New brochures on the topic of sustainable building with BREEAM and LEED certification

5-minute read

Sustainable building is a key part of achieving the goals of the EU Commission’s Green Deal. This involves auditing various buildings for compliance with a number of certification systems. Within Europe, the most important certification systems are: DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council), LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). All three certification systems feature various categories in which the topic of saving drinking water or the use of alternative water sources is an important parameter for obtaining the maximum number of points available. Whichever system is used, SCHELL fittings can make a significant contribution to obtaining certification, as reduced water consumption is only ever achieved at tapping points.

Building certification builds trust

Building certification systems such as DGNB, LEED and BREEAM single out buildings that exceed national sustainability standards in the various categories audited. Receiving a certificate not only increases the value of the building in terms of sale or rental but is also a clearly visible sign to all users that sustainability is a key priority for this particular property. All certification is the result of specific processes and procedures that cannot be mastered without in-depth expertise. Each single factor in a category is audited individually. After completing a full audit and ‘crossing the finishing line’, the property is awarded a certificate that can be posted up as a visible sign to all that the topic of sustainability has been taken seriously as a central, multi-generation challenge in this particular building.

Scoring criteria in LEED and BREEAM

A certification involves scoring a building in terms of certain characteristics. LEED and BREEAM each have their own categories and weightings, although energy and water consumption and emissions are relevant for both systems. The two systems also examine the logistical complexity of material procurement and the durability of products used in the building. Models that need replacing after a short space of time are bad for the environment. But SCHELL products are extremely long-lived, thanks to their superior quality. They therefore offer an excellent starting point for certifications. In another context, independent studies have also shown that around 80 percent of a building’s total lifecycle costs are generated by operations and maintenance work. This is where spending on fittings that save water and energy offers a short return on investment.

How SCHELL helps with certification

For BREEAM certifications, the final rating awarded ranges from a simple ‘Pass’ to ‘Outstanding’ – depending on the percentage score achieved by the project. If appropriate SCHELL products are used, then almost half of the 30 percent score required for a ‘Pass’ rating can be achieved with these alone. SCHELL products can also make a significant contribution to LEED certification – especially since sometimes only a few percentage points make the difference between an average and high rating. LEED distinguishes between four certification levels: LEED Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. With SCHELL products, almost a third of the points can be achieved that are required to obtain the ‘LEED Certified’ level.

Cutting process time and stress

Within the plumbing sector, SCHELL took a leading role as one of the first companies to have its products comprehensively tested with the aim of supporting developers looking to achieve building certification. Accordingly, SCHELL offers appraisers a complete package of expertise for building certifications to the BREEAM and LEED standards with SCHELL products. SCHELL commissioned sustainability specialists encon with the task of carrying out the in-depth analyses that are needed in order to allocate credits in these systems. This independent analysis gives planners and the skilled trades a manufacturer-neutral assessment of SCHELL products as part of a LEED or BREEAM certification.

SCHELL’s LEED and BREEAM brochures

Our brochures provide you with comprehensive information about products, points and parameters. Why not take a look?

LEED
BREEAM

Do you have questions about certification and our products? Please contact our Customer Service team. Just give us a call! Incidentally: our products not only offer sustainability credits for the building itself but also reduce operating costs over the building’s entire lifecycle, thanks to reduced water consumption. With SCHELL products and solutions – like the Water Management System SWS – you can look forward to hygienic, cost-effective and efficient building management over the long term.