BREEAM Certification with SOCOTEC

The BREEAM system awards rankings based on the total percentage of score obtained. The levels range from "Correct" (basic level) to "Exceptional" (maximum recognition). The final score is calculated by multiplying the credits earned in each of the 10 sustainability categories by specific environmental weighting factors.

The evaluation is carried out in two different phases:

1. Design Phase: Evaluation of project documentation that generates a grade and provisional certificate
2. Post-Construction Phase: Evaluation of the completed building that provides the final qualification and the final official certificate

The distribution of credits between both phases varies according to the construction typology of your project.

BREEAM ES is certified under the UNE-EN ISO 9001 standard and maintains governance structures with an Advisory Council and Panel of Experts that guarantee technical and scientific independence.

The methodology is completely adapted to the Spanish legal, regulatory and technical reality.

In Spain, the designated national operator (National Scheme Operator) is the Technical Institute of Galicia, which acts as an independent certifying body, quality guarantor and official BREEAM adapter for Spain, ensuring that the methodology is relevant, rigorous and applicable to the technical, regulatory and Spanish market context.

For non-residential buildings (offices, industry, commerce, education, hotels, healthcare), the applicable scheme is BREEAM ES New Construction. This scheme is valid for both new construction and renovations and extensions, and you can certify in the project/design or post-construction phase.

Yes, with BREEAM ES In Use. This methodology is specifically designed for existing buildings in operation, both commercial and residential. It allows the actual behavior of the asset to be evaluated based on operational data, which facilitates the closing of gaps between theoretical design and actual operation.

Yes, BREEAM ES Urbanism provides comprehensive certification for large-scale urban projects, including neighborhoods, districts, and entire communities. This scheme establishes criteria that are higher than the mandatory regulations in both design and materialisation.

We offer Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, which includes:

• Sensitivity analysis of material impacts of the project
• Strategic support for choosing low-impact materials
• Complete enumeration of building elements and components
• Assigning carbon values to each component and process
• Development of integrated scenarios and final calculation of embedded emissions

This service considers the phases of extraction and manufacture, construction, use and end of life of the building.

Yes, as an optional service. Once the executive project is completed, we can calculate the complete LCA of the building in 2-4 weeks, considering according to RICS methodology: foundations, structure, envelope and interior partitions. We also offer as-built model upgrades.

Operational benefits include:

• Direct reduction of operating costs based on real data
• Increase in the value of the real estate asset
• Closing gaps between theoretical design and actual operation
• Possibility of comparing behaviour between different typologies with a single standard

SOCOTEC will request in writing the basic documentation required according to your BREEAM scheme. It generally includes: project report, architectural plans, installation reports, material specifications, energy efficiency studies and any documentation that demonstrates compliance with sustainability criteria.

The time varies according to the complexity of the project and the BREEAM scheme applied. The process ranges from the initial evaluation (pre-project), design phase (project), on-site assistance (execution) to final certification (post-construction). SOCOTEC will provide you with a specific timeline after the initial evaluation of your project.