Carbon Trust Refrigeration Road Map Action Plan' and generate a more appropriate baseline.  Typical installations and technologies should be proposed for this baseline where the systems being compared should have the same duty/service conditions and include relevant consumption from the refrigeration systems’ ancillary equipment.

 				

			

					

				
Soft Landings Framework - KBCN1263

				Embedding the principles of the Soft Landings Framework within a project can be used to demonstrate compliance with various aspects of the BREEAM criteria, particularly the Management issues.				

			

					

				
Solid concrete washout - KBCN00063

				Solid concrete washout waste should be included in the waste resource efficiency benchmarks.

 				

			

					

				
Space heating as major energy use - KBCN0939

				Where possible, space heating should always be considered as a major energy use for sub-metering purposes.

Where space heating cannot be separated from hot water, this must be fully justified by the design team at QA.
See KBCN0329: Combined system for space heating/cooling and domestic hot water.

Where electric space heating is used, this in itself cannot be used as justification for combining the space heating along with lighting and small power unless there is a clear justification for doing so.
See KBCN00068: Combined sub-metering of electric heating and small power equipment.				

			

					

				
Specialist assisted baths in care homes - KBCN0228

				Specialist assisted baths in care homes or similar specialist applications can be excluded from the assessment of this issue.

Due to the specific access and care needs of users, it may not be possible to reduce the volume of specialist assisted baths.

 				

			

					

				
Speculative ceiling finishes – Substantial alterations - KBCN1141

				The aim of this Issue is to avoid the unnecessary waste of materials, therefore the installation and subsequent removal of speculative finishes should not be permitted. However, BREEAM recognises that incoming tenants may need to adapt ceiling finishes to suit the requirements of their fit-out. Therefore, where ceiling finishes are installed throughout, in line with Criterion 2, the following applies:

A tenancy agreement, applied to the first tenancy, should stipulate that ceiling finishes may only be modified where necessary, for example, to accommodate new partitions, lighting or other services, to replace worn or damaged components or to replace small, localised areas with a specialist ceiling to account for abnormal conditions, such as wet areas.				

			

					

				
Speculative office including floor finishes/suspended ceiling - KBCN0259

				The requirements can still be met where a speculative development includes the installation of floor finishes/suspended ceilings provided a Lease Agreement will be implemented to confirm that tenants are not permitted to remove these finishes.

BREEAM recognises that incoming tenants may need to adapt ceiling or floor finishes to suit the requirements of their fit-out. Therefore, where these finishes are installed throughout, in line with Criterion 2, the following applies:
A tenancy agreement, applied to the first tenancy, should stipulate that floor or ceiling finishes may only be modified where necessary, for example, to accommodate new partitions, lighting or other services, to replace worn or damaged components or to replace small, localised areas with a specialist floor or ceiling to account for abnormal conditions, such as wet areas.

Documentary evidence of this must be provided as evidence for the credit to be awarded.

18/04/2017 KBCN made applicable to NC 2016 and IRFO 2015  
05/07/2018 Paragraph added to clarify the requirements of the tenancy agreement
27 Jul 2021 Clarified that the terms of paragraph 2 apply also to floor finishes
				

			

					

				
SQSS – Individuals Recognised - KBCN1485

				Individuals can continue to be considered a ‘Suitably Qualified Security Specialist’ (SQSS) for the purposes of compliance with HEA 06 (1 credit – Security of Site and Building) where adherence to the SQSS criteria 1-3, detailed below and in HEA 06, is evidenced to the BREEAM Assessor.

    
 	
  1. Minimum of three years' experience in a relevant security profession (in the last five years). This experience must clearly demonstrate a practical understanding of factors affecting security in relation to construction and the built environment, relevant to the type and scale of the project being undertaken.
    2. 
 	
  2. Holds a qualification relevant to security.
    3. 
 	
  3. Maintains a full membership to a relevant professional body, institute or certification scheme that has a professional code of conduct, to which members adhere.
    4. 


Alternatively, individuals can be considered a ‘Suitably Qualified Security Specialist’ where adherence to the SQSS criterion 4 (detailed below and in HEA 06) is demonstrated to the BREEAM Assessor.

    
 	
  1. A specialist registered with a BREEAM recognised third party licensing or registration scheme for security specialists.
    2. 


The following licensing/registration schemes are recognised as meeting the requirements of criterion 4 of the Suitably Qualified Security Specialist (SQSS) criteria. As such, individuals listed are also eligible to perform the role of SQSS:

A. SABRE Registered Professionals with ‘SQSS’ status – Live list here


B. Chartered Security Professionals (CSyP) - Live list here


C. Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES) ‘General Security Advisor’ (GSA) - Live list here

 

Note: DOCOs can be considered as suitably qualified subject to meeting criteria 1-3 and regional police forces may provide services in support of BREEAM. However, the Metropolitan Police has indicated that it will not provide services solely for the purposes of meeting the BREEAM Security Needs Assessment (SNA).

 

In all cases, Notes 1 and 2, below, shall apply to the appointment of the SQSS and the award of the available credit respectively.


Notes


    
 	
  1. Security professionals often possess knowledge and skills in relation to specific aspects of the discipline, whilst others may possess more holistic knowledge. Therefore, when appointing an SQSS, consideration should also be given to their experience and background, as well as the appropriateness of the individual to carry out the task assigned. The SQSS should be able to demonstrate independence and that they have experience dealing with similar projects with comparable security levels and risks.
    2. 
 	
  2. Irrespective of who performs the role of SQSS, the 1 credit available for ‘Security of Site and Building’ may only be awarded if the assessment criteria are satisfied i.e. where a compliant, documented Security Needs Assessment (SNA) has been produced and subsequent risk-commensurate security recommendations have been implemented.
    3. 



Definitions

SABRE Registered Professional
SABRE Registered Professionals are deemed to meet the competency requirements of the various specialist deliverables within the SABRE security assessment scheme including: threat assessments, risk assessments, security strategies, technical design & engineering and concepts of operations (CONOPS). The registration is also intended to act as an indicator of professionalism for the benefit of the wider industry.

Chartered Security Professional (CSyP)
The Register of Chartered Security Professionals (CSyP) was established under a Royal Charter granted to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals in the UK and launched in 2011. Registrants use CSyP as a post nominal. Being admitted to the Register and becoming a CSyP is a means of being recognised and continuing to represent the highest standards and ongoing proficiency. It is the gold standard of competence in security practice. CSyPs must comply with a Code of Conduct, a Professional Disciplinary Code, and also complete Continuous Professional Development each year. The Register is recognised across the UK, including by the Association of Security Consultants (ASC), the International Professional Security Association (IPSA), The Security Industry Authority (SIA) and CPNI (Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure).

Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES)
The Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES) was established to promote excellence in security engineering by providing a benchmark of professional quality against which its members have been independently assessed. Registration is open to engineers, applied scientists and specialists who apply their knowledge to securing the built environment and infrastructure. RSES is sponsored by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) Membership Division.

04 Aug 2023 - Additional paragraph added to clarify that, if a DOCO is willing and able to do so, they can undertake the role of SQSS for BREEAM, provided they meet the eligibility criteria set out in criteria 1-3
15 Jul/07 Sep 2022 - Reference to DOCOs' suitability to perform the role of SQSS under Option 4.D. removed - The Metropolitan Police has indicated that DOCOs will not provide a consultation service solely for the purposes of meeting the BREEAM Security Needs Assessment (SNA). 
10 Dec 2021 - Further clarification added
17 Nov 2021 - First paragraph updated for clarity
				

			

					

				
SSM replacing BREEAM AP for on-site monitoring - KBCN0601

				It is acceptable for a suitably qualified Site Sustainability Manager (SSM) to take over the monitoring of site impact role (Sustainability Champion (construction)) from a BREEAM AP.

In some instances it may be more appropriate for an SSM to carry out the role of the 'construction' Sustainability Champion. Therefore where a BREEAM AP has provided design input, an SSM could take over the role to complete the on-site requirements.  				

			

					

				
Stage 1 referenced in Guidance Note 14 - KBCN0800

				The climate change adaptation strategy appraisal for structural and fabric resilience must be conducted by the end of Concept Design (RIBA Stage 2 or equivalent) as described in the technical manual.

The reference of Guidance Note 14 to Stage 1 is incorrect and will be amended.				

			

					

				
Stage 1 referenced in Guidance Note 14 - KBCN0799

				The building-specific functional adaptation strategy study must be undertaken by Concept Design (RIBA Stage 2 or equivalent) as described in the technical manual.

The reference of Guidance Note 14 to Stage 1 is incorrect and will be amended.				

			

					

				
Stakeholder consultation – Building occupier unknown - KBCN0227

				Where the building occupier is unknown, it is still possible to achieve the credit. The end user requirements must be assumed and considered by other project parties (e.g. client, design team, etc.) using their experience and judgement until such time as the occupier is known.

 				

			

					

				
Stakeholder consultation – Definition of “independent third party” - KBCN0428

				The definition of independent third party should be taken to mean that the party i.e. the individual(s) rather than the organisation undertaking the consultation is independent of the design process. BREEAM is not prescriptive about how to evidence this.  It is the assessor's responsibility to collect robust evidence which proves this to be the case.				

			

					

				
Stakeholder consultation – Existing shared facilities - KBCN0360

				The consultation must include any existing shared facilities relied on to achieve compliance as well as the new facilities.

To ensure the shared existing facilities are appropriate and in line with the users' requirements.

 				

			

					

				
Statutory requirements for energy modelling differ from BREEAM - KBCN0127

				For the purposes of BREEAM, Issue Ene 01 should be assessed using a BRUKL output based on the prevalent UK country Building regulations applicable to that scheme.

This applies even when the building does not need to undertake energy modelling to comply with Building Regulations.

Where a different analysis is required for statutory compliance, due to the location of the project or registration to an earlier or later version of Part L, a different output must be produced for this purpose.

Alternatively, where applicable, the BREEAM registration could be updated to the latest version, so the same energy model output can be used for both purposes.

To maintain consistency and comparability for all assessments registered to a scheme.

24/08/2022 Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Sub-metering at least 90% of each fuel - KBCN0657

				In a scenario whereby several energy consuming systems are not sub-metered because they account for less than 10% of the annual energy consumption (see Ene 02 methodology), and this results in less than 90% of the estimated annual energy consumption of that fuel being metered, the M&E consultant should review the metering strategy and advise which of these energy consuming systems would most benefit from sub-metering to make up the 90%.

This may be based on which of the energy consuming systems has the highest annual energy consumption, or which has the most potential for reducing energy consumption as a result of sub-metering. This will not necessarily have to mean that the energy consuming systems chosen have to have their own sub-meter, the M&E consultant may decide they would most benefit from metering alongside another consuming system. However ultimately 90% of each fuel must be metered.

Justification should be given within the metering strategy and the BREEAM assessment report as to which lower energy consuming systems were chosen to be sub-metered to make up the 90%, and how this was done to best suit the development (i.e. individual sub-meters or paired with another consuming system).				

			

					

				
Sub-metering by calculation - KBCN0700

				For simple sub-metering strategies, it is acceptable to calculate a single end-use by subtraction of known, sub-metered end-uses from the relevant main utility meter reading. For more complex strategies, where a BMS/BEMS is used, the software should be capable of calculating and displaying all required end-uses in line with the criteria.				

