BREEAM AP cheat sheet

New Construction assesses assets at the design (interim) and post-construction (final) stages; the final certificate is issued only after a post-construction review.

Ratings run Pass ≥30%, Good ≥45%, Very Good ≥55%, Excellent ≥70%, Outstanding ≥85% of available credits, with Outstanding capped at 100% and requiring near-total credit capture.

The environmental section weightings for the standard scheme sum to 100% and include Energy, Health and Wellbeing, Materials, Management, Pollution, Transport, Waste, Water, Land Use and Ecology, and Innovation.

Energy is typically the highest-weighted section, followed by Health and Wellbeing; exact weightings vary by building type and scheme version, so always confirm against the applicable technical manual.

Innovation credits are additional, capped at 10% of the total available credits, and are added on top of the standard section scores rather than replacing them.

A minimum performance standard applies to the Energy section: a Pass requires a minimum number of energy credits, so an otherwise high-scoring building can fail if energy credits are too low.

The BREEAM energy model uses an EPR (Energy Performance Ratio) derived from the building's regulated energy compared with the notional/benchmark building; a lower EPR yields fewer energy credits.

Certification requires a qualified BREEAM Assessor to register the project, compile evidence, and submit for QA; the AP provides strategic guidance but does not replace the assessor's role.

In-Use assesses existing, operational buildings and is structured around three parts: Part 1 Asset Performance, Part 2 Building Management, and Part 3 Occupier Management.

Each part is scored independently and awarded its own rating; a single overall building rating is not produced by combining the three parts.

Part 1 covers the built asset's inherent performance (e.g., its fabric, services, and design characteristics) assessed largely from documentation and asset data.

Part 2 covers building management and operation, including energy and water monitoring, maintenance, and management practices controlled by the building owner/manager.

Part 3 covers occupier management, addressing how the occupying organisation manages its own fit-out, energy use, and workplace practices.

Ratings use the same percentage bands as other BREEAM schemes (Pass to Outstanding), but credit weightings and available credits differ by part.

In-Use is designed for recertification, so performance is reassessed periodically and improvement between cycles is a core purpose of the scheme.

Because In-Use relies on operational data, evidence typically includes metered consumption, management records, and operational policies rather than design-stage submissions.

The scheme is organised into four parts: Part 1 Fabric and Structure, Part 2 Core Services, Part 3 Local Services, and Part 4 Interior Design.

Each part is assessed and rated separately; a project may achieve different ratings for different parts depending on scope.

Part 1 covers the building envelope and structural elements; Part 2 covers central/core building services serving the whole building.

Part 3 covers local services serving the assessed unit or fit-out area; Part 4 covers interior design, finishes, and indoor environment within the fit-out scope.

The scheme is intended for projects where the building is retained rather than newly built, making it applicable to renovation, conversion, and fit-out works.

Credit applicability depends on the scope of works: elements outside the project's physical scope are excluded, so the assessor defines scope boundaries early.

Where a building already holds a BREEAM certificate for the base build, the fit-out assessment can focus on the fit-out scope rather than re-scoring the whole asset.

Minimum standards and weightings vary by building type and by which parts are being assessed, so the applicable technical manual must be checked for the specific scope.

BREEAM Infrastructure (formerly CEEQUAL) is the scheme for civil engineering, infrastructure, and public realm projects, distinct from building-focused BREEAM schemes.

It uses a project assessment covering management, environmental, and social performance across the project lifecycle from strategy through to operation.

The assessment is structured around a project lifecycle: strategy, design, construction, and operation/handover, with credits available in each phase.

Ratings are expressed as a percentage of credits achieved against those available, with award bands such as Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and Outstanding.

A key feature is the use of a project-specific assessment scope and a scoring model that can weight sections to reflect project priorities.

Evidence-based scoring requires documented verification for each credit, and an independent verifier reviews the assessment before certification.

It emphasises whole-project outcomes including carbon, resource efficiency, ecology, community impact, and climate resilience rather than only building-level performance.

The scheme supports both new infrastructure and the upgrade or refurbishment of existing infrastructure assets.

Communities assesses the masterplanning and design of large-scale development at the neighbourhood/community scale, rather than individual buildings.

It is structured around three sequential stages: Step 1 (determine the scope and establish the project), Step 2 (masterplan design and assessment), and Step 3 (certification).

Assessment is organised around categories including Governance, Social and Economic Wellbeing, Resources and Energy, Land Use and Ecology, Transport and Movement, and Climate Change.

Each category contains issues with credits; the rating is a percentage of credits achieved against those available, using the standard Pass-to-Outstanding bands.

The scheme requires early-stage community engagement and stakeholder consultation as part of the governance and social wellbeing issues.

Certification is staged: an interim certificate can be awarded at the masterplan stage, with final certification following implementation.

Communities is intended for projects such as new neighbourhoods, regeneration areas, and mixed-use masterplans, and is often used alongside building-level BREEAM schemes.

The assessor must define the project boundary and assessment scope at Step 1, since the boundary determines which issues and credits apply.