			

					

				
Sub-metering of high energy load and tenancy areas – applicability - KBCN1188

				As per specific note 2.0 of Ene 02 Energy Monitoring; The first credit is applicable to all building types. The second credit is not applicable to preschools, primary schools, law courts, prisons and multi-residential buildings. This credit will be filtered out for these building types with the exemption of below.

If the assessment is targeting the Post-occupancy stage exemplary credits in Ene 01 Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions, indicated via the question on the 'initial details' page of BREEAM Projects (or the scoring and reporting tool). As per criterion 10, the assessment must; Achieve maximum available credits in Ene 02 Energy Monitoring. Therefore, where these exemplary level credits are sought, preschools, primary schools, law courts, prisons and multi-residential buildings must also meet the requirements of the second credit for sub-metering of high energy load and tenancy areas. This credit is therefore applicable to all building types, in this case.				

			

					

				
Sub-metering technologies – Compliance Principle - KBCN1561

				Where it can be demonstrated that alternative sub-metering technologies can meet or exceed the capabilities of systems set out in the BREEAM guidance, subject to approval, these can also be considered compliant.

It is the role of the Assessor and the project team to provide evidence and justification in a compliance principle query (see KBCN1555).

The following metering standards or technologies are currently recognised as alternatives to pulsed output meters:
				

			

					

				
Submitting aftercare & post occupancy evaluation data - KBCN0589

				Where credits have been awarded which require post-occupancy evaluation or an element of aftercare data collection (according to scheme requirements) from the building once operational and occupied, the data gathering must take place at the specified time and the findings reported to BRE.

The timing of this evidence gathering depends on the criteria of the BREEAM scheme having been undertaken. However, for all schemes, once the evidence is due for submission, it should be sent to [email protected] with the following title;

'BREEAM Assessment Type Building Data BREEAM Assessment Reference'

For example, a BREEAM 2011 New Construction assessment would use the following title when submitting their evidence;

'BREEAM NC 2011 Building Data BREEAM-1234-5678'

This KBCN replaces KBCN0695 for HQM.
				

			

					

				
Suitability of waste storage facilities - KBCN0186

				In situations where direct vehicular access to the recyclable waste store is limited by logistics or if size is a problem, for example inner city locations, some flexibility to the application of the criteria is allowed.
The assessor can use their judgement on whether the storage space is appropriately sized and if the distance and changes in level via lifts or steps are acceptable. Convenience, H&S issues and the volume and type of waste likely to be generated must be considered.  Where the assessor deems the arrangement to be satisfactory this would be acceptable.

Typically ‘accessible’ is defined as being within 20m of a building entrance. In some circumstances site restrictions or tenancy arrangements could mean it is not possible for the facilities to be within 20m of a building entrance. If, in the opinion of the BREEAM assessor it is not feasible for the facilities to be within 20m of a building entrance, their judgement can be used to determine if the facility is deemed to be ‘accessible’ to the building occupants and for vehicle collection.				

			

					

				
Suitably Qualified Acoustician – Associate membership of the Institute of Acoustics - KBCN00064

				Associate membership of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) can be considered to demonstrate that the individual is a member of an appropriate professional body.

This supersedes previous guidance on this matter, which has been updated following confirmation from the IOA that ‘Associate members’ are bound by the same Members’ Code of Conduct as ‘Full members’.

 

 

06/06/2022 - BRE stance on this has been revised - Title also updated for clarity
13/01/2020 Wording clarified and confirmed applicability to Issue Pol 05


06/01/2020 Clarification that this applies to BREEAM UK NC2018

 				

			

					

				
Suitably Qualified Ecologist – Other recognised organisations - KBCN0192

				With regards to the definition of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist, in addition to the organisations already listed within the manual, full members of the following organisations are also deemed SQE's;

Provided the individual meets all other requirements as outlined in the definition of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE).				

			

					

				
Suitably Qualified Ecologist – Professional membership - KBCN0743

				With reference to the definition provided in the technical guidance, where requirements 1 and 2 are met, full members of the named organisations can be considered as a SQE for BREEAM on the basis of their membership.

Those who meet requirements 1 and 2 who are not full members may be considered, however the assessor must ensure, and be able to demonstrate, that the ecologist is covered by a professional code of conduct, subject to peer review and that their expertise and experience is appropriate for the assessed project.				

			

					

				
Summary of changes – BREEAM UK NC V6 - KBCN1530

				BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6 (UK NC V6) was released on 24 August 2022 following the updates to building regulations in England that came into force on 15 June 2022.

The update enables new buildings in England using the latest version of Part L (2021 edition) to register and complete BREEAM UK New Construction assessments.

Buildings in England using the previous version of Part L (2013 edition) must continue to register and complete assessments using BREEAM UK New Construction 2018.

Buildings in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland may register and complete assessments using either BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 or BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6.

The changes from BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 (UK NC 2018) are listed in the table below.

The updates are limited in scope and only effect the assessment of:

All other assessment issues remain unchanged from UK NC 2018.

Further updates will be released when building regulations are updated in other UK nations.





Location
Description of change






Ene 01
Energy performance (Ene 01 calculator): Updated translator curves for buildings in England using the latest version of building regulations (Part L2, 2021 edition). The Ene 01 calculation methodology is described in an updated version of GN39.




Ene 01
Prediction of operational energy consumption credits: Updated criteria for ‘Four credits – Prediction of operational energy consumption’. Includes new methodology section that replaces previous guidance in GN32.




Ene 01
Post-occupancy evaluation of operational energy consumption exemplary credits:  Updated criteria for the two exemplary credits for ‘Post-occupancy evaluation of operational energy consumption’. Replaces requirement for a specific post-occupancy stage assessment.




Hea 02
Indoor air quality (IAQ) plan prerequisite: Update to criteria for ‘Prerequisite – Indoor air quality (IAQ) plan’. The criteria now specifically mention consideration of purge ventilation and local authority plans and policies. The changes have also been applied to an updated version of GN06.




Hea 02
Ventilation credit: Updated criteria for ‘One credit – Ventilation’. Updated requirements for specifying or installing carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors in occupied spaces, plus a new requirement to report the number and coverage of installed sensors. Specific reference to CIBSE AM13 for buildings with mixed-mode ventilation.




Hea 02
Post-construction indoor air quality measurement credit: Update to criteria for ‘One credit – Post-construction indoor air quality measurement’. The total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentration level measured post-construction has been reverted to 300μg/m³ (was 500μg/m³ in UK NC 2018).




Scope, Ene 02, Wat 01, Wat 02
Updated references to post-occupancy stage assessment, following amendments to exemplary credits in Ene 01.




				

			

					

				
Summary of changes – BREEAM UK NC V6.1 - KBCN1600

				BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6.1 (UK NC V6.1) is a minor update to BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6.0 to incorporate changes to the building regulations for energy performance in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It was released on 14 June 2023.

The updated version of BREEAM UK New Construction Version 6 now incorporates new translator curves for the Ene 01 calculation methodology in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This follows the changes that were introduced for England in Version 6.0 (see KBCN1530).

The main changes are listed in the table below.

All changes are listed in the ‘Schedule of changes’ in the technical manual. The update includes some minor corrections for known issues in BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 and Version 6.0.

Relevant knowledge base compliance notes (KBCNs) from UK NC 2018 and UK NC V6.0 can continue to be applied to UK NC V6.1.





Location
Description of change






Ene 01
Energy performance (Ene 01 calculator): Updated translator curves for buildings in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland using the latest version of the building regulations and SBEM outputs in these countries. The Ene 01 calculation methodology is described in an updated version of GN39.




Ene 01
Energy performance (multi-residential assessments): Updated methodology for multi-residential assessments that include SAP component using the latest version of the building regulations and SAP outputs in all UK countries.




Ene 01 (online platform)
Multiple file upload: Projects assessed under UK NC V6.1 can upload multiple _BRUKL.inp files for a single assessment and the platform will perform the calculation described in KBCN1083.




Ene 01 (online platform)
Alternative route to Excellent: Projects assessed under UK NC V6.1 can manually input amended figures from the dynamic simulation modelling into the platform to demonstrate the 'substantial improvement' required to achieve the Excellent minimum standard via the alternative route in KBCN1336.




Ene 01
Clarified the structure and wording of the exemplary credits for 'Beyond zero net regulated carbon'. The requirements and the number of credits available are still the same.




Ene 08
Removed drying lines option for multi-residential assessments (previously item 5b in section on ‘Domestic-scale appliances’).




Hea 05
Updated reference to the latest design guidance for law court buildings.




Pol 05
Updated the background noise level thresholds in criterion 4. [Incorrect change reverted in V6.1.1. See June 2023 Process Note.]




Tra 02
Updated minimum power for electric recharging stations to 7kW (in Table 7.4 ‘Sustainable public, private and active transport measures’, assessment option 4).






08/11/2023 - Entry for Pol 05 updated to clarify.
				

			

					

				
Surface water run-off – Derelict sites - KBCN1024

				If the site has been derelict for over five years, the appropriate consultant must assess the previous drainage network and make reasonable assumptions to establish probable flow rates and volumes. They should use best practice simulation modelling to determine the 1 year and 100 year peak flow rates at the relevant discharge points. A site visit prior to development will be required unless accurate data already exists from a previous survey. The resultant professional report can then be used to determine the pre-development volumes and rates of run-off. Without this professional input, the site must be deemed as greenfield pre-development, assuming Soil type 5 for the calculation of the pre-development site run-off.				

			

					

				
Surface water run-off – discharge to a tidal estuary or the sea - KBCN1023

				The peak rate of run-off and volume run-off criteria can be deemed to be met if the site discharges rainwater directly to a tidal estuary or the sea.
The site run-off must discharge directly into the tidal estuary or the sea. Typically, drainage pipes would only carry run-off from the site and would not need to cross privately owned land outside the boundary of the development before reaching the sea.

A definition of tidal estuary is in the technical manual.				

			

					

				
Surface water run-off – Highways and impermeable areas - KBCN1035

				Where new non-adoptable highways are built, all new impermeable surfaces must be included in the calculations to demonstrate compliance with the peak rate of run-off and volume of run-off criteria. Where buildings are built beside existing highways or where adoptable highways are built, the impermeable area of the highway does not need to be included in the calculations.				

			

					

				
Surface water run-off – no change in impermeable area - KBCN1212

				CN 3.9 states: "Where the man-made impermeable area draining to the watercourse (natural or municipal) has decreased or remains unchanged post-development, the peak and volume rate of run-off requirements for the surface water run-off credits will be met by default… In this instance a flood risk assessment must be carried out and any opportunities identified to reduce surface water run-off are implemented."

Where the flood resilience credits are not being targeted, a flood risk assessment is not required. Instead, a separate study identifying opportunities to reduce surface water run-off may be carried out, and the measures implemented.

Where there is no change in impermeable area, opportunities should be identified to reduce run-off. It is not necessary to carry out a flood risk assessment to fulfill the intent of this criteria.				

			

					

				
Surface water run-off not flooding property - KBCN0565

				Where parts of a site may flood in the event of local drainage system failure, it is still possible to demonstrate compliance if the building itself will not be at risk of flooding.

 				

			

					

				
Sustainability Champion role – Construction - KBCN0446

				The intent of the Sustainability Champion role is to monitor and report on the project’s progress towards the relevant BREEAM target(s), over the course of the stated RIBA stages, in order to minimise the risks of possible non-compliance with the agreed BREEAM targets. To do this the Sustainability Champion should:


03.11.2020 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual updated with the above text. It remains applicable to previous issues of the manual.
				

			

					

				
Sustainable procurement plan – timing - KBCN1659

				Where a sustainable procurement plan is not in place before Concept Design (as required in the criteria), the credit can still be achieved if:
				

			

					

				
Sustainable Procurement Plan: Relevant Standard - KBCN0767

				The correct standard in the definition of Sustainable Procurement Plan is now BS ISO 20400:2017, which supercedes 8903:2010 - Principles and Framework for Procuring Sustainably.

In the UK manuals BS 8903:2010 was incorrectly listed as BS 8902:2009. All relevant references will be updated to BS ISO 20400:2017 in the coming re-issues of the manuals.

05/10/2017 New reference to BS ISO 20400:2017 added.
03/11/2021 Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual corrected.
				

			

					

				
Sustainable Transport Measures – Option 2 – Phased developments - KBCN1073

				In the case of a phased development where new transport services will be provided, but at a later stage than completion of the assessed building, these can be considered where:

A commitment has been made to provide the transport services within the shortest of the following periods and this is demonstrated within the General Contract Specification or in the form of a Section 106 Agreement:

    
 	
  1. The transport services will be available for use by the time 25% of all phases have been completed and are ready for occupation.
    2. 


OR

    
 	
  1. The transport services will be available for use within 25% of the total build time for the phase in which the assessed building forms a part, measured from the completion date of that phase.
    2. 


Where the transport services will not be available for use within a period of five years from occupation of the assessed building, they cannot be considered for compliance with the BREEAM criteria.				

			

					

				
Sustainable transport measures – Shell only and shell & core assessments - KBCN1181

				Assessment option 3 “Public transport information system”

A public transport information system may not be in the scope of works for a shell only or shell & core assessment.

In such cases, this measure is not available, however points can be achieved through demonstrating compliance with alternative options in this issue.

If it does fall within the scope of works, this measure is still available.

Assessment option 4 “Electric Vehicle recharging stations”

For shell only and shell & core assessments it is permissible to demonstrate compliance through provision of all necessary infrastructure required for future installation of compliant electric recharging stations.

BREEAM recognises that full installation of recharging terminals may be outside the scope of shell only and shell & core stages. 

Assessment option 5 “Car Sharing”

For speculative shell only and shell & core assessments, measures 5.7 and 5.8 might not be achievable. Where this is demonstrated and justified, the one point available for this option can be achieved through compliance with measures 5.9 & 5.10 only.

Where the building occupier is not known, project teams are unable to influence the implementation phase of a car sharing scheme. 

26/06/2020 Note relating to Option 3 - wording amended to clarify the intent.
				

			

					

				
Swimming pools - KBCN0812

				Water use dedicated to swimming pools is considered an unregulated water use and should be included in the assessment of this issue.				

			

					

				
Table 7.3 AI and number of points achieved - KBCN1362

				The header for the table should read:

Therefore, please ignore the text in the second column “(urban centre)”.

For example, a project with an AI of 30 that achieves 4 points for implementing options in Table 7.4 would be awarded 6 credits.				

			

					

				
Targeting ecology issues using a mixture of routes - KBCN1306

				Where Route 1 is pursued initially and it is subsequently decided that Route 2 should be followed, the Suitably Qualified Ecologist appointed should review all evidence available for the issues already assessed to confirm the actions taken were appropriate.

Note: Route 1 and Route 2 are referred to as the 'Foundation' and 'Comprehensive' routes in HQM ONE, respectively.

 				

			

					

				
Technical: Location of scheme technical documents - KBCN00022

				All scheme technical manuals are available to view and download on the BREEAM website http://www.breeam.com/technical-standards.

Always refer to the BREEAM website to make sure that you have access to the most up-to-date version of the relevant scheme technical manual.				

			

					

				
Technical: Scope of BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 versus 2011 - KBCN0494

				Under BREEAM UK New Construction (NC) 2014, building types fall within four broad sector categories; commercial, public sector, multi-residential and ‘other buildings’; each sector containing a sub-group of buildings which can be assessed using the 2014 version e.g. commercial sector includes offices, retail and industrial types.

In addition to the building types covered by the BREEAM UK NC 2011 scheme, fire stations and visitor centres are included within the scope of the BREEAM UK NC 2014 scheme.

Also, the criteria for Simple Buildings are fully integrated in the BREEAM UK NC 2014 scheme, whilst revised guidance is included for the assessment of shell only and shell and core projects.				

			

					

				
Temporary Car Parking - KBCN0751

				The number of car parking spaces should be based on the permanent parking spaces provided specifically for the development once fully operational. 

Assessors should determine whether parking spaces should be considered 'permanent' or 'temporary', based on evidence provided by the design team. 				

			

					

				
Temporary ecological enhancements prior to development - KBCN00065

				Where a site has been acquired but development is not scheduled to start immediately, it is possible to determine the baseline ecological value of the site at this point. Furthermore, to recognise where positive measures to enhance ecology have been taken to manage the site until development starts, these enhancement measures will not impact on the baseline value for the purposes of the BREEAM assessment, provided that the following have been met:

Clarification: This guidance is currently under development. Please contact BRE Global with specific project details for confirmation of whether this approach may be used.

The aim of these issues is to demonstrate the impact that a project has had on the site ecology, but comparing the site pre and post development. BREEAM does not want to penalise sites that have put in temporary ecological enhancements that enhance the ecology while waiting for development to begin.				

			

					

				
Temporary irrigation systems - KBCN0147

				Temporary watering arrangements set up purely to allow plant species or a green roof to establish are acceptable for plants relying on natural precipitation during all seasons of the year. Where this is the case, the ecologist's report must confirm the plant species and the expected time for recommended plant species to establish themselves i.e. time period for temporary watering arrangements.				

			

					

				
Temporary power solutions in noise impact assessments - KBCN0171

				Plants such as standby generators that are only used temporarily are excluded from the noise impact assessment.				

			

					

				
Tenant fit-out of asset prior to PCR, where DS compliance is based on Option 2 - KBCN0412

				If a tenant begins the fit-out in line with the Green Building Guide before the post-construction report submission, the assessor can award full credits for criteria met  based on 'Option 3 Developer/Tenant Collaboration'. The assessor would need to collect evidence of the fit-out as normal for a post-construction assessment or review.

If a tenant chooses not to follow the Green Building Guide provided to them, the assessor can still award half credits in accordance with Option 2. In order to provide transparency to future occupants of the building, the assessor's post construction report must record where the tenants have chosen not to follow the Green Building Guide.

While it is recognised that the tenant is not following the Green Building Guide, the developer has fulfilled their obligations in providing the necessary documentation for the Shell and Core assessment and has influenced the tenants' decisions as far as possible.
05/04/2018 Wording clarified

 				

			

					

				
Testing and inspecting building fabric – Untreated spaces - KBCN0972

				Untreated spaces, which are not subject to compliance with statutory energy performance regulations, can be excluded from the scope of the 'Testing and inspecting building fabric/thermographic survey/air pressure testing' criteria.

 

 				

			

					

				
Testing and inspecting the building fabric credit - KBCN0649

				The requirements for this credit are to ensure continuity of insulation, avoidance of thermal bridging and air leakage paths. How this is achieved is up to the judgement of the suitably qualified professional.
The criteria are intended to afford the design team the opportunity to demonstrate that the above are met by whatever means are appropriate, which will generally be air-tightness testing and a thermographic survey.
Should the suitably qualified professional advise alternative means, the assessor must be satisfied and be able to demonstrate that all the above requirements have been met.

BREEAM seeks to be outcome-driven and does not, therefore, prescribe the specific testing methods to achieve the criteria in this Issue.


 				

			

					

				
Testing and inspecting the building fabric – Shell Only - KBCN0573

				For Shell Only assessments with spaces which are intended to be treated post-assessment, imposing the requirement for a thermographic survey on a future user is not acceptable, as it may be difficult and unreasonable to expect them to remediate any defects revealed by the survey. Therefore the credit is still applicable even if building services have not yet been fitted.

While we appreciate that it may be more challenging to achieve this credit for a shell only assessment compared to shell and core and fully fitted buildings, please note that the credits within the Management category do have a higher weighting for shell only assessments and there are also fewer credits applicable. Therefore each credit in the management category is worth more, as a percentage of the final score, than they are for shell and core / fully fitted buildings. This, therefore, helps to justify any potential additional burden felt by shell only assessments for this credit.				

			

					

				
The importance of EPDs - KBCN0895

				The publishing of a third party verified EPD by a manufacturer indicates a transparent, robust and credible step in the pursuit and achievement of real sustainability in practice. While an EPD in itself is not proof that a product is sustainable, it is a public declaration of the environmental impacts associated with specified life cycle stages of that product.  A manufacturer or group of manufacturers, who carry out life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on their product(s) and publish the results in verified EPDs, help to create a knowledge base and an awareness of the environmental impacts quantified using standardised metrics. This allows benchmarking and the identification of improvement opportunities for the product’s environmental credentials. By implication, there are also opportunities for economic and social benefits to the manufacturer, such as the reduction in resource wastage through improvements in product design and manufacturing efficiency.

The reward for EPDs in BREEAM schemes promotes the above, while encouraging designers, procurers and other stakeholders to make decisions on the basis of robust and credible environmental data. This is one of the markers of BRE’s strategic approach to the selection and procurement of construction materials and products.

We recognise that there may be steep costs at the moment to small manufacturers wishing to publish verified EPDs for their products. This is a result of the maturity of the market and it is anticipated that as the awareness of the benefits of EPD increases, the increased uptake of EPDs will drive costs down.				

			

					

				
Thermal comfort – Changing rooms - KBCN1133

				Whilst thermal comfort in changing rooms may be considered as significant, such spaces are, generally, outside the scope of this Issue, as they would not fall within the definition of an 'occupied space'.

17/06/2019 - This supersedes the advice previously provided in this KBCN, which was published in error on 13/06/2018
				

			

					

				
Thermal modelling – mechanical ventilation with no heating or cooling - KBCN1579

				Where the building services include mechanical ventilation with no heating or cooling element this is considered "free-running". These buildings do not need to follow the air-conditioned building criteria.

If the building services do not include any mechanical cooling, then the risk of overheating is down to the use of the building fabric to afford attenuation of the diurnal swings / solar gains. Therefore the adaptive approach to thermal comfort from CIBSE AM10 is the correct approach to define and assess summer overheating /thermal comfort against. Following the Adaptive model is seen as allowing a lot of tolerance for the required indoor conditions.

A full DTM assessment will be required to show the predicted summer internal conditions.				

			

					

				
Thermal modelling – naturally ventilated buildings with heating for the winter months - KBCN1345

				Where naturally ventilated occupied spaces are heated in the winter/heating season, as an alternative to demonstrating compliance with the winter operative temperature ranges in CIBSE Guide A or other appropriate industry standard, such occupied spaces can demonstrate compliance through meeting the Category B requirements for PPD, PMV and local discomfort set out in Table A.1 of Annex A of ISO 7730:2005. Where this alternative compliance route is used, when these naturally ventilated occupied spaces are in ‘free-running mode’ (i.e. outside of the winter/heating season), it is not possible to use the ISO 7730:2005 method and therefore these spaces must demonstrate compliance with the requirements to limit the risk overheating in accordance with CIBSE TM52.				

			

					

				
Thermal modelling for large scale projects - KBCN1171

				In cases where the scale of the project makes it unfeasible to provide thermal modelling for every space, it is acceptable to demonstrate compliance with a representative sample of floors or rooms, ensuring any worst case scenarios are included.				

			

					

				
Thermal modelling for shell only developments - KBCN0784

				For shell only developments, in order to achieve criterion 1, thermal modelling can be completed on the basis of a typical notional layout and equipment specification for the particular building type (retail, restaurants, cinema etc.) can be used to demonstrate compliance.				

			

					

				
Thermal modelling – buildings with mixed-mode ventilation - KBCN1346

				Where a building has some occupied spaces that are naturally ventilated and some occupied spaces that are air-conditioned, the thermal modelling must demonstrate that the naturally ventilated spaces meet the criteria for naturally ventilated buildings and that the air-conditioned spaces meet the criteria for air-conditioned buildings.				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey – Seasonal constraints - KBCN00031

				Where seasonal constraints prevent the thermographic survey from being completed prior to certification at the post construction stage, the requirements can be satisfied with:

Thermographic surveys are designed to map the thermal efficiency of buildings and to detect areas where there are breaches in the thermal envelope. Surveys need to be conducted when temperature differences between the external areas of the building and surrounding air can be detected after the envelope is sealed. There may will be instances where the survey cannot be done before certification after the envelope is sealed and as such, the survey would take place after certification. 				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey – Shell & Core - KBCN0198

				Generally it is most appropriate to carry out a thermographic survey once the thermal envelope is complete and the building services have been installed. Where this is not the case, an appropriate professional should be consulted to confirm a suitable way forward for individual projects at the shell and core stage. Subject to the paragraph below, if it is not possible to undertake a full and accurate survey at this stage, the credit must be withheld.
Imposing the requirement for a thermographic survey on an unknown future tenant by using a green lease agreement or green building guide is not acceptable as it may be difficult and unreasonable to expect the tenant to remediate any defects revealed by the survey. If the future tenant is known and there is a robust arrangement and contractually binding agreement in place to undertake a thermographic survey and remedy any defects, Shell & Core Option 3 may be used, subject to the submission of appropriate evidence.

 				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey and report – UK qualifications - KBCN0322

				The UKTA (UK Thermography Association) defines what is currently accepted as a suitable qualification for building thermography in line with ISO 18436-7 (Building or Civil), PCN CM/GEN Appendix B Civil, and ISO 6781-3.

As of 6th June 2014, the PCN (Civil) Level 2 and ABBE Level 4 Building Thermographer qualifications are recognised by the UKTA as suitable for BREEAM thermographic surveys. Work is underway to align these requirements with other qualification routes and these will be reviewed by the UKTA on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please contact the UKTA directly (www.ukta.org).

It is acceptable for the survey to be undertaken by other appropriately qualified building thermography professionals provided the analysis and report is undertaken or overseen, quality checked and signed by an appropriately qualified professional as defined by the UKTA.

07-Mar-2023 - Updated title to clarify that this KBCN relates to UK qualifications.
				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey for large and complex buildings - KBCN0405

				In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and air-tightness testing to cover 100% of the building. The level of the survey should be decided by a Level 2 qualified thermographic surveyor. This could include, for example, airports, large hospitals and high-rise buildings.				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey or airtightness testing impractical - KBCN0150

				In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and airtightness testing to cover 100% of the building. Where a complete thermographic survey or airtightness testing is deemed impractical by a Suitably Qualified Professional (thermographic survey or airtightness testing), the following guidance applies:


23/11/2020 amended text to improve clarity: 

In the case of large and complex buildings, it may be impractical for the thermographic survey and airtightness testing to cover 100% of the building. Where a complete thermographic survey is deemed impractical by a Level 2 qualified thermographic surveyor, the guidance in airtightness standard TSL2 (or relevant local standard) should be followed on the extent of the survey and testing. This could include, for example, airports, large hospitals, high-rise buildings.

 				

			

					

				
Thermographic survey – Standards for qualification of personnel - KBCN0689

				Assessors can accept reports from thermographers who hold a suitable Infrared Thermographic Testing (TT) qualification under one of the following standards, depending on which one was current at the time of the thermographer's qualification:


13-Mar-2017 - Compliance note amended to allow the applicability of standards based on the time of the thermographer's qualification, rather than the BREEAM scheme version.
03-Nov-2021 - Above text added to issue 2.0 of the UK RFO 2014 technical manual. The text is still relevant to previous issues of the manual.
07-Mar-2023 - Updated title to clarify that this KBCN relates to standards for the qualification of personnel.
				

			

					

				
Third party licensing or registration scheme - KBCN0902

				A specialist registered with a BREEAM recognised third party licensing or registration scheme for security specialists can be considered a Suitably Qualified Security Specialist for the purposes of compliance with BREEAM Hea 06.

The following are currently recognised as a third party licensing or registration scheme for an SQSS;
• SABRE Registered Professional
Only SABRE Registered Professionals holding the designation ‘SQSS’ are recognised. A live list of SABRE Registered Professionals and their designations can be found on www.redbooklive.com. Further information regarding the SABRE Registered Professional can be found on the SABRE website (www.bregroup.com/sabre).

(21/03/2018) Updated to include applicability to BREEAM UK NC 2011
(19/07/2018) Updated to clarify recognition of SABRE
(03/11/2021) Issue 2.0 of the UK RFO technical manual has be amended to include this information. The information is still relevant to previous versions of the manual.
				

			

					

				
Third party verification – BREEAM Assessor or AP - KBCN1235

				A BREEAM assessor or AP who meets the definition may be considered as a 'suitably qualified third party' for this credit, provided that any conflicts of interest are managed and that the individual is not directly involved in the design of the LCA options.

See also KBCN1234				

			

					

				
Third-party verification – Timing - KBCN1603

				The third-party LCA verification requirements for concept and technical design stages do not need to be completed at a specific project stage.

It is, for example, acceptable for these to be verified as a single exercise, following technical design stage.				

			

					

				
Time critical BREEAM requirements – reference to RIBA (or equivalent) work stages - KBCN1156

				As a building design process passes through successive work stages, increasingly more aspects of the design become fixed. BREEAM criteria often require actions at, before or after specific project work stages, as these are the optimal stages to achieve the required sustainability outcome. When undertaken at a different stage, the criteria may be difficult to comply with, opportunities may be missed, options limited or costs may become prohibitive.

Knowing which stage your project is at

Where possible, BREEAM refers to industry-standard work stages, for example the RIBA plan of work stages. However different project teams can interpret these referenced stages differently.

Furthermore, many projects do not follow these stages in a simple linear fashion for all aspects of the design at the same time. For instance, the envelope design may be well advanced even to the point where installation has commenced before any specification decisions have been made on some interior finishes. As such, a project may not be at one project stage for all elements of the design at any one point in time.

This Knowledge Base compliance note is intended to provide supplementary information to enable projects to determine what stage they are at with respect to time critical BREEAM requirements, including where different elements are at different stages. Although project team members may be willing to offer their opinion on the stage the project has reached, this will often be subjective and hence inconsistent. Therefore, the process set out here looks at the currently available design information for the project (e.g. drawings, specifications) to determine the current work stage in relation to the issue under consideration. This provides a more objective, demonstrable approach for the assessor to follow.

 

Concept Design Stage

The RIBA definition of ‘Concept Design’ (RIBA stage 2) can be found here https://www.ribaplanofwork.com/PlanOfWork.aspx . The core objective given is ‘Prepare Concept Design, including outline proposals for structural design, building services systems, outline specifications and preliminary Cost Information along with relevant Project Strategies in accordance with Design Programme. Agree alterations to brief and issue Final Project Brief.’

Table 1 and table 2 (in the link below) provide further guidance, specific to BREEAM, to help determine whether a project, or part of the project relevant to the issue/credit, is at ‘Concept Design’ stage. If there is ambiguity or uncertainty about the stage of the project, the assessor should check with the design team whether the design documentation (drawings, specifications, BIM etc.) currently being produced by the design team will generally include the information listed.

It is possible for different aspects of the project to be at different stages in terms of how progressed the design is. For example, the substructure design may be at technical design or even installed while the internal partitions are still at concept design. Whether this matters depends on the issue/credit being pursued. The following steps take this into account.

Step 1

First, for the issue/credit being pursued, determine which of the relevant assessment scope items in table 1 and 2 are relevant. For example, if the issue/credit only relates to substructure, then only the substructure assessment scope items shall be considered. If the issue/credit is of a general nature concerning the whole project, then all the assessment scope items shall be considered.

Step 2

For the relevant assessment scope items from step 1, decide which of the following applies the most: -

Please note that the items listed are indicative of the typical information produced at ‘Concept Design’ stage.

Technical Design Stage

The RIBA definition of ‘Technical Design’ (RIBA stage 4) can be found here https://www.ribaplanofwork.com/PlanOfWork.aspx . The core objective provided is ‘Prepare Technical Design in accordance with Design Responsibility Matrix and Project Strategies to include all architectural, structural and building services information, specialist subcontractor design and specifications, in accordance with Design Programme.’

The following provides further guidance, specific to BREEAM, to determine whether a project is at the ‘Technical Design’ stage: The RIBA plan of work definition of ‘Technical Design’ clearly states that it should ‘…include all architectural, structural and building services information, specialist subcontractor design and specifications…’. Therefore, it is a simpler task to determine whether the project, or part of the project relevant to the issue/credit, is at this stage. If there is ambiguity or uncertainty about the stage of the project, the assessor should check with the design team whether the design documentation (drawings, specifications, BIM etc.) currently under production by the design team (and the contractor’s specialist sub-contractors, if applicable) will, when finished, generally include all the final design information required for the construction works on-site.

Like concept design, it is possible for different aspects of the project to be at different stages in terms of how progressed the design is. The following steps take this into account.

Step 1

First, for the issue/credit being pursued, determine which of the relevant assessment scope items are relevant (the assessment scope items given in table 1 and 2 may be used, but the rest of the information in these tables relates to concept design).

Step 2

For the relevant assessment scope items from step 1, decide which of the following applies the most: -

KBCN1156_IndicatorTables

 

17/06/2019 KBCN updated to provide additional guidance
				

			

					

				
Timing of Ecological survey/report - KBCN0292

				If the ecologist's site survey and/or report is completed at a later stage than required, the assessor would need to be satisfied that it was produced early enough for the recommendations to influence the Concept Design/design brief stage and leads to a positive outcome in terms of protection and enhancement of site ecology.

21/02/2017 Wording clarified.
				

			

					

				
Timing of Ecological survey/report - KBCN0292

				If the ecologist's site survey and/or report is completed at a later stage than required, the assessor would need to be satisfied that it was produced early enough for the recommendations to influence the Concept Design/design brief stage and leads to a positive outcome in terms of protection and enhancement of site ecology.

21/02/2017 Wording clarified.
				

			

					

				
Tools: Assessment details tab in reporting tool – heating type info unavailable - KBCN0406

				While the Assessment details tab asks for heating and cooling types your selection for the type of heating or cooling system does not affect the number of credits. The number of credits are influenced only if heating or cooling systems are applicable or not. Therefore, for a situation where the design is in early stages and the building services details have not been decided, your selection simply needs to confirm whether or not the building is heated and whether or not the building is cooled using the drop down menus for “Building services – heating system type” and “Building services – cooling system type”. This must be completed for the assessment tool to function.

 				

			

					

				
Tools: Tracker+ - KBCN0760

				Please note that Tracker+ is not a BRE-owned or managed reporting tool. For issues concerning Tracker + please contact the provider (Southfacing) as the BRE cannot advise on technical issues relating to Tracker+.				

			

					

				
Tools: Use of reissued tools - KBCN0384

				The most up-to-date version of an excel tool should be downloaded from the BREEAM Assessor's Extranet when a new assessment is started. If an updated tool is subsequently released then it will not be necessary to use the updated tool instead of the version already being used. The assessor can choose to use the updated tool if they wish.
When new tool versions are released, assessors are notified through the monthly Process Note. We would expect Assessors to review the 'Schedule of Changes' tab when an updated tool is released. If fundamental changes have been made to the tool and they will affect the results for the issue in question please contact BRE for guidance.				

			

					

				
TOR for schools - KBCN0172

				The 'time out of range' (TOR) requirement is satisfied when a significantly better performance is justified to have been achieved in comparison to the appropriate industry standard. Where there is no appropriate industry standard available or TOR recommendation, the building services engineer needs to confirm the TOR is acceptable for the specific building.

Where there is a reference to 60 hours TOR in relation to Building Bulletin 101 recommendations, this is purely for illustration and not a compliance requirement.

 

 				

			

					

				
Towel rails - KBCN00081

				Towel rails cannot count towards the drying line requirements.

Clothes drying lines are provided to reduce the need to tumble drying clothes, which uses a lot of energy. Using towel rails to dry clothes would require the potentially damp towels to be stored while the clothes dry. This is inconvenient and therefore means the aim of the credit is less likely to be met. 				

			

					

				
Tra 01 and Tra 02 – Prerequisite and RIBA stage requirements - KBCN1205

				In Issues 1.0 and 1.2 of the technical manual, the criteria state that achieving the credits in Tra 01 is a prerequisite to awarding credits for Tra 02.

In order to clarify the intent, there is a need to distinguish between the following:


The requirement to undertake an early-stage ‘transport assessment’ remains as a criterion to award any credits for Issue Tra 01, however it has now been clarified that this does not form part of the prerequisite for awarding credits in Tra 02.

The prerequisite to achieve credits in Tra 02 relates to the requirement to develop a ‘travel plan’ at an appropriate stage in the development, which informs decisions relating to the sustainable transport measures implemented in Tra 02.

Clarification of the requirements in Tra 01 and Tra 02:

Tra 01, Criterion 1

This currently states:

‘1. During the feasibility and design stages, develop a travel plan based on a site-specific travel assessment or statement.’

Clarified criterion:

‘1. No later than Concept Design stage, undertake a site-specific transport assessment (or statement) and draft travel plan, which can demonstrably be used to influence the site layout and built form; see Methodology.’

Tra 01, Criterion 3

This currently states:

‘3. The travel plan includes proposals to increase or improve sustainable modes of transport and movement of people and goods during the building's operation and use; see Methodology.’

Clarified criterion:

‘3. Following a transport assessment (in accordance with the requirements set out in criteria 2a-2g) develop a site-specific travel plan, that provides a long term management strategy which encourages more sustainable travel. The travel plan includes measures to increase or improve more sustainable modes of transport and movement of people and goods during the building's operation; see Methodology.’

Tra 02, Prerequisite

This currently states:

‘1. Achieve the Tra 01 Transport assessment and travel plan credits.’

Clarified criterion:

‘1. Achieve criteria 3-5 in the Tra 01 Transport assessment and travel plan Issue’

This will be confirmed in the next reissue of the technical manual, but the tool has been updated on BREEAM Projects and this can be applied immediately in all versions of the UK NC2018 scheme.
				

			

					

				
Tram services - KBCN000004

				Tram services are classified as train services when assessing transport accessibility.

 				

			

					

				
Transport assessments and transport statements - KBCN1367

				For many projects, a Transport Assessment or Transport Statement will be required for planning purposes. Where this is the case, this information can be used to demonstrate compliance with the requirement to undertake a site-specific transport/travel assessment. Where a Transport Assessment or Transport Statement is not specifically required for planning purposes, a site-specific transport/travel assessment must be completed that covers points a to g in criterion 2. In such instances, it is permissible for the results of this assessment to be reported within the travel plan rather than in a separate report. The applicable information must be clearly identifiable within the travel plan document, and the travel plan must clearly demonstrate how the transport/travel assessment has been used to inform the plan’s strategy.

 

 				

			

					

				
Transport measures on masterplan level - KBCN1290

				For assessment options 2 and 6, where it can be demonstrated that a measure was considered or negotiated as part of a masterplan, which includes the assessed building and that it provides a direct benefit to the users of that assessed building, this can be considered as compliant.

 				

			

					

				
Transport of construction materials – Data and methodology - KBCN0413

				To ensure comparability across assessments, the information completed in the scoring and reporting tool should be restricted to the minimum data specified in the technical manual.

For the purposes of this BREEAM Issue, the distances reported should be calculated from the point from which the products or materials were sourced, whether this be directly from a manufacturer or from a builders' merchant/distributor:

Where products cannot be sourced locally, for example on small islands, the transport required to import the materials or products can be discounted, and only the local onward transport to the site recorded.

The aim of this requirement is to encourage developers to consider the impacts of transporting products and materials to site. As such, the criteria seek to address only those impacts, which can be influenced by the developer.

27.07.2018 Wording amended to add clarity.
				

			

					

				
Transportation analysis carried out by the lift manufacturer - KBCN0232

				BREEAM recognises that lift manufacturers / suppliers are often engaged to provide such specialist advice. Where the assessor is satisfied that the analysis has been carried out correctly, the analysis can be submitted as compliant evidence.				

			

					

				
UK NC2018 Update – Bespoke UK RFO/UK NC assessments - KBCN1079

				Until the UK RFO scheme is updated to align with UK NC2018, 'Bespoke' NC/RFO assessments will continue to be registered against UK RFO2014 and apply the UK RFO2014 and UK NC2014 criteria.				

			

					

				
Unexploded ordnance - KBCN0775

				Unexploded ordnance can be defined as a contaminant as they are objects which can be classed as a hazard to health and/or the environment.  Therefore, if the contaminated land specialist confirms that leaving the ordinance on the site would lead to a serious risk to human health and the environment, the site can be defined as “contaminated land” (please see the definition within the 'additional information' section of the manual).

However, the credit can only be awarded where all criteria have been met, and therefore the site investigation, risk assessment and appraisal must determine that the site is “significantly contaminated” i.e. without remediation, development of the site is not possible.

Also, it should be noted that decontamination needs to occur specifically for the purpose of re-development of the site, as detailed in the compliance notes “Prior Decontamination” and “Health and Safety related decontamination.”				

			

					

				
Unexploded ordnance - KBCN1095

				Unexploded ordnance can be defined as a contaminant as they are objects which can be classed as a hazard to health and/or the environment.  Therefore, if the contaminated land specialist confirms that leaving the ordinance on the site would lead to a serious risk to human health and the environment, the site can be defined as “contaminated land” (please see the definition within the manual).

However, the credit can only be awarded where all criteria have been met, and therefore the site investigation, risk assessment and appraisal must determine that the site is “significantly contaminated” i.e. without remediation, development of the site is not possible.

Also, it should be noted that decontamination needs to occur specifically for the purpose of re-development of the site, as per the 'Contaminated land - Scope' within the methdology.				

			

					

				
Uniclass codes - KBCN1363

				The following lists the official UNICLASS 1.4 names from table P relevant to this issue:

The complete tables for P and L can be searched here https://www.cpic.org.uk/uniclass1/				

			

					

				
Unlodged or ‘draft’ EPC - KBCN0262

				Where a building is being assessed against Part L 2006, an unlodged or 'draft' EPC can be submitted as evidence, where it is only possible to lodge against the current Part L of the Building Regulations. In particular for Design Stage Evidence, draft EPCs are acceptable as a forecast of the buildings thermal performance. In such circumstances, these will also be accepted as evidence for the BREEAM Post Construction Review provided they are accompanied by additional evidence demonstrating that they accurately reflect the 'as-built' scheme. This could be in the form of a written statement from the Energy Assessor or by providing a copy of the lodged EPC for the scheme which shows identical input figures.

This only applies to BREEAM 2011 pre-June 2012 update.				

			

					

				
Untreated buildings - KBCN1030

				Buildings designed to be untreated, i.e. where internal spaces will not be serviced by heating, ventilation or air-conditioning systems and therefore have no noise generating plant will not assess this issue. An example of such a building could be for industrial warehouse storage.				

			

					

				
Urinals – calculation of litres/bowl/hour - KBCN1010

				A flushing frequency of two flushes per hour is used in the Wat 01 tool and should be applied when calculating the volume of water dispensed by urinals and compared against the water efficient consumption levels by component type for the Wat 01 issue. This method should be applied to calculate litres/bowl/hour.
For example, a 13.5 L cistern feeding 3 bowls which is flushed 2 times per hour: (13.5 L / 3 bowls) x 2 times an hour = 9 litres/bowl/h.

 				

			

					

				
Use of as-designed BRUKL output for post-construction submission - KBCN0889

				Where it is not possible to produce an as-built BRUKL output for the post-construction assessment, it is acceptable to produce an updated as-designed BRUKL output that accurately reflects the constructed building as evidence for the post-construction submission.

A justification should be issued to QA clarifying why an as-designed BRUKL was submitted, along with confirmation from the relevant specialist that the model is an accurate representation of the final, as-built specification of the building.

24/08/2022 Applicability to UKNC V6 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Users with special hearing and communication needs - KBCN0969

				Criterion 1c aims to ensure that the acoustician has considered designing the building to better meet the acoustic requirements for users with special hearing and communication needs.

The extent and scope this should cover will depend on the building type. The following information, taken from The UK Department for Education ‘Acoustic design of schools: performance standards building bulletin 93' (February 2015) provides clarity as to the type of users typically to be considered:

Users with special hearing or communication needs includes, but are not limited to, people with permanent hearing impairment or with severe or complex needs, including:

Such users should be considered by the suitably qualified acoustician, along with the other points a-d when giving early design advice regarding room layout, sound insulation and reverberation times etc.

01/03/2019: Amended to clarify that this is a 'typical' list of users, but does not impose a new requirement.
				

			

					

				
Using BRE SMARTWaste tool - KBCN0236

				BRE SMARTWaste may be helpful in demonstrating the construction waste benchmarks; however its use is not compulsory to achieve the credits.

Reference to the SMARTWaste tool has been included in the issue as an example of a tool that can be used to manage and monitor waste generated during construction.

 				

			

					

				
Using water from natural underground sources to offset water consumption - KBCN00094

				Water from natural underground sources (for instance aquifer water accessed via boreholes) cannot be used to offset:

A significant amount of water used for public consumption is already drawn from aquifers. Private boreholes may be drawing water from the same sources as public utility companies.

27-Mar-2024 - Title and text updated to broaden definition. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Utility consumption – units for project value - KBCN1469

				When calculating the total kgCO₂/project value and entering this in the tool, the project value should be reported in pounds sterling i.e. kgCO₂/£1				

			

					

				
Ventilation – distance between air intakes and exhausts - KBCN0638

				The minimum distance required between the building's air intakes and exhausts is described by r. 

Where the distance does not meet r, the design team must either:


12-Jan-2023 - Value r clarified to account for different requirements in applicable schemes.
18-Nov-2022 - Requirements clarified. Title amended for clarity.
11-Oct-2022 - Scheme applicability updated. Wording clarified. Reference to EN13779 removed for international assessments, see KBCN1054.
				

			

					

				
Ventilation – external requirement for window opening restrictors - KBCN1032

				Opening restrictors to windows may sometimes need to be installed to meet:

Where such external requirements are in force, these requirements cannot be used as a mitigating factor for meeting the BREEAM ventilation criteria.

Even with window restrictors, adequate ventilation can still be achieved.

19-Oct-2022 Wording and title clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Ventilation – filtration – non-residential assets - KBCN0797

				Relevant specialist required

The design and specification of air filtration for mechanical ventilation requires the input and review of a relevant ventilation designer or specialist. It is their responsibility to interpret the requirements of this KBCN to align with local conditions.

Referenced standard

The requirements for air filtration in mechanical ventilation systems follows EN 16798-3:2017 Section B4.2. This standard replaces EN 13779:2007. See KBCN1054.

Supply air quality

Outdoor air quality

The filtering required to achieve SUP2 is affected by outdoor air quality. Outdoor air quality (ODA) in both EN 16798-3:2017 and EN 13779:2007 are defined as:

As ODA definitions are relative to national air quality standards, these will depend on local regulations and the location of the asset. Please refer to the relevant specialist on how to correctly classify ODA for your asset.

18-Nov-2022 Title amended to differentiate between residential and non-residential filtration KBCNs.
06-Sep-2022 KBCN re-written and re-named to clarify BREEAM ventilation filtration requirements in relation to new ventilation standards. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Ventilation – school office areas - KBCN0223

				Office areas in schools should comply with listed office ventilation rates set in  'BB 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality in schools'.

19-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Ventilation – single room MVHRs - KBCN1042

				Single room mechanical ventilation heat recovery units do not need to show that the air intake and exhaust are a suitable distance apart.

However, the air intakes of these units must be located to minimise intake of other potential external pollutants.

11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Wording simplified. Scheme applicability updated.
				

			

					

				
Ventilation – withdrawal of EN 13779:2007 - KBCN1054

				Standard EN 13779:2007 has been withdrawn (01/02/2018) and in its place the following should be used:

Non-residential buildings: Both standards provide three methods for selecting design ventilation rates:

Dwellings (only applicable to the BREEAM International New Construction scheme): Both standards provide different options for selecting design ventilation rates:

It is the design team’s responsibility to determine and apply the most appropriate method or option(s) for the project undergoing assessment.

Existing projects can continue to use EN 13779:2007 where applicable. Any new assessment registrations should use the replacements above.

03 Nov 2022 - First paragraph, bullet 3 updated to clarify methodology
11-Oct-2022 - Scheme applicability updated.
03-May-2020 - Typo corrected to clarify that 'EN 16798-1:2019 Annex B.3 'either Category I OR Category II default design values' are to be used.
10-Jan-2020 - KBCN updated to clarify methods for complying with new standards.
01-Sep-2019 - KBCN updated to reference new standard.
				

			

					

				
Verification of an ecology report / information - KBCN1192

				If the appointed ecologist does not meet the definition of a ‘suitably qualified ecologist’ (SQE) the report / information submitted to support the assessment must be verified by an individual who does.

1. The individual verifying the report must provide written confirmation that they comply with the definition of a ‘suitably qualified ecologist’.
2. The verifier must provide signed confirmation that they have checked and approved the report. This must clearly reference the report and can be in the form of a signed letter or their printed name and signature on a completed pro-forma. In doing so, they are deemed to confirm that the report:
a. represents sound industry practice
b. is correctly, truthful, and objective
c. is appropriate given the local site conditions and scope of works proposed
d. avoids invalid, biased, or exaggerated statements

Such confirmation from the verifier must be provided in addition to all other information required by the relevant technical manual and referenced as part of the evidence submitted to demonstrate compliance.

It can take a number of years for an ecologist to meet the SQE definition. Verification of information by an existing SQE supports the practical application of the assessment criteria and is in line with industry practice. 

13/08/2019 Updated to clarify, in practical terms, what evidence of verification will be considered acceptable.

 				

			

					

				
Verification of measurements undertaken by non-SQA - KBCN1661

				It is acceptable for individuals who do not meet the BREEAM definition of a suitably qualified acoustician (SQA) for Pol 05 to undertake the testing for this issue, provided the measurements or calculations are verified by a SQA. The SQA must review the report and confirm in writing that they have found it to:

    
 	
  1. Represent sound industry practice
    2. 
 	
  2. Be appropriate given the building being assessed and scope of works proposed
    3. 
 	
  3. Avoid invalid, biased and exaggerated recommendations
    4. 


Additionally, written confirmation from the SQA how they comply with the definition of a SQA is required.				

			

					

				
View out – alternative method of compliance for fixed workstations - KBCN1484

				In relevant spaces that include fixed workstations* (such as a built-in cash registers or reception desks) an alternative method can be used. This is based on the number of compliant workstations.

For instance, where the requirement is for 95% of the relevant area to comply, 95% of the fixed workstations must have a compliant view out, rounded up to the nearest workstation.

 

Example

A retail assessment has 35 built-in cash registers, 95% of which must comply with the view out criteria.

35 x 0.95 = 33.25, rounded up to 34.

The requirement is met for this area if 34 registers comply with the criteria.

 

Where an asset includes a mix of relevant areas; both fixed workstations and flexible areas, compliance for the whole assessment must be demonstrated for all areas, as appropriate, based on either area or number.

 

*freestanding desks and other items of moveable furniture cannot be considered as fixed workstations, regardless of whether their locations are pre-determined.				

			

					

				
View out – Calculating the glazing to wall ratio - KBCN1506

				This should be calculated based on the glazed area of window, expressed as a percentage of the area of the external wall in which the window sits.

Where the ceiling height of the room is unusually high, relative to the window height, the wall area can be calculated based on a standard ceiling height for the building type.				

			

					

				
View out – eye level - KBCN0581

				BREEAM defines an adequate view out as being at seated eye level (1.2 – 1.3m) within the relevant building areas. However, where occupants will not have the option to be seated, for example in some industrial operational areas where the work being undertaken requires occupants to remain standing, the height of the view out can be changed accordingly to suit the eye level of occupants. All other view out requirements have to be met and clear justification provided for changing the height/level of the view out.

In some relevant building areas, occupants may not be sitting down to undertake tasks. Allowing the view out height requirements to be changed accordingly ensures building occupants gain maximum benefit from the view out. 

 				

			

					

				
View Out – First Aid Rooms - KBCN1104

				The view out criteria do not apply to dedicated first aid or medical rooms in non-healthcare projects.

BREEAM recognises the need for user privacy in such areas and that these are intermittently occupied.				

			

					

				
View out – internal view within an atrium - KBCN1240

				Where the criteria are otherwise met, an internal view across an unobstructed atrium void can be considered compliant.

Internal views are generally not acceptable, however where it is physically impossible to obstruct the view with partitions, equipment or furniture, this can be accepted at the discretion of the assessor.				

			

					

				
View out – no relevant areas - KBCN0876

				If the scope of the assessment does not include any relevant building areas, as defined within the manual, the criteria for 'view out' can be considered as met by default.

Only spaces that fall within the definition of relevant areas and are within the assessment's scope need to be assessed.				

			

					

				
View out – percentage area - KBCN0166

				For the view out credit, compliance must be demonstrated for the percentage of the floor area in each relevant building area, rather than the percentage of the total relevant building area in the building.

14/2/17 Wording amended to clarify that the percentage must be achieved for each 'relevant building area'.
				

			

					

				
View out – relevant areas - KBCN0268

				The aim of the View Out criteria is to allow occupants to refocus their eyes from close work.

Relevant areas are spaces where close work in a fixed position is carried out for sustained periods of time.

The view out criteria are therefore not applicable to occupied areas such as meeting rooms, or other spaces where such close work is not being carried out.

Where rooms contain areas of different functions, only relevant areas should be assessed. In this case a notional line can be drawn on the plans and calculations made based on these relevant areas only.

However, spaces such circulation routes or other transient spaces within a relevant area can only be excluded if the route or area is clearly defined by the building layout. If this is arbitrary or based solely on a proposed furniture layout, it cannot be excluded. Features of the building layout which may be considered as dictating a function area would include, for example, the position of doors or fixed furniture such as a reception desk or canteen servery.

07-Oct-2022 Additional paragraph added to clarify how function areas must be defined. 
21-Sep-2022 General principle of 'relevant area' added, and applicability of KBCN extended to BIU V6 Commercial.
				

			

					

				
View out – rooms used for security or other critical functions - KBCN1040

				The View out criteria are not applicable to rooms containing security or critical systems or sensitive material, such as CCTV monitoring rooms.

Where it can be demonstrated that the presence of compliant windows would compromise a critical function of the space, the criteria can be considered not applicable.				

			

					

				
View out – Shell only/Shell & Core - KBCN1354

				Where it is not possible to confirm which areas of the building will contain workstations/benches or desks, then all areas of the building designed for and/or likely to be occupied by workstations/benches or desks must comply with the relevant criteria.				

			

					

				
View out for commercial kitchens - KBCN1216

				It is not necessary to provide a view out for commercial kitchens. This is because in such a space it is likely that kitchen staff will move around, doing various tasks. This makes the requirements for the view out to rest the eyes unnecessary.				

			

					

				
View Out – Rooms over 7m deep - KBCN1227

				Where the room depth exceeds 7m, compliance can be demonstrated for the prescribed relevant areas by meeting the room depth and window/wall area ratios provided in Table 1.0 of BS 8206.

This route replaces the criteria relating to the specific maximum room depth of 7m, stated in the technical manual.				

			

					

				
Visitor car parking spaces for Other Buildings (Transport type 2) - KBCN0242

				For developments such as hotels and visitor centres, which have a relatively small number of staff and large visitor numbers, the guest/visitor car parking spaces do not need to be assessed for this Issue where these are separate from the staff parking spaces. However, if the staff and visitor’s spaces are combined (and not clearly segregated) then all spaces must be accounted for within the calculation for maximum car parking capacity.

The aim of this Issue, 'To encourage the use of alternative means of transport...' is intended to apply to those commuting to the building on a regular basis.

21 06 2017 Wording amended to clarify the type of building and building-user covered by this KBCN.
				

			

					

				
Visual audit of site and surroundings - KBCN0685

				The method of conducting the visual audit of the site and its surroundings required for a Security Needs Assessment (SNA) is at the discretion of the Suitably Qualified Security Specialist (SQSS). It can be carried out as a site visit, or through the review of relevant project information and drawings, provided the SQSS is satisfied that these are sufficient to inform their SNA & associated security recommendations.

The approach should be justifiable in terms of the scale, complexity, location and any other specific aspects of the assessed development.

24/06/22 - Applicability to UK NC2018 confirmed
				

			

					

				
Washer dryers - KBCN0699

				Where a washer dryer is specified, the water consumption figure for the wash and dry cycle should be used.

The drying cycle of a washer dryer is taken into account because it usually uses water during this drying process (e.g. for cooling during the drying cycle) and in some cases, this water usage can be significant.

18-Nov-2022 - Updated to apply to BREEAM In-Use Version 6
				

			

					

				
Washing machines and dishwashers – Water consumption data - KBCN1571

				The water consumption data used to demonstrate compliance may be based on the lowest full wash cycle (i.e. not a pre-wash cycle, for example).				

			

					

				
Waste from temporary structures - KBCN1038

				Temporary support structures, or any other materials or systems brought on site to facilitate construction of a building and that subsequently enter the waste stream (albeit for recycling) will be considered as construction waste and contribute to the construction waste generated for the development.

If the support structure is reused on another site by the contractor (or another contractor) it has not entered the waste stream and, therefore, would not be included in the figures for waste generated. Reused timber formwork would be excluded in the same way.				

			

					

				
Waste management practices - KBCN0247

				16/04/2018 This compliance note is no longer valid as it does not fully explain how to approach this Issue. Please refer to the technical guidance and other compliance notes, such as KBCN0696, which deals with co-mingled recyclable waste.

The requirement to provide a dedicated space for the segregation and storage of operational recyclable waste, as well as relevant facilities (e.g. for large amounts of packaging and/or compostible waste), relates to the building, not the occupier or the local authorities. A dedicated space and facilities must be provided irrespective of the waste management practices of the relevant stakeholders.

The BREEAM certification relates to the building, not the occupier's or the local authorities' waste management practices. Therefore, the provision of a dedicated space and the relevant facilities is required to ensure the building's operational recyclable waste streams is diverted from landfill.

22/02/2017 Amended to include facilities (in addition to dedicated spaces)
				

			

					

				
Waste storage provision for catering - KBCN0755

				As the manual states, the additional 2m2 per 1000 m2 of waste storage area provided for catering is measured against the "net floor area where catering is provided" and NOT the floor area of the catering facility.

Generally, a catering facility will serve building users throughout the building. If it can be demonstrated that this is not the case, for example if part of the development is subject to a separate tenancy, not served by the catering facility, the area calculation can be adjusted accordingly. 

Where the net floor area is not indicative of the actual occupancy, the default values may not be appropriate. In such cases, the predicted waste streams should be calculated based on the actual occupancy and waste streams generated.

This requirement accounts for the increase in waste produced by building based on the likely number of building users served by the catering facility. Please note that these default calculations are only intended for use where it is not possible to determine accurately what provision should be made based on predicted waste streams. 

15 06 2017 Wording updated to clarify
				

			

					

				
Water consumption calculation for push and automatic shut-off taps - KBCN00052

				The water consumption of push and automatic shut-off taps can be calculated for input into the Wat 01 calculator using the following steps:

Step 1: Calculate the water consumption per person per use.

If a tap runs for less than 20 seconds per activation, assume it will be activated twice per person for the timed duration. For example, for a tap with a flow rate of 9 litres/min and a 15 second usage duration, the water consumed per person would be: 9 x 15/60 x 2 = 4.5 litres/min.

If a tap runs for 20 seconds or more per activation, assume one activation per person for the timed duration. For example, for a tap with a flow rate of 9 litres/min and a 20 second usage duration, the water consumed per person would be: 9 x 20/60 x 1 = 3 litres/min.

Step 2: Multiply the water consumption figure per person by 1.5 and enter this figure into the calculator tool.

Multiplying by 1.5 adjusts the consumption figure to compensate for the typical non times tap use of 40 seconds that has already been taken into account in the tool. Taking the first example above, if we multiply 4.5 litres/min by 1.5 we get 6.75 litres/min. When this is used in the tool as the flow rate specification, the consumption is 4.57 litres/person/day which more closely reflects the true level of water consumption for the push tap.

 				

			

					

				
Water consumption calculation for sensor taps - KBCN0180

				The water flow rate of sensor taps can be entered directly into the flow rate cells of the Wat 01 tool.

The amount of water dispensed by sensor taps for each use is determined by occupant demand in the same way as normal taps. Therefore, the default frequency of use will be applied in the Wat 01 tool and no adjustment calculation is needed for sensor taps.				

			

					

				
Water coolers for mobility impaired users - KBCN0255

				Point-of-use water coolers must be attached to both the wall and the floor to prevent vandalism, and contain security covers to protect all water and electrical connections.

Where a wall mounted point-of-use water cooler is specified which is designed to be accessible for wheelchair users, or users with other mobility impairments, this could still be deemed acceptable to meet this requirement provided the security and stability principle is still achieved in line with the aim of the issue.

23/08/2017 Title updated from "DDA compliant water coolers"
DDA guidelines superceded by the Equality Act 2010, therefore title and text updated. 
Applicability to International schemes removed.

 				

			

					

				
Water fittings specification evidence at design stage - KBCN0420

				For a design stage assessment, it is acceptable to provide data based on reasonable assumptions if the final specification of fittings is not yet available.				

			

					

				
Water fittings used for a process related function - KBCN0418

				Water fittings used for a process related function, e.g. low level ablution taps, laboratory / classroom taps, scrub-up taps, cleaners' sinks etc., should be excluded from the assessment of regulated water consumption.

Only kitchen taps and those used for general hygiene washing are to be included in the assessment of regulated water consumption.

04/08/17 Added low level ablution taps (typically used for religious purposes) to exemptions.
				

			

					

				
Water Fountains - KBCN0648

				Water fountains are generally not accepted to demonstrate compliance with Hea 04 on the basis that a typical water fountain (of the type which projects a jet of water upwards towards a user's mouth) does not allow a water bottle to be filled, and therefore does not encourage adequate fluid intake.

However, if it can be demonstrated that a particular type of water fountain is specified that addresses the issues of bottle filling, such as a water fountain with an additional bottle-filler, this can be considered acceptable.				

			

					

				
Water monitoring when only part of a building is under assessment - KBCN0548

				When only part of the building is under assessment, there are two cases for achieving compliance with the requirement to specify a water meter on the mains water supply of the building:

If the whole building is under the same tenancy or ownership and management, then a meter monitoring the entire building is acceptable.

However, if the floors subject to assessment are separately tenanted, then a meter at the point of entry to the assessed areas is required.

Assessed areas have to be monitored separately for water consumption when only part of the building falls within the scope of assessment and where the assessed areas are separately tenanted. 				

			

					

				
Watercourse pollution from indoor parking - KBCN0545

				If the design team can demonstrate that there will be absolutely no run-off from the indoor parking then the intent of the credit will be met. However, such proof would also have to demonstrate that no hydrocarbon spillage from vehicles found its way into the watercourse/sewer. It is likely that there would be water ingress from outside or that internal parking areas would have drains fitted and be cleaned regularly. In such conditions, the criteria are still applicable.

The intent of this criteria is to ensure no hydrocarbons run off to any watercourse.				

			

					

				
Weather File Location - KBCN1013

				In accordance with the guidance provided in CIBSE AM11, in instances where the weather file for the nearest location does not represent the most appropriate climatic conditions for the actual location, it is permissible to use the weather file from another, nearby location, which more closely matches the climate at the actual location.

This can take account of the climatic influences of height above sea level, a coastal location or other local, climate-moderating features such as mountains, woodland, lakes, prevailing wind direction or urban heat island effect.				

			

					

				
Zoning and control – dimming - KBCN1018

				Localised dimming controls installed in line with the criteria, along with a master on/off switch, can be considered as meeting the aim of the requirement for 'controls' in open plan offices.

The aim is for occupants to have local control over their lighting and maintain comfortable lighting levels. 				

			

					

				
Zoning and control – exemplary level criteria - KBCN1545

				The exemplary level criteria applies only to lighting zones in the asset where:

Where lighting zones do not have dimming controls fitted, these must be clearly evidenced and justified.				

			

					

				
Zoning and control – PIR in circulation spaces - KBCN0332

				PIR controls can be deemed compliant in circulation spaces such as corridors. In this instance 'separate occupant controls' are not required.

The requirement for user control is so that the building users can have direct control over their immediate work environment to ensure it is suitable for their personal needs. In circulation spaces, occupancy is transient and PIR control in these spaces is acceptable.

 				

			

					

				
Zoning and occupant control – access to lighting controls - KBCN00032

				The relevant areas for the criteria apply only to areas where users are expected to have control.
For instance, this means that areas intended for the general public, or a shop floor would not be expected to have lighting controls.

The general principle which applies to user access to general environmental controls (heating, cooling, ventilation) may also apply to access to lighting controls. See KBCN0170.

However, the the exact approach may differ between the two types of systems and assessor judgement must be used to determine compliance.

In all cases zoning is required in all areas of the asset where specified in the assessment criteria. Please refer to the specific requirements of the applicable BREEAM standard to interpret this guidance appropriately.

14-Dec-2022 - KBCN applicability updated to include BIU. Wording updated. Link to KBCN0170 created.
				

			

					

				
Zoning and occupant control – control via BMS - KBCN0703

				Occupant control via a BMS is not normally considered a compliant BREEAM solution. Any solution that requires the action of a third party (eg facilities manager) is not considered under the control of the occupant. Solutions where all relevant building occupants have control via a user-interface via BMS may be considered compliant where the assessor is satisfied that the aim of the criteria are met.

User-control must be available directly to the occupant.

01/08/2017 - KBCN applicability to Thermal comfort Issue removed.
				

			

					

				
Zoning and occupant control – PIR detection systems - KBCN0335

				The aim of the Health & Wellbeing category is to recognise ways to benefit occupants through giving them control of their lighting environment. Without manual overrides, presence or absence detection lighting controls (such as PIR detection systems) are not compliant with the criteria.

BREEAM recognises the energy efficiency benefits of detection systems in buildings through the Energy category. In some cases, the design team may have to prioritise one particular lighting strategy to the detriment of achieving a credit elsewhere.

28 04 2021 Wording amended to include absence detection systems.
18 09 2017 Wording amended to clarify the meaning.

 				

			

					

				
Zoning and occupant control – whiteboards and display screens - KBCN1433

				Whiteboards and display screens in dedicated teaching or presentation spaces require separate zoning and control for lighting, as specified in the criteria.

Lighting around whiteboards and display screens which are typically found in general office areas, meeting rooms, or in other generic spaces do not require separate zoning and control to meet the criteria. In such cases, the assessor should provide justification.

Whiteboards and display screens in dedicated teaching / presentation spaces are likely to be used frequently, and require appropriate zoning and control. An increasing number of offices and meeting rooms now include display screens - however separate zoning and control may not be appropriate.				

			

					

				
Zoning and occupant controls – handheld remote controls - KBCN1243

				Remote control light switches can be considered as compliant, on the basis that these are provided in sufficient numbers/locations to meet the aim of the criteria.				

			

					

				
Zoning of lighting – speculative buildings - KBCN0197

				Compliance note CN1 confirms that in speculative buildings, the lighting control system must have the capacity to be zoned as required, once the final tenant is known and occupancy patterns/layout are agreed.

Alternatively compliance can be demonstrated using Shell and Core options 1-3.

 

 				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Areas assessed for formaldehyde and TVOC - KBCN1008

				This KBCN is no longer applicable. Please refer to KBCN0871 for scope of 'Emission levels (products)' and 'Other information' section of the technical manual for scope of 'Emission levels (post-construction)'.

Superseded text:

Products applied or installed in parts of the building likely to affect the indoor air quality and impact the wellbeing of building users need to be assessed. Areas are not excluded on the basis of how long building users are present in those areas.

27-Feb-2018 - KBCN N/A due to ambiguity of applicability to criteria
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Cycle storage spaces for all range schools and non-acute SEN - KBCN0424

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid. Please see KBCN0224 for relevant guidance.

This is due to duplication of guidance.

KBCN withdrawn 14 03 2018:

Where assessing an all range school, the appropriate criteria should be applied for each age range. Where this includes non-acute SEN classes and the unusual structure of the classes prevents standard assessment, the assessor should use their judgement to determine whether to apply the pre-school criteria or base on the total number of staff and students. The approach taken should be fully justified.

To encourage a sensible application of the criteria in meeting the aim of the Issue
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Daylighting – Education buildings - KBCN1031

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and replaced with the more detailed KBCN1272.

KBCN withdrawn on 13/08/2019:

Where the requirements of Education and Skills Funding Agency Generic Design Brief, November 2017. Technical Annex 2E ‘Daylight and electric lighting’, have been demonstrably met, the BREEAM daylighting requirements can be deemed to have also been met. The two credits for daylighting can be awarded.

 				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Erratum – Table 1 in GN22 v2.5 - KBCN1436

				Table 1 in V2.5 of GN22 has two footnote symbols missing:

• Product Type column – Paints and varnishes should read Paints and varnishes*
• Product Type column – Wood panels should read Wood panels^

10-Oct-2022 KBCN withdrawn as GN22 has been re-issued with fixes.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Exemplary credit – software output figures - KBCN0265

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid.

KBCN withdrawn on 21/07/2021:

In order to demonstrate that up to four exemplary level credits can be awarded for Ene 01, the primary energy generated by the carbon neutral technologies will need to be calculated by applying the relevant primary energy factor.
These figures are taken from the approved building energy calculation software output.
For guidance on completing this calculation and to obtain primary energy factors please contact BRE Global.

Please note that this is applicable only to BREEAM UK New Construction 2014 and 2011 Issue 3.0, and more recent issues.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Exemplary credit – Beyond zero net regulated carbon/carbon negative – Software output figures - KBCN1094

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid.

This is because its content is not relevant to the exemplary credits, which are based solely on carbon emissions, nor for standard credits, which are based on BRUKL inputs.

KBCN withdrawn on 05/08/2019:

For the 'Beyond zero net regulated carbon/carbon negative' exemplary credits, in order to demonstrate that up to three exemplary level credits can be awarded for Ene 01, the primary energy generated by the carbon neutral technologies will need to be calculated by applying the relevant primary energy factor.
These figures are taken from the approved building energy calculation software output.
For guidance on completing this calculation and to obtain primary energy factors please contact BRE Global.

 				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Flood risk – Environment Agency (EA) confirm the site is in ‘low flood risk’ area
				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid.

This is because its content was created on the basis of a very specific case and should not be applied generally. EA confirmation is no more robust or detailed than reference to flood maps, which are not in themselves compliant without a FRA.

KBCN withdrawn on 17/03/17:

If the EA have confirmed, in writing, that the site has a low flood risk and that a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) is not required then this is acceptable and the two credits can be awarded. The EA's written confirmation is a sufficient indication that an appropriate level of flood risk assessment has been completed. Please note that the use of the EA flood maps without this additional confirmation is not acceptable.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ GN22 – Scheme version applicability - KBCN0646

				Table 1 is for the use of any version of a scheme where the first version was released pre-December 2015, and table 2 is for the use of any version of a scheme where the first version was released post-November 2015.

10-Oct-2022 This KBCN has been merged with KBCN0719. KBCN withdrawn.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Indoor air quality plan for shell only and shell and core assessments - KBCN0556

				The indoor air quality plan must be completed for the scope of works being BREEAM assessed. This applies for shell only and shell and core assessments, as well as fully fitted.

Assessors should use their judgement to determine the applicability of each aspect of the requirements for IAQs and ensure that the report addresses relevant aspects as fully as possible within the scope of the development.

11-Oct-2022 KBCN withdrawn. Content merged with KBCN0294.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Natural Ventilation Heat Recovery Units - KBCN1126

				Natural Ventilation Heat Recovery Units (NVHR) systems can be used to support a natural ventilation strategy where it can be demonstrated that openable windows provide sufficient fresh air to the building for the significant majority of the time that the space is occupied.

The assessor will need to use their professional judgement to determine a 'significant majority of time' and be able to justify this within the assessment report.

22-Oct-2022 Content merged with KBCN1533 and clarified with additional guidance on mixed mode systems. This KBCN withdrawn.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ No floor or ceiling finishes fitted - KBCN00046

				Where the developer has not specified or installed any floor or ceiling finishes, the requirements are met.

This issue recognises where the potential for generating unnecessary waste of materials has been avoided. 

16-May-2023 - Merged with KBCN1066. Withdrawn.
20-Dec-2017 - KBCN wording simplified to add clarity.

 				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Pre-requisite – indoor air quality (IAQ) plan after Concept Design stage - KBCN1155

				Where the Indoor Air Quality Plan has been produced after the Concept Design stage credits may still be achievable for this issue. Provided that it can be demonstrated that the IAQP has influenced the design and that the late production of the IAQP has not hindered the ability to influence the design and specification of products this would be acceptable to meet this requirement. 

11-Oct-2022 - This KBCN superceded by KBCN1206.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Scope of product assessment for VOCs - KBCN0871

				For the purpose of this Issue, this covers any product installed or applied inside of the inner surface of the building’s infiltration, vapour or waterproof membrane or, where not present, inside of the inner surface of the building envelope’s interior facing thermal insulation layer.

Only products that are installed or applied in parts of the building where their emissions are likely to affect indoor air quality need to be assessed.

11-Oct-2022 - Content merged with KBCN0212. KBCN withdrawn.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Separate energy models for a single assessment - KBCN00011

				This KBCN is now superseded. Please refer to KBCN0216

KBCN withdrawn. 
This KBCN is suspended, pending technical review. When undertaking a similar buildings assessment, compliance must be based on the worst-performing unit for Issue Ene 01 as stated below and in the technical manuals. The area-weighted approach may only be used where multiple buildings falling under the same building type, which require separate energy models are operating as a single entity with a single occupier, such as a school. For building types other than schools, should you consider there is justification to apply the area-weighted approach, please seek advice from BRE by submitting a technical query.

Superseded content:

Where the assessment is using the Similar Buildings approach as outlined in GN10, compliance under Ene 01 must be based on the worst performing unit. In the Assessment Scoring & Reporting (S&R) tool the value entered for building floor area can be the combined area of the buildings assessed rather than just the area of the worst case building, as this shouldn’t affect the calculation of the Ene 01 score.

In certain situations, a single assessment with multiple energy models may not follow the Similar Buildings approach as this would unreasonably impact the overall performance. An example of this could be a school assessment with a separate sports hall included in the same assessment.
 In these cases, the methodology below applies:
 1. For each energy model, input the notional and actual performance figures into the scoring and reporting tool to determine individual EPRs.
 2. Manually area-weight each individual EPR to calculate an area-weighted average EPR for the assessment.
 3. Use table 25 in the NC 2014 manual, Ene 01, to determine the number of credits awarded.
 We will provide an amended S&R tool which will have the relevant cell unlocked to allow the number of credits to be manually inputted. In terms of evidence for QA, we would require screenshots of the S&R EPR outputs for each building and a copy of the area weighting calculation.
 Please seek advice from the BRE if in doubt on which methodology applies to your project.


15/02/2018 KBCN Suspended and clarification note added pending review and publication of further guidance.
04/06/2018 KBCN No longer applicable. Reference to GN10 v1.0 added.
31/10/2018 Re-formatted for clarity and reference to GN10 removed from superseded content to avoid confusion.


 				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Surface water run-off – Rainwater harvesting - KBCN1064

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid.

This is because the BS 8515 has been withdrawn and its replacement makes no reference to storm water control. 

KBCN withdrawn on 26/09/18:

BS 8515 Rainwater harvesting systems: Code of Practice, Annex A (236) must be followed where rainwater harvesting systems are relied upon for storm water control. To ensure flood risk is not increased if the rainwater harvesting system is, for some reason, unavailable, the exceedance flow route capacity provided in accordance with CIRIA report C635 should ignore the beneficial effect of the rainwater harvesting system.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ Ventilation – BB101 - KBCN1242

				This KBCN has been withdrawn and is no longer valid.

This is because Building Bulletin 101 was updated in August 2018. 

KBCN withdrawn on 04/02/2019:

The web page that hosts the currently active version of Building Bulletin 101: ventilation for school buildings, available here, states that the document was published on 11th March 2014. However, when opening the document itself, the publishing date refers to '5th July 2006'.

The current version of the standard which should be used is Version 1.4 dated 5th July 2006 within the document.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ VOC product types – other - KBCN0698

				Where a product does not appear to fit into any of the defined VOC product types listed in the manual this does not mean it is automatically exempt from being assessed. If it is similar to one of the listed product types and clearly could have an impact on VOC levels it should normally be assessed.

In such cases the supplier/manufacturer should seek to demonstrate that their product meets the equivalent standards required for the closest matching product type.

19-Oct-2022 - KBCN replaced by KBCN0872.
				

			

					

				
[KBCN withdrawn] ~ VOC testing – alternative methods for compliance for paints and varnishes - KBCN0492

				Manufacturers' calculations of VOC content, based on the constituent ingredients, can be used to demonstrate compliance with the testing requirement for paints and varnishes instead of ISO 11890-2:2013.

11-Oct-2022 - KBCN is withdrawn because it is a duplicate of KBCN0452.
				

			

					

				
[Withdrawn] – multiple assessments – site-wide certificate - KBCN0874

				Where developments on a site are assessed under multiple BREEAM registrations, but there is a requirement for an overall, site-wide BREEAM rating, an additional certificate can be produced for the whole development.

For further details of this service and applicable fees, please contact the BREEAM technical team.

04-Dec-2023 - Withdrawn.
17-Apr-2018 - Amended to clarify.

 				

			

		 

	
	Information correct as of 19thApril 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.